I’m willing to bet if these same individuals learned of Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska and her silent protest of Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City–she looked down as the Soviet National Anthem was playing–they’d think her a heroine and be cheering on her protest.
But players want to silently protest minority treatment by white police officers during the National Anthem, they can’t do that. It’s inappropriate. It’s unpatriotic. It distracts from football.
TO HELL WITH FAR RIGHT HYPOCRISY THAT WANTS TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS AND TO THE WIMPS WHO GAVE INTO THEM.
The owners are NOT forcing them to be patriotic. They are penalizing them for being unpatriotic. If you don’t want to put your hand over your heart…so be it but don’t kneel. As far as I can tell, all they are asking is to just remain neutral.
There are those who say they should protest on their own time.
That they shouldn’t disrespect the flag.
Would those same people be satisfied if the players engaged in disruptive tactics, like blocking traffic to protest treatment of non white people at the hands of white police, but hey, that was something they did in their own time?
Really? The owners’ definition of respect is not being disrespectful. Do you see anything about singing, placing your hand over your heart, waving a flag…anything?
This is all about $$$$$$$$$$$ and public perception. The owners aren’t gonna let anything mess with the money printing machine that is the NFL.
Now, if some bean counters went to Robert Kraft and said “we’ve done the analysis and the franchise can make an extra half billion dollars a year if half the players would kneel” Kraft would be like “Psst… Tom. Is there anyway you could…”
How is it a red herring? They are punishing people who didn’t commit the crime and have no control over those who did. But that seems to be a thing with libs.
There job is not to make political statements, to use the opportunity of thees football games as a vehicle to preach their political views to the paying customers.
I hope the self absorbed, social justice wannabe players go on strike, for their right to turn the playing of the national anthem into a social justice protest circus.
Take a knee- to protest the police
Take a knee and cross right arm over left - to protest for Dreamers
Take a knee and cross left arm over right - to protest for LGBTQIPTXYZ
Take a knee and cross left foot over right foot to protest for a $15/hour minimum wage
…and on and on, and on. the protests and nuanced approach to refusing to stand with the fans and everyone else during the playing of the anthem are endless.
But why stop there? There are other aspects of the football game that offer golden opportunities for social justice warriors to cat out in protest and support.
So GO ON AND STRIKE, and force the fans and owners to endure your views, protests and observe your cause célèbre.
God you guys really get angry about people peacefully protesting. Everyone else is standing? I bet there are lots of people sitting on the toilet when it’s being played. Should we make sure that stops?
