Harrison, "They better be in a wheelchair"

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 12:12 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: This is why the NFL lost viewership. They allowed it to get political and it turned people off in huge numbers. This is exactly why ESPN ratings have plummeted..... they got political and fired the chink in the armour guy, since the. It's been a mess.

I have zero respect for anyone who injects politics into sports.

You must hate the Olympics.

And almost every stadium deal has become a political issue which means you also must hate the NFL.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 12:25 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Its taking a team sport and putting his own needs ahead of the team.

Besides don't you think it's a mess when your ravens have to dance around whether or not they are going to sign this guy as a backup? They have poll people before signing a player?

Has the ravens owner ever polled fans when signing a free agent?

They have to do this stuff now or face being called a racist by some media member, SJW, or BLM.

It's just dumb, unnecessary, and shouldn't be in sports. The NFL should not have even soft stepped this.... just fine people for not standing with the team..... they fine for everything else.

This is political how?

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 12:38 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Yes I shouldn't have to tune into sports and get social justice warriors preaching.

It was a silent protest.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 12:57 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: It should not even be shown on tv.

Censorship is a political issue, but keep preaching.

[StLucieBengal]

(08-14-2017, 02:08 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: You must hate the Olympics.

And almost every stadium deal has become a political issue which means you also must hate the NFL.

I have not liked when the olympics got political with countries not participating.

Recently the burka nonsense has soured the summer olympics, which it a shame since it's my favorite.

It's not too much to ask that we have something we can all talk about without someone getting offended or bothered.

[BmorePat87]

(08-14-2017, 02:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I have not liked when the olympics got political with countries not participating.    

Recently the burka nonsense has soured the summer olympics, which it a shame since it's my favorite.    

It's not too much to ask that we have something we can all talk about without someone getting offended or bothered.

How do burkas "sour" the Olympics?

[Dill]

(08-14-2017, 10:49 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: No.   The national anthem has zero to do with politics.   It's merely national pride.    

And if you do not want to go or watch the NFL then you can make that choice.   Either way the rest of us shouldn't have to be burdened with your or anyone else's politics.   We go to watch football that should be politically neutral.

By making everything political it just tears at the fabric of our country.  Everyone needs a break.

YYOOWW!!!

You there!--stop forcing your personal political views on the rest us and up for the anthem!! 

People died for your right to freedom of expression--and here you go insulting them by exercising it. Stay home if you don't choose patriotism, but if you come to a game don't politicize patriotism with the wrong politics. 

[GMDino]

(08-14-2017, 09:08 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: You can be politically active and sill show some respect for the nation.  

Besides do we really need politics in every facet of our lives.  Don't we need water cooler talk that we can all talk about that doesn't have a political bent.    Making sports political just further tears away at society.

(08-14-2017, 10:49 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: No.   The national anthem has zero to do with politics.   It's merely national pride.    


And if you do not want to go or watch the NFL then you can make that choice.   Either way the rest of us shouldn't have to be burdened with your or anyone else's politics.   We go to watch football that should be politically neutral.

By making everything political it just tears at the fabric of our country.  Everyone needs a break.

(08-14-2017, 12:12 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: This is why the NFL lost viewership.   They allowed it to get political and it turned people off in huge numbers.  This is exactly why ESPN ratings have plummeted.....  they got political and fired the chink in the armour guy, since the. It's been a mess.  

I have zero respect for anyone who injects politics into sports.

(08-14-2017, 12:25 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Its taking a team sport and putting his own needs ahead of the team.    

Besides don't you think it's a mess when your ravens have to dance around whether or not they are going to sign this guy as a backup?  They have poll people before signing a player?  

Has the ravens owner ever polled fans when signing a free agent?  

They have to do this stuff now or face being called a racist by some media member, SJW, or BLM.    

It's just dumb, unnecessary, and shouldn't be in sports.    The NFL should not have even soft stepped this.... just fine people for not standing with the team..... they fine for everything else.

(08-14-2017, 12:38 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Yes I shouldn't have to tune into sports and get social justice warriors preaching.

(08-14-2017, 12:57 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: It should not even be shown on tv.

(08-14-2017, 02:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I have not liked when the olympics got political with countries not participating.    

Recently the burka nonsense has soured the summer olympics, which it a shame since it's my favorite.

   

(08-14-2017, 02:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: It's not too much to ask that we have something we can all talk about without someone getting offended or bothered.

[StLucieBengal]

(08-14-2017, 02:31 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: How do burkas "sour" the Olympics?

Couldn't watch any women's fencing without it being a topic on the broadcast. The worst fencer on the team got he most coverage and it had zero to do with her ability. She was terrible .

We had a couple of fencers who had a real chance to compete against the Italians, French, and Russians. Would have been nice to learn more about them and their story.

[StLucieBengal]

(08-14-2017, 02:49 PM)GMDino Wrote:    

You should be charging me rent for all the space I am taking up in your head. I don't know who has a bigger infatuation with me between you and breech.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 02:26 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: I have not liked when the olympics got political with countries not participating.

Recently the burka nonsense has soured the summer olympics, which it a shame since it's my favorite.

It's not too much to ask that we have something we can all talk about without someone getting offended or bothered.

Like you right now?

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(08-14-2017, 03:04 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: You should be charging me rent for all the space I am taking up in your head. I don't know who has a bigger infatuation with me between you and breech.

Actually, your infatuation with the idea others are infatuated with you is the biggest infatuation.

[BmorePat87]

(08-14-2017, 03:02 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Couldn't watch any women's fencing without it being a topic on the broadcast.   The worst fencer on the team got he most coverage and it had zero to do with her ability.    She was terrible .  

We had a couple of fencers who had a real chance to compete against the Italians, French, and Russians.    Would have been nice to learn more about them and their story.

So you take issue with the broadcasters not the burkas then.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

People in this country have the right to not stand for the National Anthem or burn the American Flag or do whatever they want short of stepping on someone else's rights.

Do I agree with them? No I don't but it's their right to do so.
Does it anger me? Yes it does and by doing what they do turns me off to whatever cause they are protesting for.

[GMDino]

(08-14-2017, 03:04 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: You should be charging me rent for all the space I am taking up in your head.     I don't know who has a bigger infatuation with me between you and breech.

I just like when people own their words.

[SunsetBengal]

(08-14-2017, 09:46 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I thought the Steelers response last year was perfect.  They stated they would all stand because not doing so would be disrespectful to Villenuava.  This right here is Harrison being Harrison.


I like the "NFL legend" part, Sunset. 

I knew you would.  I had you in mind, when I wrote that. 

[Millhouse]

I look at standing for the flag or anthem as a way to believe that there is going to be a brighter future than what there is today. The history of our government and country has always evolved towards a better future for all, even though there were eras it took much longer for it to happen.

Yes a person has the right to kneel or burn the flag. And by doing so I see someone that doesnt believe that there will be a better future. I know in their minds that may not be the case, as they are living in the moment with the dark history of racism seeded in their thoughts.

Anyways my point is if they all stood in and let it be known that they are standing in the belief of a brighter future, wouldn't that send a stronger & more positive message? I just dont see how kneeling sends a positive message, but thats my opinion.

[GMDino]

(08-14-2017, 04:20 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I look at standing for the flag or anthem as a way to believe that there is going to be a brighter future than what there is today. The history of our government and country has always evolved towards a better future for all, even though there were eras it took much longer for it to happen.

Yes a person has the right to kneel or burn the flag. And by doing so I see someone that doesnt believe that there will be a better future. I know in their minds that may not be the case, as they are living in the moment with the dark history of racism seeded in their thoughts.

Anyways my point is if they all stood in and let it be known that they are standing in the belief of a brighter future, wouldn't that send a stronger & more positive message? I just dont see how kneeling sends a positive message, but thats my opinion.

I think people do things "out of the ordinary" to draw attention to whatever it is they want attention drawn to.

Kaepernick, for example, could have just held a press conference and said he has a real issue with what he perceives is police brutality toward minorities.

It may have had the same overall effect.  People would still say he is bringing "politics into football".  

But would they say he hates America?  Yeah, they'd probably say that too.  

In the end he made a choice on how to get that attention to his cause.  And I think he too wants a brighter future, and hopes there is one, but he wants to talk about the now and how we will get to the future too.

[masterpanthera_t]

(08-14-2017, 04:20 PM)Millhouse Wrote: I look at standing for the flag or anthem as a way to believe that there is going to be a brighter future than what there is today. The history of our government and country has always evolved towards a better future for all, even though there were eras it took much longer for it to happen.

Yes a person has the right to kneel or burn the flag. And by doing so I see someone that doesnt believe that there will be a better future. I know in their minds that may not be the case, as they are living in the moment with the dark history of racism seeded in their thoughts.

Anyways my point is if they all stood in and let it be known that they are standing in the belief of a brighter future, wouldn't that send a stronger & more positive message? I just dont see how kneeling sends a positive message, but thats my opinion.

I kind of vacillate between two positions.  But I'm only going to focus on describing the perspectives of those who protest against the flag or anthem, without bringing my personal judgments into it.  

I can see your perspective, and how one could hold that view. The position of the other side, and this is just my understanding of it, without approval or disapproval, has been strongly shaped from a perception of "Everything we ever got, we got because of our blood sweat and tears, going against the norms and wrenching rightfully what's ours against a society hostile not only to our 'equality' but even to our existence." What you may see as things getting better, I believe the other side views as "we made our own futures better at the expense (unfairly) of our own blood sweat and tears" and "wasn't given, but fought against a society unwilling to grant this".  As I continue, here, I will once again reiterate that I'm not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with this view, only stating what I understand of it. What the larger society views as "this is un-American, uncivil, disrespect to authority, etc.", is perceived on the other side as "more authoritarian disposition from a hostile society which seeks to impose norms, which have never served 'our' community but furthered the oppression against 'us' ".  In this context, standing for the flag, would merely be seen as an implicit acceptance of this "imposition of norms" at the expense of expressing your disagreements with the larger society, that you perceive as still not understanding of your suffering, but requiring behavior of you that only serve to further the interests of the larger society, against your expression of your "grievance". It's basically saying, "I'm not pretending that America stands for me, by standing for the flag, when I think that that is not the case and this is my tool for highlighting this 'perceived inequality' to the larger society" so that American can "actually be better for everyone". That is to say, this is their method to try to make the future truly better in their viewpoint.  

In some ways, going against the "norm" has always been the way major change has been enacted in society, whether we're talking about the Boston Tea Party or civil disobedience or women's suffrage or whatever.  So, from the view of those who support not kneeling, they would likely see the ruffling of feathers as a great way to further a deeper discussion that they would like to bring to the fore.  What I just wrote is in general true of most protests, but I can see how that view pervades the decision to not stand for the flag also. 

[GMDino]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/michael-bennett-national-anthem

Quote:Michael Bennett knew that people would judge him.


He saw what happened to Colin Kaepernick after he took a knee during the national anthem — Bennett said earlier this summer he believes the quarterback is being blackballed by the league for the protest.

View image on Twitter

Quote:[/url]

[url=https://twitter.com/DennisTFP] Follow
Dennis Bernstein @DennisTFP
.@Seahawks Michael Bennett during anthem
8:10 PM - Aug 13, 2017 · StubHub Center

But after watching the violence in Charlottesville, he told reporters, he wanted to do something. And he knew he had a platform. Here’s what he told reporters, via the Seattle Times:

Quote:“First of all I want to make sure people understand I love the military — my father was in the military,” Bennett said. “I love hot dogs like any other American. I love football like any other American. But I don’t love segregation, I don’t love riots, I don’t love oppression. I don’t love gender slander. I just want to see people have the equality that they deserve and I want to be able to use this platform to continuously push the message and keep finding out how unselfish we can be in society, how we can continuously love one another and understand that people are different. And just because people are different doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t like them. Just because they don’t eat what you eat, just because they don’t pray to the same God you pray to doesn’t mean you should hate them. Whether it is Muslim, whether it is Buddhist, whether it is Christianity, I just want people to understand that no matter what, we need to stay together. It’s more about being a human being at this point.”

He told reporters he didn’t tell his teammates about his plans.
From ESPN:

Quote:“I’m being vulnerable right now,” Bennett said. “There’s a whole bunch of people sitting at home judging me, but they will never get to this point where they can be vulnerable. Let people attack me because they don’t believe what I believe in, but at the end of the day, I’m being vulnerable to show every person that no matter [what] you believe in, keep fighting for it. Keep fighting for equality. Keep fighting for oppressed people. And keep trying to change society.”

Over the past year, critics have found it easy to yell about patriotism and what NFL players do or don’t understand about what they’re fighting for. There will be people who read Bennett’s statements and dismiss them, or more likely they won’t read them and will yell on Twitter or threaten to boycott games and maybe actually do it because he took a seat. There are going to be people who scream at me on Twitter for writing this post in the first place.

But there are much more unpatriotic things that happened in this country over the weekend than someone sitting for an anthem to draw attention to a cause he believes in, a cause we should all believe in. He backed up the protest with words that reminded us all that we’re in this together, reminded us all that to fulfill the promise of America that we must drive out hate and cherish acceptance and that he’s willing to take a risk to make our world a better place.

There’s few things worth listening to more than that.