NFL WILL FINE TEAMS WHOSE PLAYERS KNEEL DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM

Maybe not to you, but I value my right to "Freedom of Speech"& every other citizen--It is a right I'm willing to fight for, why not you?
So,I could turn it around & say as a citizen of this country your position makes no sense whatsoever!

 

They could not have 2 people with a coordinated dance until last year, and sock height is every bit as much of a freedom of speech issue as is kneeling for the anthem. They are all freedom of expression while not involving actual speech.

If you acknowledge that they can mandate certain things and be within the bounds of constitutionality, why do you keep insisting that this is a constitutional/ freedom of speech issue?

 

They have the right to not watch because someone disrespected their countries flag and anthem as well. If I wore an anti-(insert political thing here) shirt to work I would be asked to change. People do not come to my place of employment to here my political views. Many Americans do not watch football to have politics and anti-American views expressed to them. That is what the Grammies are for

 

Yeah,------GO VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS----In your reference to Hockey---
There are no idiots here,if you were protesting a "right" you believed in,I might not agree with what you are protesting, but I would defend your right to do so,& would not call you an idiot!

 

Refusing to stand for the flag because of the "rights being denied" is the very definition of disrespecting the flag. The whole point of refusing to stand for it is to disrespect it. This isnt about me , and MY interpretation, it is about the English language and the definition of words.

To claim that this isnt about disrespecting the flag is utterly nonsensical.

 

We will see!

 

Nobody is taking these spoiled jackasses rights away. I stated, split screen and show them kneeling in the locker room and let the public decide. In the stadium, everyone is happy, in the locker room these attention seekers will get their press.
Now, if these angry spoiled jackass players want to start their own league, I don't care if they stand on their heads while some rapper sings (shouts) obscenities about women and police.

 

So you agree with what I said, which is they can in fact have 2 people with a coordinated dance. So then why did you say they couldn't in your previous post?
Again.....I. WASN'T. TALKING. ABOUT. THE. NFLs. MANDATE.
I was talking about the fans. NOT the NFL. Please, I beg you people....read what is written and not what you THINK is written.

 

Sure it is if you're offended by it. Look up the word subjective in the dictionary. The difference is the Kaepernik detractors aren't running to the government nanny saying "OMG protect us from this offensive speech!" They are simply voting wth their remotes and their asses -- which have not been in stadium seats as much as before.

Thus exercising their freedom of speech. I'm going to introduce a new concept here called the marketplace of ideas.

First, I am not the topic of this thread. Second, how would that be relevant? Third, on what evidence would you make such an unsubstantiated claim?

Those are rhetorical questions, don't bother answering.

But since you asked... Let me tell you what bothers me about Kaepernik and guys in his position. Having the public spotlight, he has the opportunity to influence young men who look up to him. I disagree completely with his message -- here's a guy who has the nerve to complain about a country that allows him to get paid millions of dollars for PLAYING A GAME. Instead of saying things to young black men and boys like "stay in school, pull your pants up, speak standard English like me, stop gang banging and this country will allow you to follow your dreams," he says, paraphrasing, "the man gonna hold you down... **** da police!"

Total BS victim mentality, easy to say from the comfort of his gated community as he pulls his Range Rover into his 17-room mansion.

I heard a segment yesterday on NPR about this new policy. The newsreader stated "Colin Kaepernik started kneeling during the National Anthem in protest of the treatment of young black men by police."

They had it backwards. What we really need to focus on is the treatment of police by young black men. This is why #BlackLivesMatter is totally full of ****: They operate on the assumption that it's OK to jump put of your car and start screaming at a cop when you get pulled over. And you're a sucker if you are polite to the cops. They don't give a squirt of cold piss about all the black lives that are taken by other blacks. They are full of ****. And for Kaepernik to endorse that is squandering the gift of the spotlight that this awful country has given by letting him earn millions of dollars for playing a child's game. That is what I find offensive. He can kneel all he wants, I'm going to call him on it each and every time because his "protest" is meaningless and built on a false premise. But now he'll have to kneel in the locker room. Oh wait, no he won't... nobody wants him on their team.

 

Funny. Funny-sad actually.

 

I don't buy non-work related protest at work. There's a time and a place for protests, at work isn't one of them unless it is work related. Now I would buy protesting this ruling from the NFL, that is work related. But not what Kap did, non-work related. There's a time and a place for everything. Or so my grandpappy used to say.

With my grandpappy in mind, what the heck are we doing playing the national anthem at a football game or sporting event? I know President Woodrow Wilson started all of this during WWI by having the national anthem played during the 7th inning stretch during the World Series, a special event. But not at every baseball game as a show of support or patriotism for our boys over in France. They ain't there no more and WWI is over. Playing of the national anthem prior to sporting events didn't happen until WWII. That war is over also. Here's the history.

https://briancain.com/blog/the-history-of-the-national-anthem-at-sporting-games.html

I can see playing it at games on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, the 4th of July or even special sporting events like the world series or super bowl. I'd like it played as part of the half time show at the super bowl rather than before. In plain language, play the national anthem at events, happenings where its germane. Far as I'm concerned, it isn't at sporting events like a football game.

 

Because for many years they could NOT, and that is a perfect example of the NFL specifically regulating free expression. I am surprised that you are having such difficulty following along, but then again that makes sense when contrasted with your entire position that this is somehow a constitutional free speech issue.

If you want to make this about the fans, AGAIN, this is not an abridgement of free speech/free expression. Are you trying to imply that the fans do not have a right to free expression/speech when showing displeasure with the players disrespecting the flag? Whether you make this about the NFL or its fans, nobody is abridging anyones constitutional right to free speech. It doesnt matter to what tangent that you decide to take your argument, it is just 100% undeniably WRONG.

 

You paint a decent word picture.

 

Well, when you claim in one post that they CAN'T have 2 people do a coordinated dance celebration and then in the next say they can. Well I dunno...seems you're confused.
And I have NOT said the mandate by the NFL to stand is a free speech issue. In fact I defy you to find one post where I said what the NFL is doing is a free speech issue.

Of course they have the right to not watch. But let's not even pretend they are expressing their free speech by not watching. The ones not watching are doing so because it's a black issue.

 

How refreshing to read an opinion based on a reasonable compromise----Now, I disagree with your first paragraph, they are using a platform that up until yesterday they were within their right to do so. But I appreciated your history link & I would go for a discussion with your idea---

 

It could have been worse.

They could have decided to shoot them (like Stalin did) or throw them into a concentration camp (like Adolf did).

 

Im sorry if you dont understand the relevance of a long standing NFL rule( albeit rescinded last year) as being relevant to a constitutional argument about whether or not they can constitutionally limit free expression. Your actual argument is completely without merit, and it seems like you are trying to cling to some irrelevancy in order to change the subject.

It doesnt matter where you want to take this argument, you are just wrong. If you want to make your stand about people that claim to love the constitution being hypocritical because they express their opinion that the NFL shouldn't let the players kneel for the anthem, you are STILL wrong. From a constitutional standpoint, players can say anything that they like, and so can the fans. They all have a constitutional right to free speech. The fans expressing their dislike for kneeling is every bit as protected as the players right. It is not hypocritical to express a dislike for the actions of the players. If those fans were insisting that the players be jailed for their speech then you would have a point, but because they are not, you dont have a point. The fans expressed outrage to the owners which hit their wallet, and the owners enacted a rule that is entirely within their rights. Nothing to see here. Nothing hypocritical in the slightest for a constitution loving person to express disapproval of the free expression from the entertainment that they pay hard earned dollars to see.

 

Try to be patient. It can take a while. Look how long it took the NFL to do the math.

“In what has been a slippery season in the ratings for the NFL and broadcasters on the Big 4 and cable, last night’s TNF fell 26% in MM from the TNF of December 15, 2016.”
DEADLINE.COM, ‘Thursday Night Football’ Ratings Tumble To Season Low With Broncos’ Win, By Dominic Patten, December 15, 2017.
http://deadline.com/2017/12/broncos...eason-low-nfl-big-bang-theory-nbc-1202227763/

 

Well, if it wasn't an issue we wouldn't be talking about it then would we?
And I disagree, the poster is not wrong, why would you say that? Because he doesn't agree with "your" opinion?
And,you don't think it is hypocritical for trump to say "they should be deported" or fired or call them SOB's?

 

What rights? How many ways do you need it explained? An employer has the right to set forth rules of conduct and expression for their employees while they are at work. Do you think a Pepsi employee can sport a Coca Cola hat while on the clock?

 

When government tells the football millionaires to stand they will have knee to stand on.

 

- Who said it isnt an "issue"? Of course it is. It just so happens that the argument that fans are being hypocritical, or that the NFL cannot mandate their free expression because of freedom of speech protections, or that kneeling during the anthem is NOT disrespecting the flag.... are ALL 100%, UNDENIABLY WRONG.

-The poster is wrong. It is not hypocritical for someone that supports free speech to express a dislike for the speech of another. If we were to accept that as hypocritical, we would also have to say that a free speech supporter that expresses disdain for the opinions of NAMBLA is also being hypocritical. Everyone is allowed to express their opinion on any issue, and doing so is not hypocritical even slightly.

- No ,I do NOT think that it is hypocritical for the President to exercise his constitutional right to free speech by expressing an opinion.

 

Remove "rights" and "freedom of speech" and see if this view makes an sense. After all, they have nothing to do with the issue.

 

Except I never said “NFLcannot mandate their free expressionbecause of freedom of speech protections”. You’re making that up. Please stop making sh!t up.

 

Was I talking or referring to you at that moment? NO. I was specifically listing the litany of arguments being made in regard to this issue. You are making up the notion that I was referring, or speaking to you specifically when I made reference to the NFL mandating free expression. Please stop making sh!t up.

When I later referred to the poster( in this case you), I very specifically pointed to your "hypocritical" argument.