Brueggs

I agree with this, and the message, except for one thing. This isn't a case of a player using "their" platform. A player took it upon himself to use "the teams" or "franchise owners" platform. Its not the same thing. If the player gained consent, that's another story. Its no different than an employee of any business using their time at work to promote whatever it is they want to. I get why it was done, but lets no omit the fact that this platform was hijacked.

Is it? Aren't we all men, equally? I hope you see the irony.

Come on man. Does anyone care what a garbage man's family goes through? If anything, the league has made these players "pieces of meat", not the fans. The word racist has been thrown around so loosely now that it is no longer the ultimate insult. Instead, it has come to mean "I don't agree with you/you look different than me".

You're not wrong, but the NFL stepped squarely into this mess and brought the politics with it.

Absolutely. There are 6 major news outlets in the US that control 90% of the media. All owned by leftist elites. Fox news is also moving in that direction over the last year. Campuses around the country have been censoring conservative viewpoints routinely while liberal platforms are not challenged. What happened to the debate between two sides, where actual solutions are created? Hollywood? Constantly promoting liberal view points. How much conservatism have you heard in Hollywood over the last decade?

Fair enough. I know there is a sea of misinformation to sift through and the truth is buried deep when it comes to the kind of money involved. ActBlue is a Democrat Super PAC though, and people are questioning where the money is going. The irony is, while fighting institutional/system racism, why run money through the Dems? The institutions/systems where people gather information and ideas, are the Media, Academia, and Hollywood, all of which are monopolized by leftist elites. They literally control these institutions.

When George Soros provides the seed money for your start up organization, you can be sure the purpose of that organization is not to help anyone other than global elitists. When that organization grows and starts funneling money to the DNC, the true nature of the organization is being revealed. There is an organic element of this movement made up of great people, with great intentions, but the organized faction of this movement is made up of something entirely different. They are using good people to carry out an agenda that has nothing to do with equality or the greater good of society.

I respect your opinion, but my opinion is that it was the wrong time. Maybe, if a group of players got together on their own time, put forth a coordinated effort, organized meetings at their local police precincts and created their own platforms they could have also made a great movement without the backlash.

Fair enough. The only thing is the NFL didn't initially give their consent. They had to scramble to get a handle on it when they started to receive backlash. You are right, NFL players do have an astronomical platform. That is exactly why there was no need to hijack a moment meant for something else. That is the crux of my argument. My only point in all of this is there is a right time, and right way to do things. I don't believe the kneeling during the anthem, especially with pig/cop socks, is the right way, in the simple sense that it has caused unnecessary backlash for the league and further division of people. It did bring a heightened awareness of the issue at hand, so there is absolutely success in that. It could have been done differently, and without the backlash. I might be right, or wrong, its only my opinion.

I mostly agree with you. Certain players definitely have "immunity", to a degree. Skilled people in all lines of work get that treatment though. I can think of a carpenter punching his boss in the face and being back in the morning simply because he was the one that made the boss the most money. Now, if that was an ongoing thing, he would be sent packing. Necessity creates security everywhere in this life.

More to the point, did the consequences of the player/employee actions justify being fired? Its different in different states, but there is usually a reason

Yes, it is earned, but its also a privilege, in any profession. I agree to an extent, but the players are also reliant on the NFL. One without the other doesn't exist. Great NFL players get more second chances than most, and we hear about it because of the publicity. Corporate performers also get those luxuries, we just dont hear about it nearly as much. I think the NFL would still survive unless there was a mass exodus. As always, its all about the money...

It is complicated, but something tells me that with those kind of salaries, a full scale revolt isn't likely.

You realize that NFL players are just people, right? You are missing the point completely. Maybe someone doing their political grandstanding on their employers platform might not bother you as an individual, but if it causes a problem for the business, its not fair to the employer. There is a time and a place for everything, especially when you are representing a business for compensation.

You can be sure the NFL will follow the money.

Did I imply that it was? Or wasn't? Your saying that everyone can do what they want, whenever they want regardless of consequences? Great idea..

That is a pre arranged agreement between two parties. If the NFL, and team owners agreed to protesting, that would also be fine. The problem for the NFL and the owners is trying to gauge the financial ramifications this might have. Regardless of the cause, when you hijack a platform meant for something else, there are consequences that could be damaging to the very people that provide your employment.

What are you saying? You are elevating NFL players to a higher standard than the middle class, or "regular people" in general? To be "the pinnacle" of any profession requires exceptional effort, not just for people that play a game for a living. Its also a privilege. So I guess what you saying, is if your out to eat and your waiter wants to promote Trump, your'e good with that?

Where did I say I disagree with the protest? I disagree with the timing. Its not the same...

Personally, watching a football game is nice 3 hour escape from normal life. I understand the National Anthem inserts a political element into the event. I am all for the right to protest, but I draw the line at doing it on company time. To me, it is like going out for dinner while my waiter protests animal cruelty, and all I wanted was my steak dinner. Its simply not the time. People need to find their own platforms and not try to hijack what was meant for something else. NFL players in particular, have the ways and means to do just that.

No doubt. They were always cooked to order and always crispy. I am a self proclaimed connoisseur of wings, and these were hands down the best every single time. We have to find this guy and get the recipe!

I remember this place. The first thing I thought was they had the best wings ever! I have been trying to copy the recipe but could never quite get it right. They were perfect every time. This was the abandoned strip mall that Jim and Tammy Bakker got busted in. It was the only storefront open in the whole place when the Sports Page was there.

You might, but you missed it. When people are blinded by their dislike, they lose the ability to be objective and make sound decisions. I don't expect that you will understand.

This statement is exactly why people who are emotionally charged about a situation or circumstance, can't keep their perspective grounded in reality.

You are right. Obama was still the president the day after the election results. Take a look at a stock market graph. When you wan't the real truth, look at where people put their money. Maybe its just a coincidence?