New policy requires on-field players, personnel to stand for anthem

[CPcavedweller]

1 minute ago, Davidson Deac II said:

The problem the NFL has is timing.  Had this rule been implemented 15 or so years ago, it would barely have been noticed.  The players who wanted to protest would find some other way, as the NBA players have.  Not sure if it would be the issue that it is now, but it would likely still be an issue to some.

When viewed objectively, there shouldn't be a problem either way. People in all walks of life are attempting to strip the norms of proper behavior in society. Part of that can be via rioting, blatant disregard for the law, walking out of class while in high school to protest, etc. The fact of the matter is that as an employee, and without contractual language stating otherwise, the players are subject to rules and regulations put forth by the NFL. Failure of parents to raise their children with an air of accountability is an issue and we are seeing that come to the forefront in many areas of society.

Some of these players make more than enough money to fund awareness projects for the causes they claim to kneel for. However, some kneel and fail to put a dime toward actually correcting the issues inherent in what is being protested. Put your money where your mouth is, but don't bite the hand that feeds you; and i'm not referring to the owners, but to the fans. 

[Anybodyhome]

45 minutes ago, OneBadCat said:

The NFL is also losing money(i mean not really, just less than before). for other reasons. It's become over saturated, concussions, shitty officiating with no way of challenging it. Thus people are becoming less invested as before.  

While I agree with the rest of your assessment, the NFL is not losing money.

The NFL is experiencing a ratings decline- big difference. And that doesn't amount to squat because the NFL is seeing bigger ad revenues and still has a gigantic TV contract and that's where the money is- advertising and TV contracts.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-ad-revenue-rises-amid-ratings-decline-2017-12

NFL ad revenue increased 2% YoY across all networks from September to November of this season, despite declining viewership, according to Adweek. Average game viewership fell to 15 million in early December, down from 16.5 million in the same month last year.

The trend is a continuation from earlier in the NFL season, when revenue increased 2% YoY in September, despite ratings falling 5%, according to Adweek.

NFL ad revenue continues to increase amid ratings declines because it's still one of the biggest ratings drivers on TV. More broadly speaking, live sports are one of the last bastions of TV viewership. Cord-cutting has hit record numbers in 2017, but live sports remain a key reason consumers tune into pay-TV — 82% of traditional pay-TV subscribers would trim their subscription if they no longer needed it to view live sporting events, according to PwC. Moreover, live sports accounted for 44 of TV's top 50 most-watched broadcasts in 2016, according to AdAge.

And this is why declining NFL viewership isn't deterring companies from investing in acquiring NFL streaming rights. Verizon just committed to pay over $2 billion over five years for the rights to stream NFL games on mobile devices for free. Amazon paid $50 million for the rights to stream 10 Thursday Night Football games this season. In all, growing demand for NFL rights is contributing to the increasing value of sports media rights — fees paid to air sporting events on TV, the internet, and mobile devices. In North America, sports media rights are projected to reach $23 billion in 2021, up from $19 billion in 2017, according to PwC.

[bewonee]

5 hours ago, Anybodyhome said:

So it's obvious you have no idea how the notion of kneeling actually came about. Might want to read up on that before making an uninformed statement.

I don't care how it came about, or what the intent is. Kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to troops. You know what the red on our flag stands for, right? The intent of kneeling is to fight white cops killing black civilians, even though black people commit 2x more interracial crimes than whites, and the white on black crime rate makes up, get this, 0.7% of the murder rate. How about protest a real problem if you are gonna disrespect the people who have died for this nation? That's my problem with it. I will never be for silencing people and I will never want freedoms stripped of people, but if you are going to disrespect the fallen, choose a real issue. That's my main qualm.

[Anybodyhome]

23 minutes ago, bewonee said:

I don't care how it came about, or what the intent is. Kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to troops. You know what the red on our flag stands for, right? The intent of kneeling is to fight white cops killing black civilians, even though black people commit 2x more interracial crimes than whites, and the white on black crime rate makes up, get this, 0.7% of the murder rate. How about protest a real problem if you are gonna disrespect the people who have died for this nation? That's my problem with it. I will never be for silencing people and I will never want freedoms stripped of people, but if you are going to disrespect the fallen, choose a real issue. That's my main qualm.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/heres-how-nate-boyer-got-colin-kaepernick-to-go-from-sitting-to-kneeling/

In the 49ers' final preseason game, backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel for the national anthem instead of taking a seat on the bench.

Turns out it was former Seahawks player and Green Beret Nate Boyer who talked Kap into making the change. Boyer wrote an open letter to Kaepernick earlier this season, and it caused the two to meet up and discuss America and honoring the anthem.

On the upcoming episode of HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" (airing Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET), Boyer reveals what happened in the discussion between the two men.

"We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates," Boyer says. "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect. When we're on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security."

Asked by Gumbel if Kap was "receptive" to his ideas, Boyer described him as "very receptive."

"Very receptive. He said, 'I think that would be-- I think-- I think that would be really powerful,'" Boyer recalls. "And, you know, he asked me to do it with him. And I said, 'Look, I'll stand next to you. I gotta stand though. I gotta stand with my hand on my heart. That's just-- that's just what I do and where I'm from.'"

The two met and took a picture together, but Boyer wasn't willing to take a knee.

This is Boyer and Kap:

Oh, by the way.... I've had to present a flag 3 times while saying, "On behalf of the President of the United States and the Chief of Naval Operations, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to this Country and a grateful Navy." Twice to wives who were now widows with children and once to parents. So, yeah, go ahead and lecture me about respect and just causes and how people should behave. 

[acymetric]

21 minutes ago, bewonee said:

I don't care how it came about, or what the intent is. Kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to troops. You know what the red on our flag stands for, right? The intent of kneeling is to fight white cops killing black civilians, even though black people commit 2x more interracial crimes than whites, and the white on black crime rate makes up, get this, 0.7% of the murder rate. How about protest a real problem if you are gonna disrespect the people who have died for this nation? That's my problem with it. I will never be for silencing people and I will never want freedoms stripped of people, but if you are going to disrespect the fallen, choose a real issue. That's my main qualm.

Hardiness & Valor (the significance of the red for both the U.S. Seal and the flag)?  Probably not what you were trying to imply, but just because someone else told you it means something different doesn't make it so.

[bewonee]

1 minute ago, Anybodyhome said:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/heres-how-nate-boyer-got-colin-kaepernick-to-go-from-sitting-to-kneeling/

In the 49ers' final preseason game, backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel for the national anthem instead of taking a seat on the bench.

Turns out it was former Seahawks player and Green Beret Nate Boyer who talked Kap into making the change. Boyer wrote an open letter to Kaepernick earlier this season, and it caused the two to meet up and discuss America and honoring the anthem.

On the upcoming episode of HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" (airing Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET), Boyer reveals what happened in the discussion between the two men.

"We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates," Boyer says. "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect. When we're on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security."

Asked by Gumbel if Kap was "receptive" to his ideas, Boyer described him as "very receptive."

"Very receptive. He said, 'I think that would be-- I think-- I think that would be really powerful,'" Boyer recalls. "And, you know, he asked me to do it with him. And I said, 'Look, I'll stand next to you. I gotta stand though. I gotta stand with my hand on my heart. That's just-- that's just what I do and where I'm from.'"

The two met and took a picture together, but Boyer wasn't willing to take a knee.

This is Boyer and Kap:

 

Well, even if not specifically Kap, point stands that the majority of the reason players kneel (and in some cases, sit on the bench) is to protest an issue which porpotionally is very little to the actual murder rate.

 

3 minutes ago, acymetric said:

Hardiness & Valor (the significance of the red for both the U.S. Seal and the flag)?  Probably not what you were trying to imply, but just because someone else told you it means something different doesn't make it so.

Well damn, someone did indeed tell me different and I never looked into it. I'll apologize for that.

[acymetric]

7 minutes ago, bewonee said:

Well, even if not specifically Kap, point stands that the majority of the reason players kneel (and in some cases, sit on the bench) is to protest an issue which porpotionally is very little to the actual murder rate.

 

Well damn, someone did indeed tell me different and I never looked into it. I'll apologize for that.

People do sometimes say it stands for the blood of the fallen (this is what I assumed you meant, so obviously the idea is out there for me to be aware of). I wasn't necessarily trying to pick on you.  It's just that it is more poetic license for effect as opposed to any official or generally accepted meaning, and while "what it means to me" (isn't that a country song?) is perfectly valid for personal sentiments, it isn't necessarily a good fit for a discussion of policy or rules.

[Devil Doc]

I am confused, are people implying that if you agree with this ruling, or think that kneeling is disrespectful, you are racist? 

Are people implying that this was only ruled because of the President? The President does not have that much power. Quit giving him credit. 

Does the opinions of one, overrule the opinions of another? Example... do the opinions of Veterans, what the flag represent, or what the people think of kneeling... overrule what veterans think, what the flag represents, or what people think of kneeling? 

People are saying that "you don't understand" as why they are kneeling.... yet the other is saying... "you don't understand" why they are upset you are kneeling. My only question is... How do you please both of them? Who is right? I think the NFL left it to the owners of team to deal with it, and made a good compromise.

The fact is that is doesn't make the NFL racist because they prevent the kneeling, however, is does not make the NFL right to decide who kneels or don't. 

I, like many others, see the Flag as a symbol to the country. Is this country perfect, nope. However, neither is any other country in this world. If I do not like something, or agree with what is going on, I do not take it out on the flag that represents everybody. I take it out on community meetings, voting, activism, etc. 

If you want to kneel, I dont care. I still watched football. I still cheered you playing, and felt the same emotion when we lost. I protected your freedoms, to have freedom.... do what you want. 

[TheRed]

I see we've gotten to the inevitable part of the conversation where instances of one black person doing something wrong somewhere are shared as a means of immediately dismissing the valid and peaceful concerns of millions of other black people.

Yet you can't figure out why they are protesting?

Gee.....

[bewonee]

4 minutes ago, acymetric said:

People do sometimes say it stands for the blood of the fallen (this is what I assumed you meant, so obviously the idea is out there for me to be aware of). I wasn't necessarily trying to pick on you.  It's just that it is more poetic license for effect as opposed to any official or generally accepted meaning, and while "what it means to me" (isn't that a country song?) is perfectly valid for personal sentiments, it isn't necessarily a good fit for a discussion of policy or rules.

Yeah, that was my mistake. That is what I thought it meant.

[TheRed]

4 minutes ago, bull123 said:

Getting sick and tired of being called a racist because we support respect of our National Anthem and American Flag

Symbolism worship to the point of demeaning or delegitimizing the concerns of your fellow citizens is not patriotism. It is nationalism.

[4Corners]

17 minutes ago, bull123 said:

Getting sick and tired of being called a racist because we support respect of our National Anthem and American Flag

What are you going to do about it? Look at your comment history!!! They reek of racial undertones and prejudice. I’m surprised you can even tolerate watching a sporting event that isn’t hockey or nascar! 

[Fryfan]

1 hour ago, bewonee said:

I don't care how it came about, or what the intent is. Kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to troops. You know what the red on our flag stands for, right? The intent of kneeling is to fight white cops killing black civilians, even though black people commit 2x more interracial crimes than whites, and the white on black crime rate makes up, get this, 0.7% of the murder rate. How about protest a real problem if you are gonna disrespect the people who have died for this nation? That's my problem with it. I will never be for silencing people and I will never want freedoms stripped of people, but if you are going to disrespect the fallen, choose a real issue. That's my main qualm.

This is a nice complementary post to your current meltdown in the tinderbox thread defending your use of the n word.

 

 

[Jon Snow]

15 minutes ago, 4Corners said:

What are you going to do about it? Look at your comment history!!! They reek of racial undertones and prejudice. I’m surprised you can even tolerate watching a sporting event that isn’t hockey or nascar! 

You are the last person that should accuse someone of using racial and prejudice undertones.