Oh noes! NFL Players Are Now 'Scared' To Take a Knee, 'People Have to Feed They Family'

originally posted by: Aazadan
a reply to: Hypntick

They're not protesting while playing the game though. They're at the building, but they're not working.

They're in uniform, at their place of business, and in front of clients. Now they may not be on the clock, but they are representing themselves as connected to their employers.

originally posted by: Hypntick

originally posted by: Aazadan
a reply to: Hypntick

They're not protesting while playing the game though. They're at the building, but they're not working.

They're in uniform, at their place of business, and in front of clients. Now they may not be on the clock, but they are representing themselves as connected to their employers.

If they're representing their employer, I would consider that to be on the clock.

That said, I don't think we're even looking at the issue from the right perspective. Lets turn the chessboard around. What if it was the owners who wanted to protest by ordering their teams to sit/kneel? That's actually some of what's going on now. Should an NFL member (or even more broadly, an employee of any company) be forced to make political speech for their employer when that's not part of their contract?

This is where I think the whole thing comes down to individual rights. An employee shouldn't be compelled to make political statements for an employer. So if the employer ordered a protest, the employee shouldn't be compelled to protest. If that's the case, then the reverse should also be true, and ordering someone not to protest is also ordering a statement on the issue, so the employee should again be able to make their own decision.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: FHomerK

No one is stopping them from kneeling any other time during the game. Maybe they can do it before the Anthem or even during the two-minute warning.

They could easily do their protest without including the Anthem.

I know I would be more sympathetic to their cause.

My thoughts exactly. I respect their cause but if dissing the anthem is a problem why not just come up with a DIFFERENT way to do that same protest that doesn't include our anthem or flag - then all can have their voice heard.

With all due respect to the OP, you were expendable. You get longer rope the more valuable you are.

Sports is one of those places where people are resented for exercising their leverage.

originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: FHomerK

Good. I hope they find out how horrible it is to live on about $50,000.00 a year after previously being millionaires. Then they'll know what it's like to live like the majority of their fans who are mostly middle class.

You are aware they didnt come out if the womb as millionaires? They know what it's like. Guys drive trucks hoping to catch a break. Everybody's not a star player.

Many of them had it worse than you probably ever did. That's why some people play sports, as a way to escape poverty or a bad situation. There's plenty of those stories out there.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: Dfairlite
a reply to: Metallicus

Or they could just not protest at work. Ya know, somehow I doubt my employer would just stand by while I brought politics into the work place.

So is your problem really with the protest or with the fact that their job allows them greater freedoms than yours?

You hit the nail on the head. There's a lot of jealousy and envy going on.

a reply to: jordan77

EXACTLY!
WE voluntarily do it,for our own reasons

Who DOES that?
Black lives matter ,Antifa?
HELL no,
SPORTS are disposable entertainment, we are at war. regardless of why.
WHAT happens if patriots turned OUR BACKS?

a reply to: jordan77

And simple rank hypocrisy from those claiming to believe in free speech.

Everyone pretending this is a 1st amendment issue is uninformed. Their 1st amendment rights are not being violated.

As predicted, Trump accelerated this to near-conclusion. I wouldn't say he's directly responsible for the outcome, but you wouldn't be seeing this statement from Goodell this week if Trump hadn't said anything.

Stand for the anthem, kneel for your false narrative on your own time, crybabies.

originally posted by: face23785
Everyone pretending this is a 1st amendment issue is uninformed. Their 1st amendment rights are not being violated.

As predicted, Trump accelerated this to near-conclusion. I wouldn't say he's directly responsible for the outcome, but you wouldn't be seeing this statement from Goodell this week if Trump hadn't said anything.

Stand for the anthem, kneel for your false narrative on your own time, crybabies.

The moment Trump got involved he turned it into a First Amendment issue. Before that, it wasn't since there was no government influence.

originally posted by: face23785
Everyone pretending this is a 1st amendment issue is uninformed. Their 1st amendment rights are not being violated.

As predicted, Trump accelerated this to near-conclusion. I wouldn't say he's directly responsible for the outcome, but you wouldn't be seeing this statement from Goodell this week if Trump hadn't said anything.

Stand for the anthem, kneel for your false narrative on your own time, crybabies.

And the last line is what is so scary about the Trump administration. That he can squash first amendment rights.. and that some of you not only don't get this, you actually happily promote the idea. Someone is protesting.. but because you don't agree with it, it is false? Country is backpedaling quickly under Trump.. didn't think he could manage it quite this quickly.

I personally think they should stand for the anthem, but I recognize that the NFL decided to allow it when it became a thing last year.. so all the comments about the employer are moot, they had their chance to say no. And I recognize that people have the RIGHT to protest peacefully in the manner they see fit. It's sort of what our country was founded on. But to Trump supporters, it's OK to quash the right to peacefully protest.. if it's not in the manner you think is proper.

The funniest thing is this has nothing to do with "respecting the flag," or a surge of nationalism in Trump. The only reason he is doing this is because he has a beef with the NFL. They "wronged" him in the past, and now.. he gets revenge. The fact that some of you not only think this is ok.. but encourage it, like I said.. is an alarming thought.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: face23785
Everyone pretending this is a 1st amendment issue is uninformed. Their 1st amendment rights are not being violated.

As predicted, Trump accelerated this to near-conclusion. I wouldn't say he's directly responsible for the outcome, but you wouldn't be seeing this statement from Goodell this week if Trump hadn't said anything.

Stand for the anthem, kneel for your false narrative on your own time, crybabies.

The moment Trump got involved he turned it into a First Amendment issue. Before that, it wasn't since there was no government influence.

False. Trump isn't ordering them to stand or else be arrested. You know this isn't a 1st amendment issue. Don't lie.

originally posted by: fleabit

originally posted by: face23785
Everyone pretending this is a 1st amendment issue is uninformed. Their 1st amendment rights are not being violated.

As predicted, Trump accelerated this to near-conclusion. I wouldn't say he's directly responsible for the outcome, but you wouldn't be seeing this statement from Goodell this week if Trump hadn't said anything.

Stand for the anthem, kneel for your false narrative on your own time, crybabies.

And the last line is what is so scary about the Trump administration. That he can squash first amendment rights.. and that some of you not only don't get this, you actually happily promote the idea. Someone is protesting.. but because you don't agree with it, it is false?

It was never a 1st amendment issue, before or after Trump got involved. The 1st amendment doesn't apply if your employer tells you you can't protest on the job. That's been adjudicated already, employers have that right. Trump said they should stand, they didn't, and nothing happened to them. They weren't arrested, he didn't send the IRS after them like some presidents, no government reprisal. That is all the 1st amendment protects you from. Stop spreading lies. OK?

And no it's false because it's false. They're protesting black oppression. Blacks aren't oppressed here. That's a false narrative. If they had a legit issue I might be a little more compassionate, but being that it's a bunch of bull#, # them.

You OP Headline seems like you are trying be racist?

originally posted by: FHomerK


To put it simply, I was fired a few years ago from an oil related (heavily so) industry for making a joking comment about Dick Cheney at a "casual" employee event.

Perhaps you were just fired for being an A-Hole?

Just saying, people tell themselves all kinds of things when they are fired in order to preserve their pride.

Life, actually sucks.

Really sorry you feel that way. If it isn't working out for you, I recommend changing course in fundamental ways.

originally posted by: soberbacchus
You OP Headline seems like you are trying be racist?

originally posted by: FHomerK


To put it simply, I was fired a few years ago from an oil related (heavily so) industry for making a joking comment about Dick Cheney at a "casual" employee event.

Perhaps you were just fired for being an A-Hole?

Just saying, people tell themselves all kinds of things when they are fired in order to preserve their pride.

Life, actually sucks.

Really sorry you feel that way. If it isn't working out for you, I recommend changing course in fundamental ways.

If you'd even BOTHER to read the article at the link, you'd see that the title of this thread is the title of an article. Not one that I wrote. And, from all appearances, it seemed that the quote in the title is actually a quote from one of the football players that had been protesting.


And, perhaps you need to look at yourself for turning out to be an a-hole, as you called me. You have NO idea what I said about Dick Cheney, you have no idea what took place before it, or after it.

My advice to you? Don't make idiot out of yourself again, like you just did. And don't worry, I know you weren't suggesting that I actually said something mean about Dick Cheney, no. You were calling me an a-hole because of assumptions you made. Made without reading.

Made because you, are a blathering idiot who is all about "feel good" and standing piously upon your own sense and interpretation of morals.

Ciao, idioto. Ciao.

originally posted by: jordan77

originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: FHomerK

Good. I hope they find out how horrible it is to live on about $50,000.00 a year after previously being millionaires. Then they'll know what it's like to live like the majority of their fans who are mostly middle class.

You are aware they didnt come out if the womb as millionaires? They know what it's like. Guys drive trucks hoping to catch a break. Everybody's not a star player.

Many of them had it worse than you probably ever did. That's why some people play sports, as a way to escape poverty or a bad situation. There's plenty of those stories out there.

Damn, are you trying to honestly tell ME that they have to work, and to work hard for what they've achieved?

Wait, someone other than me was not born with a million dollars handed to them by their mother while still inside their mother's womb????

Now, hold on a second..... I'm a 48 year old white male.... where in the HELL is my womb inheretence of 1 million dollars??????

Next time, think about what you're saying before auto-regurgitation of the spew you were not intelligent enough to think through on your own.

Racism - thinking you are superior to a another race. That is what racism is. Using 'slang' or "era speak" is not racist. In today's society I understand anything can be deemed racist in the media and social media but it is not true.

If I say "Yes boss" am I offending the descendants of slaves? Nope, but if you are trained to think like that you would.

the riggt to protest is important

a reply to: soberbacchus

Fired in order to preserve my pride?

What planet are you from?

I made a joke about someone. A joke. And I was fired. Fired, for a joke about a politician.

Had they had the cajones to ask me to recant my statement, that would have allowed for a scenario where pride might have come to be involved due to my refusing to recant. Regardless of being offered a chance to recant or not.... I was given a Performance Improvement Plan a week later. So they attempted to say the reason was because of my performance and not for what I said about Cheney, as a joke.

It's their right to fire me if they wish. It's your right to be a complete jerk by making the uninformed and slanderous claims you've made.

But I for one would never take any degree of pleasure for you or anyone else being fired because of an unpopular thought or comment that was strictly a satirical comment about a politician.

I wouldn't want you, or your loved ones to face the financial hardship I faced for such a thing.

You, my "friend", are the epitomy of what is wrong with the internet, wrong with America, and wrong with humanity as a whole. A wild pack of dogs would care more for one of their own than you would.

If they are willing to take a 50k fine to wiggling their ass one too many times in the end zone, I'm sure they can do the same for kneeling if it is so important to them.

It was never a 1st amendment issue, before or after Trump got involved. The 1st amendment doesn't apply if your employer tells you you can't protest on the job.

And the NFL did not tell their employees that they couldn't protest. So they could, and they did. I don't see a problem with that - do you?

While I appreciate you trying to blow smoke up everyone's skirt, it's obvious that the backlash from Trump in Tweets about firing players, having Pence walk out of a game, veiled threats about removing tax breaks, caused the NFL owners and then the commissioner to tell players basically.. you must stand, no more protests during the anthem. To say anything but Trump is the reason they have done a turnabout after a long period of having no issue with it, is a load of crap. Trump was DIRECTLY responsibly for owners telling their players.. stand or else you sit the game.

I'd say that certainly is Trump directly interfering with those U.S. CITIZENS RIGHT to peacefully protest. Has nothing to do with them being NFL players. They are due the same rights as anyone else. Trump essentially is forcing the issue. Stop with the "Oh.. Trump is just offering his opinion on the matter" fantasy. He is bullying the NFL and their players into complying.