Watched National Anthem before Eagles-Vikings game

And I care nothing about them

Lower TV ratings and no Papa Johns pizza during the game

and no jersey sales in the off season by me

 

How will they manage only making 11 billion? Lol

 

Then what are you complaining about?

Is 11 billion not enough for them?

 

Complaining? Who is complaining but you? Lol

 

You are complaining about me not watching nfl football anymore

 

I could care less what you watch. So does the nfl which is my point. Lol

 

Of course you are. My point was that the general objection to the nature of their protest is a perceived disrespect to the anthem, flag and (for some reason I’ve never understood) individual members of the US military. I’d suggest that if the people objecting don’t stand for the anthem when they’re in private, it’s less about actually having real respect and more about putting up the appearance of it out of social convention. I think that significantly weakens the idea that choosing not to put on that show is so disrespectful.

 

Wu-Tang BLAAH!

 

Free speech has it's consequences right? Just like Charlottesville? I'm sure this has been mentioned 100x. And I'm sure it's been said 100x that no one is denying their right of free speech, but there are venues where you don't offend customers or other people. Surely the experts at being offended would understand?

 

So what are you going to watch now?

 

Sometimes I watch tv in my underwear

Which is ok but I would not attend a football game that way

Saluting the flag is a PUBLIC display of respect

And the black NFL are making a PUBLIC display of disrespect

 

I watch college football

 

Wah, wah, I am offended by others free speech. Put on your big boy pants and suck it up. Nobody has to watch football.

 

How do react to this story?

The NFL rejected an add by the AMVETs asking everyone to stand for the National Anthem

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ects-amvets-super-bowl-program-ad/1056383001/

 

That its’ an example of the flawed objections to the players protest and that it was probably proposed in the full knowledge that it would be refused and generate just as much attention than actually showing the advert would have done.

It doesn’t really address my point about the difference between actually being respectful and blindly going through the motions for show and how a handful of players kneeling during the anthem is so disrespectful to the veterans but thousands of viewers at home slumped on their sofa with a beer in their hand isn’t.

Note that I think the players protest is poorly presented and misdirected and that they could do a much better job of using their advantageous positions for good (as some of them do anyway) but I think the spin against the protests has been just as bad. It seems America continues to struggle with any issue that has a racial aspect associated with it (legitimately or not).

 

The ad did not attack the players but merely urged eveyone to satand for thevnational anthem

So its free speech for the black football players but a muzzle for the military vets organizatin

 

Rubbish. It's clearly playing on the idea that not standing for the anthem is an insult to the military and veterans. If the kneeling protest hadn’t happened, they wouldn’t have even thought of creating the advert.

That’s a separate issue. Personally I’d have no fundamental objection to either the teams or the NFL ordering the players to stand but at the same time I recognise a difference between the actions of individual players and a paid advert shown during the game.

Again, I wasn’t commenting on the specifics of the protest, only the contradiction I see in people complaining about the players failing to respect the anthem and flag when those people don’t do it themselves (unless they’re in public). I still see that whole angle as an attempt to distract from the purpose of the protest rather than acknowledging and confronting it (which I actually think would have been just as effective given the protesters don’t seem to have any clear demands or goals). You’re just helping turn it in to a much bigger thing than it ever needed to be.

 

Is that belief not allowed?

Why is it ok for black players to have an opinion that offends many military vets but not ok for the vets to have an opinion that offends tje black players?

 

You're all over the place on this. First you don't acknowledge the obvious purpose of the advert but when it's pointed out, you defend it. As it happens, I never said they couldn't believe it but I don't believe the assertion can be supported by any rational facts. It also returns to my only real point, that so many of it's proponents only seem to care about "respect" for the flag when it's in a public place, suggesting it's more about show than actual considered respect for anyone or anything.

The players (black or otherwise) haven't made any kind of reference to veterans though. The protests have literally nothing to do with them. The advert is a direct reference to the players, essentially saying that they should give up on their protest. They're all entitled to their opinions of course, however irrational, but they're not entitled to have others broadcast them.

 

The obvious purpose is to refute the black players who are kneeling by asking everyone to stand

Vets who have fought under the flag have a special pride in it so naturally they are among the first, but by no means the only ones to be offended by the black players

The NFL is simply paralized with fear that a star wide receiver or running back will be offended by our former servicemen in uniform

 

Offended by Charlottesville I see. No, I can't be offended by something I don't watch.

 

Gee, some people actually read.

 

So it is an attack aimed at the protesting players.

The offence is being taken but not given though. The protest has literally nothing to do with military veterans. I understand their position but I think they’re wrong. I’d also suggest there are plenty of people feigning offence in an attempt to distract from the protest itself and try to shame the players from expressing their opinions.

I wouldn’t go that far. I doubt they want to let a back-and-forth battle of political adverts kick off during their games which would spin it in to even more negative publicity for them so they shut that right down. And to save you suggesting it, I’d expect if they tried to forcefully stop the protests that would generate a lot of negative publicity too. They’re probably hoping it just all dies down after a while.

 

Its a defense of the American flag against anyone who is attacking it

In this case black football players

 

Nobody is attacking the flag. The players kneeling aren’t disrespecting it any more than you were slumped on your sofa in front of your TV, ranting about them kneeling. How could there be any real respect for the flag if everyone is forced to stand before it regardless of what they actually believe? Would it be any better if the players stood, blindly mouthing the anthem, quietly seething with resentment? You’re not promoting respect for anything, you’re promoting meaningless symbolism.