Trump and Pro-Athletes Spar Over Flag, National Anthem, White House Visit; Lefties Scream Racism
As if Trump only argues with blacks
Twitter has been afire today with the controversy about Stephen Curry going to the White House and reactions to President Trump’s speech in Alabama.
During President Trump’s speech at a rally for Luther Strange (R-AL), he addressed the growing trend among NFL players to kneel disrespectfully during the national anthem. Trump asked, ““Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘get that son of a b***h off the field right now – he’s fired’?”.
Most people hearing or reading this comment recognize that the president is referring to the disrespectful kneeling “protest” that involves football (and other sports) players deliberately taking a knee during the national anthem.
The Warriors’ Stephen Curry hesitated when asked about whether he would attend the White House celebration, and Trump responded by rescinding the invitation to Curry.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911572182060453893
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
The left, as always, hears RAAACISM not patriotism in the president’s comments. They are subsequently completely unhinged in their response to their own fevered and deliberate misinterpretation of Trump’s comments.
Then-49er Colin Kaepernick who started this disturbing trend in response to the short-lived Black Lives Matter explained his rationale last year to NFL Media.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
The resulting controversy was explosive, and Kaepernick has had trouble finding a new team since leaving the 49ers.
Since then, more and more players have started kneeling for the anthem, including at least one white player.
The president’s comments, reflective of a lot of Americans’ thoughts on the issue, were received as racist apparently because the majority of NFL players who take a knee during the anthem are black or brown. Therefore, according to leftist logic, any criticism of these players’ actions is not about the players’ actions at all; it has to be—can only be—about their race.
The NFL issued the following statement:
New NFL statement pic.twitter.com/XHPgVvPPfH
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) September 23, 2017
Just so we are all clear: it is not disrespectful or divisive to take a knee during the national anthem, but it is disrespectful and divisive to speak out against it.
Trump isn't taking on NBA/NFL.
He's going after black athletes.More effective for the base.
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) September 23, 2017
Trump has now attacked Jemele Hill, Colin Kaepernick, & Stephen Curry. All have something in common but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) September 23, 2017
People Trump has angrily attacked in the last few days:
1. Jemele Hill
2. Colin Kaepernick
3. Steph Curry
Notice a trend?
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) September 23, 2017
Ah yes, because Trump never attacks white people. Or something.
Trump has now attacked Jim Acosta, Mika Brzezinski, and Chris Cuomo. All have something in common, but that doesn't fit this narrative.
— Razor (@hale_razor) September 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/Chet_Cannon/status/911645285050458114
Washington Redskins’ linebacker Zach Brown makes a potentially arguable point, that football has nothing to do with the President.
https://twitter.com/ZachBrown_55/status/911407752324567047
For the point to stand, however, it has to work both ways. Football is no place for political protests, either.
When the NFL (or any sports franchise) and its players invite, participate in, and otherwise politicize the sport, it is immediately bigger than football, basketball, etc. Deliberately disrespecting the American flag and national anthem has everything to do with every American, including the president.
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Comments
The NFL players have their free speech; Trump has his.
Suck it, NFL.
Goodall’s statement says players refusing to stand for the Anthem is “unity” but Pres. Trump commenting on it is “divisive.” If it weren’t for double standards, the left would have no standards at all.
Remember when the NFL refused to let Dallas honor the police officers who were killed during the BLM protest? Wasn’t that politics?
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/08/11/nfl-denies-dallas-cowboys-request-honor-fallen-police-helmet-decal/
It’s likely that many athletes did not like Obama, Bush, or Clinton, but they showed up and did not inject politics. Sad to see James, who is a role model, make it so personal and poisonous. But for this “terrible” country, where do these privileged think they would be?
Any sportscaster, athlete, coach etc. who disrespected Obama would have been suspended or fired immediately. By disrespected, I mean minimal things like disagreeing with anything Obama ever said, not calling him the greatest president of all time, etc.
Calling him a bum or even refusing to visit the White House would have resulted in death threats, IRS investigations and indictments for any bogus crime Comey/Holder/Lynch could make up. And the MSM would be unrelenting.
In Boston, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein was applauded for his courageous stand when he refused to visit the GWB White House when the Sox won their first World Series Title in 86 years back in 2004.
7 years later Bruins goalie and Stanley Cup MVP Tim Thomas was shredded in the Boston media and essentially run out of town after one of the most memorable post season performances by a goalie NHL history for not going to the BHO White House celebration.
Both men should have gone to the WH our of respect for the office and the country but their treatment in the media here in the bluest of blue states speaks volumes.
Oddly, today I watched a tv show called “Playhouse Masters” (I also like “Treehouse Masters”) and it was of a playhouse being built for Steph Curry’s daughters and copyrighted in 2016. I felt sad for Steph Curry when I saw how his wife and daughter treated him- they tell him what to do and he does it! Sad, he’s “whipped,” even by his little daughter. Seems most of these guys just do what their women tell them….
Did they have fathers?
I am so sick of professional players, I’m watching college sports and the heck with these brats,
Wonder how it will feel when the money stops coming in, I know I am not alone.
The late Arthur Ashe told kids, especially the poor, to study and apply themselves not emulate athletes. Not every kid will be an elite athlete… hence the stupidity of “midnight basketball”. Has “King” James emulated Ashe is pushing academics first?
What do they have in common … let me see … well, they’re all grossly overpaid.
So is this something about those privileged one-percenters?
I love the NFL comment. By allowing the players to protest, they are allowing “divisive comment” Duh!
If you believe in stereotypes, the audience of the NFL is nothing more than beer swilling, flag waving, cousin marrying red necks. If so, why would ANY business deliberately alienate their customer? This is not a long path to profitability….
They’ll do it if they think their customer is stupid and will put up with anything they dish out, and if there’s one thing that progressives reliably say about conservatives is that they think conservatives are stupid.
The left screams racism…helps with Their base. About time Trump weighed in on this. The Berkeley “free speech week” cancellation is ripe for his attention.
Excellent. This needs to be repeated over and over ….
“Just so we are all clear: it is not disrespectful or divisive to take a knee during the national anthem, but it is disrespectful and divisive to speak out against it.”
Gee, what is happening to attendance at those games?
This is a day I’ve been dreading. Stupid athletes gradually coaxed into politics slobbering Liberal media. I was able to ignorenmost of those stupid brain damaged flunks kneeling. Then Trump unable to resist takes his Twitter stick and pokes them. Now I hate all of the NBA and too much of the NFL.
Why does politics ruin all
Liberalism ruins all.
I see exactly how this goes. The left can may speak out against the right but the right can’t speak out against the left.
Branco’s next cartoon:
Trump with laser pointer.
Media and the left: cats who predictably chase after it every time.
I love Trump owns them.
Back to more serious issues:
Obamacare is still in place.
There is no wall.
There are still political hacks hiding in the IRS who will target dissenters…(there still is an IRS).
American culture and entertainment – watching entitled millionaires, the president included, barking at each other over social media about nothing.
I look forward to that blessed day when we are no longer trapped in the “Limbaugh Theorem”.
Ew,..!!!!
Sunk some battleships with THAT one…!!!
Barking at football players did take his ill-received Dreamer amnesty right off the front page, though, didn’t it?
New ROBOTIC squirrel…!!!
“Shiny…!!! Eyes GLOW!”
In addition to the above comment, you gotta ask, when 8 year old kids are kneeling, hasn’t there been enough?
Does Zach Brown realize that President Trump used to own a football team, the Jersey Generals?
Also, as a sports fan, does the president not have the right to have an opinion?
The president did not attack the NFL, as Roger Goodell seems to think. President Trump was expressing his thought (as a former team owner) that the team owners should crack down on unpatriotic behavior on the field.
Liberals are infamous for displacing progressive racism practiced under the diversity doctrine (i.e. denial of individual dignity) of their Pro-Choice religion.
Lets see if I can map this out:
1) NFL Athletes make public political statements while on the clock for the NFL
2) NFL not only fails to tell them to do politics on their own time, but tacitly supports them
3) Prominent Democrat politicians make political statements about the NFL atheletes
4) Democrat run media writes glowing endorsements of the brave political protests
5) Trump makes political statements about the political protests
6) OMG TRUMP Y U MAKE NFL POLITICAL U RACIST
This… a thousand times this ^^^^^^^
Goodell doubles down calling Trump devicive. Wants us to choose between the NFL and the USA.
Lebron James and his ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ t-shirt: he took his own advice too literally and forgot to score in the champoinship game.
Colin Pumpernickel and his douchebagerry. The NFL owners and their GOPe spines.
There are other things for people to do than pay to watch the likes of these rich a-holes destroy our way of life.
With a fascist out of the White House and the Justice Department, the marketplace can now clean up this mess and give a useful idiots a reality check.
The obama legacy marches on.
Eliminate all discrimination. Do away with the anti-trust exemption that allows major sports franchises an advantage over anyone trying to compete. Next…
As a Veteran it’s sad to me that some folks use the flag or national anthem to protest against the very freedoms that have been secured for them by the blood of American warriors. However, I respect their right to protest. Ad a consumer, I will not support the NFL by purchasing tickets or merchandise (which is tough considering the Lions are 2-0) but will follow the games in the Detroit Free Press and on WJR (AM 760 radio).
Personally I’m done with music, movies and TV shows that feel the need to ALWAYS interject politics (even if it’s a position i agree with). I’d like entertainment to be just that and not a grand soliloquy on how I should vote.
In terms of things always becoming about racism or identity politics that just where we are as a nation. It’s sad. It’s despicable. But it’s the new “norm”. I live outside of Ann Arbor and a small airfield that has been operating since WWII has a skydiving operation. They’ve been doing this since the early 70’s and it’s a decent income. A few years back a new trailer park community was built not far from them and a large number of the new homeowners were moderate income blacks and hispanics. The community started complaining about the high number of planes that would circle the area before getting to the dz (drop zone). The noise became peppered with cries that “they’re only allowed to do this (flying 800 – 1,000 ft overhead) because we’re a poor minority community, they don’t fly over the wealthy white neighborhoods”. Course you could never use logic and show folks that the flight plan (basically a circle) hadn’t changed since the 70’s and that any increase in flights was because of increased business. Nope, it just had to be “the man” disrupting folks lives in a display of “white privilege”. It’s now who we are as a nation.
The Lions are 2-0… holy crap the end must be near!
Detroit native here…
Typical Lions…. Start season 8-0, close season 0-8, miss play-offs. But wait till next year!
And we’re in a very sad state, indeed.
Pompous, Self centered, spoiled little rich brats who have taken every advantage this nation gave them. And now they want to take a knee during the national anthem? F*** Y**
Apologies for the language but this is so madding. What is happening to people?
Bravo President Trump!! Let them have it with both barrels.
Sorry Zach but when arhletes choose to disrepect our Veterans and Flag, POTUS has every right to wade into that arena.
This is the next front in the culture war and, for once, the guys on the Right can act effectively.
Perhaps I am an idiot, but when I hear the national anthem I think that it is honoring this country as well as everyone who fought died, and worked like a dog to make it what it was. Being that it is the millions of Americans who fought and worked like a dog who are paying for the tickets and such to watch these fools play and get paid their enormous salaries, you would think they would understand that disrespecting the National Anthem is no different that disrespecting the people who pay their salaries by attending the games.
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What makes this even more reprehensible is how these fools are taking a knee to protest hos blacks are being killed by the police and how blacks are mistreated. Somehow, worrying about the relatively small number of black who are killed by the police, often in the commission of a crime and always during an event where the black person refuses adamantly to follow the police officer’s instructions while not having a care in the world about the enormously greater number of blacks who die at each other’s hands is disgusting. They are taking blame shifting, refusing to make people responsible for their own actions, and selfishness to extraordinary lengths and I for one no longer want to watch, let alone pay for the privilege to see, these spoiled little children play on the sports field.
What happened to the black policeman who killed the Australian woman? That story disappeared, hasn’t it.
We don’t hear her name, but Brown, Martin and other names still are mentioned. Baltimore isn’t mentioned as much, since some of those cops were non-white.
Now a pro baseball player has taken a knee with a another player appearing to offer hand-on-shoulder reinforcement. Will baseball league owners put up with this?
NFL owners are fully supporting the equivalent to a restaurant cook urinating in a police officer or soldiers’ coffee, or a Westboro Baptist Church protest of a veteran’s funeral.
Make no mistake, that is exactly what this movement equates to. The question is will the other sports league owners join the movement, or will they take a stand with their paying customers?
But we mustn’t question their patriotism.
The WH Correspondent’s dinner doesn’t need to have the president in attendance, especially since they take to opportunity to make fun of the person as well as the office.
This “tradition” of inviting professional teams to be honored also needs to be stopped. Get rid of the tradition with the NCAA teams.
I think a new tradition needs to be started, perhaps with Mike Rowe helping out, and recognize the working class people. They would consider it to be an honor to visit the White House, get a special tour, and have a photo op with the President and First Lady.
Remember back to the listening sessions that President Trump had with various industrial groups, like the auto unions. They all came out of the White House stating that they were honored to have met the President and that he listened to them.
On another topic – the Thunder basketball organization always has new players go to the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The purpose is to help the players bond with the city and the people. I hope it makes them realize how fast your life can be taken away and to appreciate what they have.
https://oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
Personally I would hope that very soon President Trump would ban any military service/personnel from participating in ANY NFL game or function! PERIOD! If players want to disrespect our flag then so be it! People will vote with their wallet and the NFL will pay a steep price for what they are allowing to happen!
Since some idiot in baseball did the same the ban should apply with MLB also.
I disagree on this point since the left would take it as a win. Then, they will want to stop having the national anthem and the flag. I think the ratings drop and loss of money will be better incentive for them to change their behavior.
I have to wonder why these athletes all want to be involved in the Olympics or other national team event. The ones who didn’t participate recently stated it was for health reasons, including the issue of the zika virus in Rio. I don’t recall anyone not going because they didn’t want to represent the United States.
I think Politics, needs to be left out of all sports. If any player wants to disrespect our Flag ( i.e. Our Country ) , then they are free to leave & go to another Country & see what kind of money that they get there. Men & women have died, to protect this country from all of the ” Vermin,” who would like to ” Do us in,” If you don’t want to be ” Part of,” this Country, Then just leave. You are ” Rich, Spoiled Children.”