Dear NFL: I’m not “boycotting” you. I just don’t care anymore, about you.
You tried to make me care, but now I don’t care at all.
The NFL players’ sideline protests over the National Anthem and flag have angered a lot of people. On the surface, that anger is about patriotism versus a sense of entitlement, with the players having too little of the former and too much of the latter.
But there’s another feeling of disgust I’m hearing a lot, how the NFL was one of the few remaining places to which we could escape from politics and just be left alone and allowed to enjoy something. The NFL was an escape.
That’s a sentiment I expressed in my post, NFL picked sides in the culture war, now it has to live with the consequences:
Over time, I’ve lost interest in professional sports for many of the same reasons I’ve lost interested in the professional music, film, and other entertainment industries.
They have become thoroughly politicized by the left as part of the culture war. So for me, the lastest public fight over NFL players protesting on the sidelines is just the latest straw, and in many ways, the last straw….
The result, for me, is a withdrawal from much of professional culture.
My last refuge was the NFL. Now that is gone.
A friend having read my post, wrote on Facebook:
The NFL was one of the last non-political avenues of entertainment. Now, that is gone.
If anything, it’s worse than when I wrote that post.
Even the Dallas Cowboys took a knee tonight, with Jerry Jones joining them. The crowd booed loudly, much as the crowd booed the Patriots when almost half the team took a knee on Sunday:
https://twitter.com/SInow/status/912473528351559680
The Cowboys didn’t take a knee during the national anthem, but it was a visible political act on the field.
I was a diehard Cowboys fan for most of my life, going back to the 1967 Ice Bowl. Not any more.
Since moving to Rhode Island I also became a Patriots fan. Foxboro stadium is only 30 minutes away, and is closer to Providence than to Boston. I probably have watched replays of the 2017 Super Bowl comeback win a billion times. Okay, maybe not a billion, but a lot, whenever I wanted to cheer myself up.
After the Patriots and Tom Brady came out in solidarity with the sideline protests, however, for the first time I deliberately didn’t watch the Patriots game on Sunday:
Not watching @Patriots today. First time in a really really long time and never before intentional. Sad!
— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) September 24, 2017
I’m officially over the Cowboys, the Patriots and the NFL. You were once one of the loves of my life. But now we’re breaking up, and it’s you, not me.
I’m not “boycotting” you. I just don’t care anymore.
You tried to make me care, but now I don’t care at all, about you.
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Amen!
Ditto
It’s so fake, the outrage from these people pretending to care about unity, diversity, tolerance.
At least Trump has pulled off the band-aid. Or one can hope.
That is what he does well, confronting matters before they become worse.
Sadly, too many care more about how things are said, rather than what is said.
It has been used multiple times already.. but Dandy Don Meredeth’s singing of “turn out the lights, the party’s over” is everything.
The NFL wants to be a force for social change. They surely have…and they can keep the change.
For those who want to let the sponsors of the NFL know that you are not approving of their support, here is a list of the sponsors:
SPONSOR CATEGORY SINCE
Gatorade (PepsiCo) Isotonic beverage ’83
Visa Payment systems services ’95
Campbell’s Soup Soup ’98
FedEx Package delivery service ’00
Frito-Lay (PepsiCo) Salted snack/popcorn ’00
Mars Snackfood Chocolate ’02
Pepsi (PepsiCo) Soft drinks ’02
Dairy Mgmt. Inc. Dairy/milk/yogurt/cheese ’03
Bridgestone Tire ’07
Gillette Health/beauty ’09
Verizon Wireless phones ’10
Barclays Affinity card ’10
Papa John’s Pizza ’10
Castrol Motor oil ’10
Anheuser-Busch Beer ’11
USAA Insurance ’11
Bose Home theater system ’11
Courtyard by Marriot Hotel ’11
Xbox (Microsoft) Video game console ’11
Quaker Oats Hot cereal ’12
Tide/Duracell Household cleaning/battery’12
Lenovo Computers ’12
McDonald’s Restaurant ’12
SAP Cloud software solutions ’12
Surface/Windows Tablet/PC operating system’13
CoverGirl Beauty ’13
Zebra Technologies Player-tracking technology’14
TD Ameritrade Personal investing ’14
Extreme Networks WiFi analytics provider ’14
Nationwide Insurance Insurance ’14
Hyundai Auto ’15
Dannon Yogurt ’15
when those folks payin the bills see the declining ratings they will demand lower rates – how much is less than zero ?
ask Elvis Costello… 😎
Curious about your Elvis Costello comment … would have ‘splain it to me … I live in his wife’s hometown.
Advertisers are mostly responsible for viewpoints being silenced on Youtube and Facebook. They are the problem.
But I think that’s because the left is always the greasy wheel. If they start hearing from conservatives and realize how big a group we are (which should be obvious given Republicans how many levels of government are controlled by Republicans), they may change.
The free marketplace is a bitch when you are a fascist with a string of useful idiots.
That’s why fascists want to destroy it.
Then there’s this useful idiot, soon to be drummed out of West Point:
A photo of U.S. Army infantry officer and West Point graduate is making its rounds online Monday due to the fact that – while in his uniform – Cadet had the words “Communism will win” scrawled inside of his cap, while wearing a “Che” t-shirt under his uniform:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/09/us-army-infantry-officer-supports-kaepernick-communism-will-win-message/
That’s an old picture, he’s already deployed. But he was on duty then, as is every USMA cadet, and so he committed the UCMJ violation of political activity in uniform.
Seems like not enough, but at least it’s something.
Funny, even billionaire Jerry Jones has his price.
Ugh.
If he thinks people were angry when he fired Jimmy, he has things to learn.
Here are the National Football League’s rules, found on pages A62-63 of the league’s game operations manual:
The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.
During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.
President Trump may have been wrong in claiming the player should be “fired” for noncompliance under these rules, but he was certainly right about being taken off the field and suspended.
Thanks for posting the actual NFL rules.
Goodell and his liberal NYC friends only use the rules to screw people who unintentionally err on a technicality.
A blatant violation of the rules is okay as long as it meets their political agenda.
Yeah it’s outrageous.
But I don’t care any more. All this is sort of receding into the night, am on to new things.
“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention”
Big difference between “should” and “shall”. Should is permissive, shall is mandatory.
“Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline”
Again, a big difference in “may” and “will”.
Is what they are doing a violation of the rules? Not necessarily. Is it a violation of morals? Absolutely!
“President Trump may have been wrong in claiming the player should be “fired” for noncompliance under these rules, but he was certainly right about being taken off the field and suspended.”
That’s factually incorrect. He said in a speech to the crowd he was addressing “wouldn’t you like to see these son of a bitches fired.”
That’s not calling for anyone to be fired.
Similer to his Grab them by the pussy comment. He didn’t say that. He said that woman in hollywood were such total whores that you can do anything to them. They’ll let you grab them by the pussy. a sentiment with which I agree.
My answer to the question was yes. The NFL is about to lose a metric shit-ton of fans and money over this BS. They should be fired. If I lost the company I work for several million customers because I wanted to see more cops killed instead of their assailants because they have a particular skin color I’d expect to be fired also.
The NFL has screwed up honors to the flag and the National Anthem beyond all hope of recovery. It’s like they never heard of the Flag Code and the National Anthem Code.
Screw the NFL. Yes. Hope it dies a slow painful death.
However – the left, yet again, has destroyed an American institution.
Is this something to not care about? How many more things are we gonna let them destroy?
You will be made to care.
And apologize.
Apologize for what?
It was sarcasm.
Yet it was also not.
The left has no real governmental power in this country any more, which is why they are hell bent on “making us care” about whatever they pick as the Big Important Topic.
Control freaks gotta freak.
“The left has no real governmental power in this country any more…”
Don’t let your guard down on that one. After eight years of those worms obama/jarrett, leftist worms infest the courts and the federal bureaucracy. On top of that, they infest most big city governments. They have completely infested our education systems, and most of our media.
That lunatic Clinton almost won the presidency.
On top of all that, our party is infested with rino rats of the likes of McCain, McConnell and Ryan, doing the left’s bidding by omission.
The left in this country has plenty of power.
The left does have a lot of power left. But the great thing about moving on from the NFL (and NBA imho) is that they have no power to stop that. Somebody will try to shame with “racism” to get people to go back, which will be pretty amusing.
I would hope for just sarcasm. Sometimes I miss,
“You will be made to care.
And apologize.”
Thomas More wasn’t martyred by King Henry VIII because he publicly disapproved of the King’s marriage. No, it was because he wouldn’t endorse it publicly, and wouldn’t apologize for not endorsing it publicly. Think about the Chinese re-education camps. People were made to care and to apologize for their horrible behavior that put them in the re-education camp. If the left is victorious, all of us who disapprove of kneeling for the National Anthem because America is a terrible racist place, will be forced to care about the sins of racism and apologize for not caring, and for our part in abusing people of color. Don’t think of it as sarcasm, which might be sort of a parody. Think of it as grim gallows humor. Should we ever meet in a re-education camp, I’m the balding guy with glasses and a white goatee.
I was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI, closer to Foxboro than Providence. I’ve been a Pats fan for decades. I now officially do not care.
I didn’t really expect better from Roger Goodell, but The Pats’ owner, Bob Kraft broke the camel’s back. He tweeted, in response to Trump’s comments, that politics are divisive and have no place in sports. He’s right, of course, but where was this comment from him last year when Kaepernick first took a knee? Bob Kraft, Commissioner Goodell, and many of the other owners are a bunch of cowards, afraid to face the wrath of the politically correct, afraid to stand up for their fans, so they gave Kaepernick a pass that they would never have given a player for any other cause than a protest against “racism in America”. This, after twice electing a black president, who proclaimed that, as far as racial difficulties are concerned, we are “90%” over them. Was he wrong? I thought Obama was never wrong. Then they tried to blame Trump for giving voice to the thoughts of many fans (who appreciated someone with a bully platform who finally spoke out loud), when the problem was caused by Colin Kaepernick, and disaffected player, and the league’s own inaction that allowed the problem to fester.
What’s funny about the whole thing is the Trump blame. Seems to me he stood out of it for a very long rtime trying to be diplomatic.
Hell Obama would have been out day one saying that Kapernick and Goodell should have a beer.
One more thing about Trump – his comments made the League choose sides. The League chose badly and has hastened its own decline.
Big wrong here.
The league allowed Kaepernick to protest without consequence. By tolerating they allowed. Now all of these protest have the approval of the league. Kaepernick was in clear violation of league rules, and that happened last year.
Trump has his faults, but politicizing pro football isn’t one of them. He responded to their politicizing. Say Dave. If Trump is in a room by himself, and he says anything, is he still wrong? If you said “yes, of course”, you have gone off the deep end.
Bravo! Well put!
“Hell Obama would have been out day one saying that Kapernick and Goodell should have a beer….”
Not quite – obama would have said something like ‘get in their face,’ or ‘the police acted stupidly,’ or NFL fans are ‘bitter clingers,’ or the like.
Then he would have picked his nose:
https://tinyurl.com/y8uvd54k
– Then hillary clinton would have said that’s the reason she lost the election.
That made me laugh!
Arguably 0bama started this, with his own insolent and juvenile behavior during the anthem and pledge, and his greeting of military.
David Burge on Twitter.
“David Burge
@iowahawkblog
1. Target a respected institution
2. Kill & clean it
3. Wear it as a skin suit, while demanding respect”
As Colonel Jessup, courtesy of A Few Good Men might be paraphrased — if you care so much, pick up a weapon and stand a post. Professional athletes in this country have not excelled at model behavior.
Yes, I have white guilt. White liberals and their ‘war’ on poverty destroyed Black families and institutions. Welfare was Aid for Dependent Families. They paid if the man was gone. Bingo. The man was gone. Huge correlations between being raised without a father and many negative indicators, such as incarceration for violent crimes, criminal activity, and poverty. We have created a welfare trap where it is extremely difficult for trapped individuals to get off the dole and be self-respecting. Let’s look at homicides: white on white, white on black, black on white, and black on black. Things don’t look good for that black community. Then there is Planned Parenthood, helping blacks kill blacks in the womb. Margaret Sanger was white.
NASCAR doesn’t put up with that nonsense. Neither do deer hunters. Time to get my hunting license.
The good news is that Don stepped right up to the draft and did his military service honorably. He is absolutely the right guy to wear the lapel flag pin and preach about America and respect for the flag and our military. Bring it on Don!
Comments like yours have been deleted in the past:
“I deleted some comments that were off the topic of this post, and nothing more than attempts to instigate comment section fights.”
I’ve been a regular poster here since 2011 and have never seen a post like MikeT’s deleted. It simply isn’t true. If you’ll notice, your post is off-topic, and being wholly untrue, could be construed as an attempt to start trouble. And yet, there it remains, totally undoing your claim.
Whatever you think of Trump’s military service, he’s now President, and if he’s a flawed messenger, he’s still good enough. All he did here was tap into a sentiment we already had as individuals, not because of him, and connect us together.
Hey, they have a right to do whatever they want. And we have a right not to watch them. Let ’em do their worst. When they find themselves playing to empty stadiums and the money from the TV contracts goes away because no one’s watching, maybe they’ll figure out it’s a problem. Or maybe not. They’re certainly not doing anything for their communities.
A few (only a few) are doing things for their communities. That Houston defensive player, big guy, can’t think of his name atm, is said to be one of the good charities to help Houston and E. Texas flood recovery, and he’s matching the money.
But that’s because of him, not the NFL. If he were rich and famous by another means, he probably would have done the same.
Gentleman is J J WATT
Future governor of Texas 😉
I suspect that the real plunge won’t come until it is time to renew season tickets. People who have already bought them this season most likely will go to the games. That is a lot of money for many to just throw away. TV viewing is something that can be measured right away and I think that will be the big drop off. I have read that many restaurants and sports bars are no longer showing the NFL games. That will add up quickly and the advertisers will ask for ad price reductions. Which will lead to cuts in the owner’s profits. From there it is a short step to cutting players salaries or letting the top players go. Oh well! When the players begin to lose money over this then it will be a real protest.
It’ll be funny when they try to call people “racist” for not attending or watching football games. And someone’s sure to blurt that out. How else could they protest?
Haven’t given enough of a crap about the NFL to boycott it but the whole crapfest is a “look at me” move by celebs as celebs do. It’s not noble, and it’s a waste of time, like the NFL. They are coming for college next, which will be a shame but I’ll be going when they come. Enjoy an empty shell of your former greatness, football.
The NFL and the NBA are both banned in my house,,,by my sports loving husband. Surprised me! He is a Gold Star kid whose father went down with the B24 he piloted in WWII. He feels personally assaulted by these silly “protests.”
This might work out for the better after all: the financial punishment awaiting the athletes and their pathetic enablers will create a better atmosphere for the nation’s future sporting events, and people vegetating in front of televisions will find something else to do.
People Spend More Time Sitting on the Toilet Than Exercising, According to Survey:
https://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/people-spend-twice-as-long-on-toilet-than-exercising
The stench of the obama sewer – followed by the cleansing waters of Donald Trump.
Best. Election. Ever.
The NFL ought change their name to the Professional Football League, because they sure as hell don’t represent anything “National” – least ways when they take a knee for our National symbol.
t’s strange that a bunch of football players think assuming the position of Kunta Kinke somehow is sending a bold message.
Guess studying those playbooks must take it out of them.
Liberalism is the world of opposites. Now instead of a white man holding a whip screaming “your name is Toby”
Its a black man holding a whip saying your name is “Kunta Kinte”!
Any black man that respects the country and exercises their freedom of self-determination is chastised as a sellout. Look at Clarence Thomas. I read a couple of his arguments and the dude is brilliant. Yet they just now allowed him, the first Black supreme court Justice, into the african heritage museum because he wasn’t black enough.
It really pisses me off.
Soft racism of lowered expectations.
Wow. Just wow. Not a sports fan here, at all, but I am astounded at the powerful response the NFL teams have elicited. I have been reading the comments sections of numerous web articles, blogs, etc and there is such anger expressed against players kneeling! Over and over I have read commenters say they are DONE with the NFL. Diehard fans have had it. The consistency is amazing. It seems the fans feel personally betrayed.
We live in interesting times ….
We (all Americans) HAVE BEEN BETRAYED!
Good two pieces on the downfall of the NFL — for someone on the wrong side of the ’67 Ice Bowl.
Athletics used to occupy much of my life as a participant and observer. In one form or the other, it was a way that I could forget about life for awhile. I no longer have the will anymore to do any observing of those paid to play. I am nostalgic of the bygone days when those in sports seemed larger than life and we would try to emulate their play on the field. NFL Commish blew it big time last year and it’s just going to keep snowballing. I’ll watch one less game this year which sums to zero.
https://youtu.be/Ubw5N8iVDHI
The National Felon League is getting the attention it deserves.
The Cowboys and Jerry Jones think they can split hairs and support both issues. On one side of the issue are vets – both dead and alive, the flag and our national anthem. On the other side is a movement started by a p-whipped, social justice snowflake has-been who watches the games from his living room couch now. The choice is easy if one has the intestinal fortitude to make it. Obviously, Jones and crew did not.
Ratings are plummeting from disgusted viewers shutting off in droves. Football, while a game and entertainment industry, is still a business. And while we ultimately have the final say, every owner of every business in America is fundamentally responsible for the words and actions of every employee in their place of employment as it relates to what that employee is saying or doing publicly while on the job.
Viewers have quite vocally said we aren’t tuning in and paying good money for social justice lectures given by millionaires. As long as those players are wearing those team uniforms, and kneeling in their place of employment to disrespect the flag, the National Anthem and all of the veterans (alive and dead) that the moment is trying to honor, it is ENTIRELY the owner’s fault when they do not put a stop to it!
And it’s gone on long enough that it is occurring at college, high school and pee wee league teams as well.
The coach, the manager, the owner and league management OWNED this the 2nd time they allowed it to happen. And that they have not stopped it just confirms that they support it in its entirety. Fine.
Super Bowl prediction: unless this is finally shut down and quickly, this season’s Super Bowl will become known as the Dust Bowl.
My prediction:
1. It’s already too late for this years, SB, and the next, and probably all the rest after that. No matter what they do. I certainly won’t be around to see what they do next, live.
2. We won’t be able to tell whose prediction is more accurate, because they won’t shut the nonsense down quickly. Who is going to tell esp. the black players that they have to follow “white man’s rules” for the good of their business? The kvetching will be fun to watch, from a distance.
Screw it, I never liked the NFL anyway. I do enjoy soccer, however and EPL (English Premier League) games are available on TV in the USA.
Might want to use a DVR to timeshift them to beer o’clock, though.
Born and raised in Wisconsin and a Packer fan for the last 81 years. Yesterday I scraped the Packer logo off my rear window and put my cheesehead into the trash.
The NBA lost me years ago, when every player came out in wall-to-wall tattoos and looked like some kind of mutant.
MLB is on the fence.
Only part of the reason for doing this is to punish the ungrateful and narcissistic millionaires and billionaires who act so childish. The other part is to preserve my emotional stability so I don’t have to watch them.
I’ve been a Packer fan for over 60 years and yesterday all the Packer paraphernalia went to St. Vincent. I don’t support any organization that disrespects the flag.
I am an American far more than I am or ever was a Packer Backer.
For me, sports are about FUN, relaxation, and a diversion from my cares and concerns, my work-a-day world. I’m not interested in the dissonance created by sportscasters blathering incessantly away about everything under the sun while I’m attempting to view the game in play. This means no commentary about salary disputes, domestic issues, hurt feelings, petty grievances, etc. I don’t want to hear or see anything to do with their politics, climate change, or who killed JFK.
Fun. That’s the name of any game. I’d rather watch a bunch of kids play sandlot ball than to put up with the shenanigans of professional sports, especially those of the NFL. When it’s kickoff time, I want the game and not all the attending-trappings which have so diluted a once proud sport. Now, tuning out the NFL and, when possible, dropping my purchases of any products by their sponsors.
Why are you suprised ! In our Public School system, Only the ” isms,” are taught. If American History is taught, It is the version that Obama had his people quickly ” Rewriting,” as soon as he was elected. They (The Children ) are taught Marxism/Socialism/Communism as a substitute to what the “Early,” Leaders did to establish this Free Land. Then we have the Cowardly Leaders of the NFL, having to ” Politicize,” the game. Quite frankly, We don’t care what your personal opinions really are on Political subjects. We want to watch a game. ( DID )
The below average kids are taught “isms”. The above average (honors / AP) kids are taught more diverse facts — although lately less facts and more “techniques”. I’ve had a kid in each track.
But brainwashing 2/3 of the population is enough to make a big difference. Come to think of it, Trump spoke very very simply with this “you’re fired” speech. He was appealing to the 2/3 who make the difference.
Beware, they are mostly using Howard Zinn’s “People’s History”. Keep that claptrap away from your kids.
Don appealed to the few who dropped out.
Don’t watch…Do.
So many things to do, charity marathons, fishing, whatever local…
TU Professor for your work here and Phil Collins, excellent choice.
Ditto.
trying to appease everyone appeases nobody.
either take a knee or take a stand.
The National Felon League gets a lot of support from the tax payers. Why should that even have started let alone continued to this day? State legislators should be pressured to stop funding sports in any way. The insanity has to end at some point.
It was apparent some years back where this was headed. It will take a while for the NFL to die. I’m indifferent. Just think….you will be called a racist for ignoring the plight of all those bankrupt players.
Anecdotal, but disturbing nonetheless: I have four friends and family members who swore they were done with the NFL, won’t watch another game. Of the four, three have already reneged.
Pretty hilarious in that the NFL picks and chooses what their players free speech can be. There have been a few players who have wanted to make a statement and the NFL told them they couldn’t.But they let these players make theirs. Bunch of hypocrites. I’ll take my sports and hold the politics please. Until then we won’t be watching.I choose my country and all those who have sacrificed so much over a bunch of overpaid babies any day.
There is no epidemic of police brutality against black people. The data proves this.
As a black man, I am extremely disappointed and disgusted to see how the NFL has embraced leftism and allowed this nonsense to get out of hand. That’s all this is. Twice as many whites are being killed by cops, than blacks. We still have a huge problem with my black brothers killing each other in Chicago, Florida, Detroit, etc…
It’s good to see someone feeling the same way. I posted this Sunday.
There’s an adage, don’t push a loyal person to the point where they don’t care any more. That’s where I am with this. I used to like watching the Giants. My whole life and I’m 47. I was starting to watch the games with my daughter. Now I don’t. And in turn she doesn’t. I’m not boycotting. I just don’t care. I don’t look to see who won and lost, I don’t follow who’s ahead, who’s playoff hopes are dashed. I just don’t care.
I looked to the NFL as a bonding element with my family and friends, something to share with my daughter bridging generations. Now, it’s not. I wanted a distraction from work, and politics and the weight of my daily life, and you couldn’t even give me that. What’s the point of the NFL now?
Good thing, too. Giants are 0-3. /jk
Thank you Professor. Fellow Rhode Islander who also skipped the Pats game Sunday and for good now. I don’t care anymore either.
Looks like Jerry Jone has gone jigaboo on us.
I’m going to guess Ofay Cat is a troll as that was an absolutely disgusting comment. You should be shunned. I don’t disrespect the US, but you do so by using racist language.