Roger Goodell

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Oh…So You Want To Protest…

Posted by epublius2010 on May 28, 2018
Posted in: American politics, Business, Military, Musings, Political, Social, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

***This rant contains not-so-politically-correct language.  If you can’t handle that…don’t read snowflake :o)***

 

Finally, Roger Goodell and NFL owners grew a pair and addressed that pesky “National Anthem issue” that’s been plaguing the NFL over the past couple of years.  Now, if players want to protest, they can do so from the comforts of their locker room.  If they choose to come out on the field, they will stand during the Anthem or their team will be fined.  As to be expected, the new policy was met with dissatisfaction by many of the million dollar divas (and supporters), who claim that the new policy infringes upon their precious “right” to freedom of speech.

 

One of the arguments I’ve seen against the policy is that it was created solely to protect the monetary interests of the owners.  Actually, there’s probably a fair amount of truth to that.  The reality is the NFL is a business.  Business exists to make money.  It’s no secret that the NFL has seen a decline in viewership over the past few years and this whole “Anthem thing” certainly wasn’t helping.  Addressing this “issue” is one less thing the NFL has to worry about adversely impacting the bottom-line.

 

What I don’t understand is NFL players should also be concerned about the NFL’s bottom-line.  Since the NFL is a business, if it doesn’t make money, players aren’t going to get overpaid the ridiculous amounts of money they are currently getting…just to play a game.  If there were not an NFL, they would not have a J-O-B!  There would be no merch.  There would be no endorsements.  They would be broke-broke!  This reality seems to be lost on today’s self-absorbed NFL divas.

 

Another argument I’ve read and heard is that the original “message” of the protests has been lost.  The protests were never about disrespecting the Anthem, the Military, Veterans, or this country.  Once again…I couldn’t agree more.  The message totally got lost.  But what isn’t being said is how and why the message got lost.  What the masses don’t want to hear is that the message was lost the moment Colin Kaepernick first kneeled…at the worst possible moment…during the National Anthem.  It was never Mr. Kaepernick’s intention to disrespect the Flag.  However, due to his lack of planning/foresight and piss-poor timing, the incorrect association was made from the very beginning.

 

What’s ironic about this is Colin Kaepernick has been lauded by the masses as a “hero” for “taking a stand” (Ha-Ha).  Yet, he is the one that is responsible for, and to blame for, the message getting lost in the first place!!  In addition, those that truly believe Mr. Kaepernick did what he did to protest police brutality and inequality are fooling themselves.  Colin Kaepernick protested to bring attention to himself.  It was a gamble to make himself look more appealing in hopes of wrangling a bigger contract and role.  Unfortunately for Mr. Kaepernick, the gamble didn’t pay off.  Not only is he currently J-O-B-L-E-S-S, he’s made a mess and mockery out of what should have been a worthy cause to protest.

 

 

One obvious thing (at least to me) that has been lost in this debate is the fact that I don’t know where anyone, other than the overpaid Prima Donnas that play in the NFL, think they have the “right” to go to work and protest on their employer’s time and dime!  Seriously…in what other profession can a person do that…and there not be some sort of retribution for doing so? I understand we live in a world today where everyone is self-absorbed and thinks simply because they breathe oxygen, their “precious” lives and opinions matter.  At the same time though, do these players really think that they, and their opinions, are really that important?

 

The answer to that is simple…they do.  Because of the fact that they are getting overpaid ridiculous amounts of money, providing them pseudo-confidence that over-inflates their already ridiculously large egos, NFL players really do think their lives and their opinions are that important.  I’ve read and heard over and over, by the not-so-lustrous masses, that the divas in the NFL are “right” in using their platform to highlight social injustice.  As a fan, let me tell you what I think about that.

 

I don’t watch football…or any other sport…because of a player’s beliefs or opinions.  In fact…I don’t give a damn what a player believes or thinks.  A player in the NFL gets overpaid to do three very simple actions…throw ball, catch ball, run with ball (I know, no love for the defense…the unsung heroes of the NFL).  That is what I watch football for.  What a player does with their time and money, off the field, is their business.  When a player is on the field though…they are on my time…and because I pay to watch a player play a game, it’s my “right” to dictate what they do or don’t do.  Today’s self-absorbed, self-entitled NFL players aren’t using their platform to highlight social injustice.  What they are doing is abusing their platform by forcing me, the fan, to listen to their beliefs and opinions even though I may not think the same as they do.

 

One last item of note….a lot of the million dollar divas that play in today’s NFL have taken to social media to disparage the President of the United States.  Too often, too many players have taken to calling The President an “idiot” for daring to call them out for their childish behavior.  It’s about to get hot…let me explain something here real quick.  A person doesn’t become President of the United States by being an “idiot”.  This is a man who is responsible for the welfare of an entire country.

 

Unlike the divas of the NFL, who get overpaid to do one thing…play a game.  That’s right “grown” man…you get paid to P-L-A-Y.  The only responsibility you have is to put your jock strap on correctly (and somehow, some manage to fuck up even that simple…yet vital…task).  If the NFL were to fold at this very instant, life…and the things that truly matter in life…would still go on.  The only “idiot” here are the overpaid NFL divas that really believe they are somehow more important than the President of the United States…because they play a game.

 

The latest decision regarding that pesky “National Anthem issue” in the NFL is the right decision.  Despite the fact that the overpaid divas, and their not-so-lustrous supporters, believe this infringes on a players “right” to freedom of speech, it was a necessary decision.  The NFL literally cannot afford not to address this issue.  Today’s self-absorbed, self-entitled players/divas don’t get that.  They also don’t get the fact that they aren’t getting paid for their opinions or beliefs…and that no, you really don’t have the “right” to protest when you’re on the field in the name of freedom of speech.  Colin Kaepernick started this mess….he also is to blame for the message being distorted.  Colin Kaepernick isn’t a hero…he’s a shit-bag.  And to those that support him, as well as the NFL divas that disparage the President of the United States (and those that support them)…you’re a shit-bag too. Damn straight, snowflake.

kneelingcowboys09252017getty

NFL divas at their finest

Damn right, snowflake :o)

The NFL Does It Again!!

Posted by epublius2010 on January 25, 2018
Posted in: Military, Political, Social, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It seems the NFL cannot help but continue to stick its foot in its mouth regarding the player protests that began last season.  The latest “situation”…the NFL recently rejected a proposed AMVETS Super Bowl ad that dared to call on the NFL’s million dollar divas to respectfully stand during the National Anthem.

 

According to the NFL, the ad was rejected because it made a “political statement”.  The NFL went on to say that, “The Super Bowl program is designed for fans to commemorate and celebrate the game, players, teams, and the Super Bowl [and] it has never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement.”

 

I find it rather ironic, and hypocritical, that the NFL is all of a sudden concerned about making a “political statement”.  Isn’t that what its overpaid divas have been doing by protesting? The above statement raises other interesting questions as well.  Is the NFL suggesting that it’s ok to protest and make a “political statement” during regular/postseason play, but not during the Super Bowl, in the interest of the “fans to commemorate and celebrate the game”?

 

Here’s another question…in the interest of “fan commemoration and celebration of the game”…is Mr. Goodell saying that his million dollar divas are not going to be allowed to kneel and protest during the National Anthem at the Super Bowl so as not to make a “political statement”?  That’s an easy one…of course not.  Roger Goodell hasn’t had the balls to stand up to his players this entire time.  Why would he start now?

 

Naturally, the NFL did its best to portray itself as the victim in this situation…much like its players do when protesting.  The NFL made it “clear” that it went out of its way to try and work with and find suitable alternative messaging so as to accept the ad.  However, it was the AMVETS organization and not the NFL that was unwilling to compromise. 

 

Throughout the player protests, the NFL has had to go out of its way to justify its divas’ right to protest.  The NFL has also been consistently swift to vehemently admonish any individual, or entity, that dares to challenge or rebut its players’ right to protest.  This was evident last year when the New Orleans Saints organization seemingly went out of its way to disparage a disabled Veteran that dared to decline an award from the team due to the ongoing players’ protests.  That Veteran, Mr. John Wells, declined to accept the team’s Peoples Health Champion Award because he believed the “ongoing controversy with NFL players’ disrespect for the national flag forces me to decline to participate in the presentation. I am unable, in good conscience, to enter an NFL stadium while this discourtesy prevails. Since this award is tainted with the dishonorable actions of the NFL and its players, I cannot accept it.”

 

At this point and time, the New Orleans Saints organization could have simply honored Mr. Wells’ decision and quietly moved on.  Instead, the Saints organization went on the offensive and publicly vilified Mr. Wells for daring to have the audacity to decline its precious honor and to challenge the NFL’s players’ protests.  What makes this even more despicable is the fact that it was Veterans that rebuilt New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  It was Veterans that ensured the New Orleans Saints organization had a Superdome to play in after Hurricane Katrina.  How soon the New Orleans Saints forget.

 

It’s clear that throughout these protests the NFL, and Roger Goodell in particular, don’t really seem to understand the concept of a “protest”.  All parties involved have been adamant about their right to freedom of speech to justify the protests.  The part that Mr. Goodell and his million dollar divas seem to miss is that…those that disagree with their protest have just as much the right to freedom of speech to rebut their protests!

 

To be fair to the NFL, I recognize that the organization does do a lot for the military as well as Veterans.  In addition, I also realize that the original intent of the protests have been lost and that it was never about disrespecting the flag, country, military, or Veterans.  However, this is something else the NFL, the players, and Mr. Goodell don’t seem to understand about protesting.  Just because someone protests, that doesn’t mean their intent is going to be clearly understood by others.  In addition, just because someone protests, that doesn’t mean their intent is going to stay intact.  The reality is, due to Coin Kaepernick’s impulsiveness of kneeling during the National Anthem, his protest was never clearly understood.  Which means that his intent was pretty much lost from the very beginning.

 

In light of this, Roger Goodell should have grown a pair and nipped the protests in the bud from the very beginning.  Instead, Mr. Goodell tried to placate everyone…and as a result his million dollar divas’ protests continue to haunt him and the NFL as a whole.  Mr. Goodell is slowly and systematically alienating the NFL’s fan base…just to protect his overpaid divas’ right to protest.

 

While I haven’t watched an NFL game this year due to the players’ protests, I was considering watching the Super Bowl.  However…in light of this latest “situation”, I have decided not to.  I cannot…in clear conscience…support an organization that seemingly goes out of its way to heavy handedly disparage those that dare to challenge its actions.  In addition, as a Veteran, I will not support an organization that seemingly went out of its way to vilify a fellow Veteran. 

 

I would love nothing more than to see other Veterans do the same and boycott this year’s Super Bowl.  I understand though it’s highly unlikely this will occur.  However, the longer Roger Goodell allows his million dollar divas the right to protest, the more fans he and his players will alienate.  The more often the NFL heavy handedly admonishes any individual, or entity, that dares to challenge or rebut its divas’ right to protest, the more fans and businesses the NFL alienates.  It’s no secret that the NFL’s revenues are down…viewership is down…and we’ve already seen cracks in the foundation as companies affiliated with the NFL are suggesting, whether openly or rumored, that the protests are adversely affecting their bottom-line.  At this rate, Roger Goodell and his overpaid million dollar divas are well on their way to “burn[ing] this bitch down”.

Sources:

http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/23/media/american-veterans-super-bowl-ad-rejected/index.html

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/03/new-orleans-saints-respond-military-veteran-refuses-award

er-bo-boycott-super-bowl-2018-share-if-you-agree-28428892

The Day The NFL Died

Posted by epublius2010 on September 24, 2017
Posted in: Musings, Political, Social, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Recently, the President of the United States called out certain NFL and NBA players for their selfish, self-entitled actions. The tit-for-tat Twitter exchanges that took place afterwards were rather humorous… rather childish too. Indeed, even LeBron James jumped into the mix with his unsolicited opinions, ultimately calling President Trump a “bum”.

What isn’t humorous is today’s reactions throughout the NFL. In a show of solidarity and support, seemingly entire teams are kneeling during the National Anthem as a show of force against the President’s comments. As games started, camera’s panned over certain players with their arm stretched out, fist clenched tightly, in a power pose of protest and defiance. For the most part, it seems the NFL, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and majority of fans all support (and actively encourage) these players right to “freedom of speech” and protest.

 

However…this fan does not…

 

There is a time and a place for everything…and the sideline is neither the time nor place for players to display their political beliefs. I don’t give a damn what a player does, thinks, or says off the field. Come game day, all I want is for players to do what they are paid to do…play the game! The very reason I watch sports is to catch a break from our highly politicized world. The very last thing I want to see is some over-paid diva making a political statement.

That brings up the next point…players that protest are nothing more than hypocrites. They protest the very system that enables them to make ridiculous amounts of money playing a child’s game!!! Players seem to think that because they make millions of dollars, their opinions matter. Guess what…it doesn’t!!!! I don’t give a damn what players think!! Their opinions on matters other than the game mean nothing to me! As a fan, all I want players to do is STFU and play the game! Too many players, as well as others in the entertainment industry, abuse their money and position to force their opinions upon others…others that don’t want to hear, or care, what these divas think.

Despite the fact I enjoy watching NFL football, my love of country is stronger. Like hell I will support an entity that actively encourages its workers to disparage Flag and Country. What NFL players fail to realize is in their selfish, self-entitled quest to advance their own personal, political agendas, they are slowly and systematically alienating the very fans that pay their paycheck.

Roger Goodell is quick to fine players that wear patriotic cleats but will stand behind players that blatantly disrespect this country. This too makes Roger Goodell a spineless hypocrite. As of this day, I will not watch another NFL game. More importantly, I will not waste a single cent on NFL “merch”, until Mr. Goodell grows a pair and addresses this issue properly.

Oh…and as for the morally conscious LeBron James…who chased the big money down to Miami? You did, you hypocritical fuck…the only “bum” here is you!

Middle Finger

Here’s to the NFL!!