These are the NFL Teams Not Participating In The National Anthem

At worst these protests are 2 minutes of a 2.5 hour broadcast. That’s about 1% of the game.

It’s silent. While the glorious strains of the Anthem you suddenly all worship are still playing.

Yeah there’s politics being “injected” here ... from all of you who are so OFFENDED by someone else’s POSTURE (not even words) that this wailing and gnashing of teeth is the result. Over two minutes of SILENT action.

You cannot bear to have these men act in accordance with their beliefs. Your politics are the issue, not theirs.

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: MysticPearl

Well what else should I say??

I mean if that is what you sound like, bitching about how someone isn't entertaining you enough, or that they should be fined of fired for simply taking a knee in silence. I mean you take it all so personal.

But it's too much to just disagree with their message and move past it. Nope, you demand that someone in authority do something about their behavior because you're not entertained in exactly the way you want.

I haven't said any of that though. Do me a favor and reply to what I've actually posted.

I don't have a single post saying they're not entertaining enough, should be fined/fired. I've said nothing about someone in authority doing something about it.Come to think of it, why are you even quoting me?

You're arguing against what you want me to say rather than what I've said. How much clearer can I be. The players have the right to kneel/protest as long as the owners allow it and the fans have the right to watch or go elsewhere.

a reply to: MysticPearl

The insane amount of outrage is coming from those who can't stand to see some players take a knee.

When you tune in to football all you get now is political stances, is that right??? Did they cancel the game on your channels??? Was it replaced by political speeches rather than football on your TV for some reason???

I can only imagine if that were true. You're heads would explode.

For over two days and multiple thread I've been reading this BS crybaby stuff about some players taking a knee. So what??? As if it even stops the normal flow of anything anyway. The incapacity to simply ignore such a small thing is unbelievable.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
At worst these protests are 2 minutes of a 2.5 hour broadcast. That’s about 1% of the game.

It’s silent. While the glorious strains of the Anthem you suddenly all worship are still playing.

Yeah there’s politics being “injected” here ... from all of you who are so OFFENDED by someone else’s POSTURE (not even words) that this wailing and gnashing of teeth is the result. Over two minutes of SILENT action.

You cannot bear to have these men act in accordance with their beliefs. Your politics are the issue, not theirs.

What a load of cow manure. Never thought I'd see the day when "Pride and Respect" would be frowned upon.

a reply to: Phage

You don't watch pregame.
You're OK with differing views.

No Phage. You are getting really lazy these days.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
You cannot bear to have these men act in accordance with their beliefs. Your politics are the issue, not theirs.

That's the elephant in the room.

The thing that amazed me the most about all of this is the amount of people who have made their entire identity political now. To the point they can't even enjoy a football game where someone silently protests at the start.

I had no idea it was this bad.

Two threads and well over 80 pages later and people are still bawling over this? Jesus, then do SOMETHING ELSE DURING THE ANTHEM. WTF, are you all dense? Are you strapped to your chair with your eyes forcibly held open? Is sports not sports until some unanimous ceremonial anthem circle jerk has been completed? Well here's an idea -- if you have a smartphone, hop on Youtube & have a session in the bathroom.

I don't even bother tuning into my hockey games until AFTER the anthems are done (no offense, Canadians, O Canada got old, too) because who TF cares. If any NHL teams were to sit/kneel out the anthem, I wouldn't give a damn. I want to watch the game, not listen to the damn anthem. It has zero bearing on my enjoyment. Whether or not the anthem is played/sung is not a draw for me as a spectator. The sport is. Therefore, if people want to sit/kneel it out, or stand, whatever, knock yourself out.

Look, I'm not even a football fan (no interest in watching a bunch of guys play grab-ass on the grass) but I can see how this crybabying is manure. Patriotism is taking on a visage that looks more like drug addiction denial, complete with the violent outbursts when it isn't on perma-display. Holy f#, calm your jugs, junkies.

a reply to: mOjOm

I don't care about others. How about you provide examples of me saying

you demand that someone in authority do something about their behavior because you're not entertained in exactly the way you want.

or

bitching about how someone isn't entertaining you enough

or

that they should be fined of fired for simply taking a knee in silence

Where did I say any of that? Link it. Who are you even arguing against?

originally posted by: Gryphon66
At worst these protests are 2 minutes of a 2.5 hour broadcast. That’s about 1% of the game.

2 minutes where most other people are probably either getting snacks/beverage or using the restroom before the actual game starts.

a reply to: Nyiah

are you all dense?

I didn't watch any of the anthems. I'm commenting on the topic.

I'm not dense.

Just wondering. Asking if you would complain if athletes like Jason Worilds took a knee.

a reply to: Zarniwoop

These people are using their 15 minutes of fame to make political statements on my dime.

Do you care when athletes inject religion into sports? Were you upset by Tim Tebow "using his 15 minutes of fame to make religious statements?" How about the thousands of athletes who give thanks to God in interviews and praise God on the field every year?

And why is this a political issue in the first place?

Social inequality is the root cause. Whether it's institutional racism in the legal system, increased crime rates, racial profiling, police brutality, over-policing, etc — at the end of the day, these are all symptoms of the same disorder in society and that disorder is the result of a failure to integrate a once enslaved and later oppressed segment of society, as equals, into the greater whole.

The ironic thing is that many conservatives will readily acknowledge that problems exist in the context of something like saying how Trump is going to fix them. As Trump advisor Stephen Moore does in this opinion piece in The Hill.

A bit over a year ago, then candidate Trump was saying things like this:

"Look at how much African American communities are suffering from Democratic control. Fifty-eight percent of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose?"

Was he wrong? Was he just pretending? I mean, it sure seems to me that he was stating quite matter-of-factly that black folks are dealing with some things as a group that some other groups are not dealing with on the same scale. So if it's okay for him to acknowledge it when he's looking for votes and for his supporters in the media like Mr. Moore to acknowledge the same when they're promoting the idea that he's going to fix these problems, then where is the breakdown occurring?

Is it only politically correct when a Republican is acknowledging issues of racial inequality to find fault with Democrats?

To me it would be like if one political body was using its "political correctness" to coerce people into denying that a hurricane happened because another political body was fighting to get something done to help hurricane victims out.

I believe that what Kaepernick did is only political because the very existence of racial inequality continues to be made political. And since we're dealing with real issues here, wouldn't it make far more sense for conservatives to drop denial of racial inequality from their political correctness than it would for progressives to start ignoring reality?

a reply to: MysticPearl

Only about half the comments in this thread.

If didn't say those exact words then fine. But you're still on the side that is complaining about this endlessly and suggesting they should give all their money to African Charities or some other crap. Or trying to suggest they should finance "Kneeling Classes for the youth."

That doesn't even make sense.

You try and act like you don't know what their message is and belittle it because you don't agree. Ok, that's fine. But then also claim "they have that right, if the owners agree with it." Well, whether or not the owners agree with it I don't think really matters much. They aren't taking a knee because they're allowed to do it.

Basically, I may be responding to you but I'm also responding to others in this thread. Sorry if it all sounds like I'm just talking about you, I'm not.

But we don't have to talk anymore, that's fine. I've said all I came to say anyway. I don't care that much about some football players taking a knee or those that hate them for it.

originally posted by: Zarniwoop
a reply to: Nyiah

are you all dense?

I didn't watch any of the anthems. I'm commenting on the topic.

I'm not dense.

Is it a one-off, are are you a fellow serial-skipper? If the latter, what the hell difference does it make, you're already divorced from the spectacle as a viewer.

originally posted by: underwerks

originally posted by: Gryphon66
You cannot bear to have these men act in accordance with their beliefs. Your politics are the issue, not theirs.

That's the elephant in the room.

The thing that amazed me the most about all of this is the amount of people who have made their entire identity political now. To the point they can't even enjoy a football game where someone silently protests at the start.

I had no idea it was this bad.

Protest what? How the hell are they ever going to know when it's ok to stop kneeling? Do they have a minimum or maximum amount of allowable blacks that can be shot, before it's ok to stand and respect our national flag again? These protest have gotten ridiculous and seemingly infinite.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Do you care when athletes inject religion into sports? Were you upset by Tim Tebow "using his 15 minutes of fame to make religious statements?" How about the thousands of athletes who give thanks to God in interviews and praise God on the field every year?

Yes, yes and yes. Can't stand that religious crap in sports. It has no place.

Do you like it?

Social inequality is the root cause

That is where you lost me. I don't want to hear about that on sports entertainment TV.

I'm fine with the message. I get plenty of that here on ATS.

Gimme a break.

The only player to stand for the anthem on the Steelers today. A minority, Alejandro Villanueva.



Every last one of his teammates stayed in the locker room. Are they racist for not supporting a minority? Or is this minority player racist for not staying in the locker room?

I thought if you don't support minorities you're a racist. Does that mean the Steelers organization, black and white alike, are all racists for not supporting Alejandro, who served this country in the military?

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: infolurker


As "people of color", they've done pretty well for themselves.

Thats the entire point, they have fame, notoriety, money, and a stage to get the voice of their fellow minorities out who have no stage, or fame or money.

They are using their life gifts for a good cause!

a reply to: Nyiah

Is it a one-off?

Are you only concerned with topics you have seen on TV?

What is your problem with me contributing to this thread?

If they were all wearing MAGA hats that they doffed and clutched to their chests during the Anthem, you can bet that you’d see a categorical reversal on politics and playtime.