An end to Anthem protests? [UPDATE - Augmented by new Anthem Policy]

[MAJBobby]

2 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

 

The penalty thing is so freaking stupid 

[kota]

I seriously doubt that the Anthem had much to do with the decline in ratings.  The product is so watered down, players moving between teams, and so many officiating issues people are just bored.  

[Bill from NYC]

2 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Haha, what an awful idea that would cause more headaches for them.

 

Football is the best sport in the world but the nfl might be the dumbest league next to the NHL.  So clueless.

Teams with no hope of the playoffs late in the season might feel as if there is nothing to lose by kneeling and take the proposed penalty. This could impact the odds on the newly legalized gambling.

 

The NFL is making it hard to not be skeptical, or so I think.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[JM57]

The easiest solution is the simplest one. Both teams in the locker room. Just like it was before 9/11 turned every sporting event into a show of unabashed patriotism 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, kota said:

I seriously doubt that the Anthem had much to do with the decline in ratings.  The product is so watered down, players moving between teams, and so many officiating issues people are just bored.  

 

For me, my personal decline in viewership is entirely officiating related.

[Matt_In_NH]

Players and owners stand to lose money if the protests continue.   The problem is some of the players are too dumb to care about that so they had to bribe them.    Pretty much exactly how people handle 5 year olds.   

[SoCal Deek]

32 minutes ago, JM57 said:

The easiest solution is the simplest one. Both teams in the locker room. Just like it was before 9/11 turned every sporting event into a show of unabashed patriotism 

What the??  How old are you? I’ve been attending sporting events for almost 50 years and I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t asked to stand and remove my hat for the playing of the national anthem. Heck, I wouldn’t know the words to O Canada if it wasn’t for this tradition! Stand up...and show some respect!

28 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

For me, my personal decline in viewership is entirely officiating related.

Hapless...I would’ve said the same thing until I asked some people at my local gym last year. It wasn’t the officiating, it was indeed the kneeling! Some of these guys never watched a single snap after that whole thing started.

[Doc Brown]

26 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

What the??  How old are you? I’ve been attending sporting events for almost 50 years and I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t asked to stand and remove my hat for the playing of the national anthem. Heck, I wouldn’t know the words to O Canada if it wasn’t for this tradition! Stand up...and show some respect!

 

The NFL didn't even require players to be on the field for the National Anthem until 2010 before the government started paying the NFL to have them on the field for the anthem as a military recruitment tool.  I think that's what he's referencing.

[JM57]

39 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

What the??  How old are you? I’ve been attending sporting events for almost 50 years and I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t asked to stand and remove my hat for the playing of the national anthem. Heck, I wouldn’t know the words to O Canada if it wasn’t for this tradition! Stand up...and show some respect!

Hapless...I would’ve said the same thing until I asked some people at my local gym last year. It wasn’t the officiating, it was indeed the kneeling! Some of these guys never watched a single snap after that whole thing started.

Players were in the locker rooms for the anthems prior to a certain point. Never said anything about the fans. Proof people just see what they want instead of reading carefully.

Edited May 23, 2018 by JM57

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, mattynh said:

Players and owners stand to lose money if the protests continue.   The problem is some of the players are too dumb to care about that so they had to bribe them.    Pretty much exactly how people handle 5 year olds.   

 

And 5 year olds repeat because it works. 

 

I sat in a restaurant with such a 5 year old.  Told my waiter I wanted to move because of it and was told there were no tables despite clearly being other tables unoccupied so I spoke to someone else and asked to speak to manager.   Told manager was cancelling orders for party due to child and waiter said there were no more tables.  Manager stated there were empty tables just not one waiter was serving so he apparently did not want to move us and lose tip.  He gave us a new table and a discount coupon.

[SoCal Deek]

55 minutes ago, JM57 said:

Players were in the locker rooms for the anthems prior to a certain point. Never said anything about the fans. Proof people just see what they want instead of reading carefully.

That simply isn’t true. I’ve been to games in multiple sports all across the country where players were on the field, the court, or the ice...long before 9/11.  So according to you the players aren’t protesting social justice. They’re really just annoyed that they have to be on the field while “a song” is played? 

[benderbender]

I plug my ears during every mumble rap song to raise awareness of crappy music.

[Paulus]

8 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

What is the 90 million dollars for? 

Social issues.

[Lfod]

I'll care about all this when it cares about me too.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Lfod

[Marv's Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Paulus said:

Social issues.

A big as* Christmas Party!

[JinxedBill1]

God I don't care on the level of the royal wedding right now.  

[Lfod]

Diversity and inclusion, when you kneel do it for me as well. I felt left out and I think a lot of other people did as well. A lot of people felt alienated. Learn a lesson about division because it's the very reason people protest in the first place.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Lfod

[Xwnyer]

Just stop broadcasting the anthem or play it before the players come out on field.   I see no need to have anthem played at pro football games.  If they stop protests for this what comes next?

[Jpsredemption]

Maybe if it wasnt being talked about so often it would just go away. Way to keep the issue alive. 

[JM57]

9 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

That simply isn’t true. I’ve been to games in multiple sports all across the country where players were on the field, the court, or the ice...long before 9/11.  So according to you the players aren’t protesting social justice. They’re really just annoyed that they have to be on the field while “a song” is played? 

Once again, you are reading things that were not in my post. I said NOTHING about other sports, but you did. I said NOTHING about the fans, but you did. 

 

Prior to a certain point, in my lifetime, the NFL--and for the sake of clarity, I mean ONLY the NFL--had its players in the locker rooms during the anthems. At some point, whether it was post-9/11 as I said, or post 2010 when the military started throwing money to the league for shows of patriotism, it changed. That doesn't mean it hasn't changed back and forth in your lifetime. Maybe it has. But I am telling you in say, 1999, players were in locker rooms, and by 2011 they were not. It's unnecessary for them to be out there, especially when it's the simplest solution to this issue.

[SouthNYfan]

10 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

And 5 year olds repeat because it works. 

 

I sat in a restaurant with such a 5 year old.  Told my waiter I wanted to move because of it and was told there were no tables despite clearly being other tables unoccupied so I spoke to someone else and asked to speak to manager.   Told manager was cancelling orders for party due to child and waiter said there were no more tables.  Manager stated there were empty tables just not one waiter was serving so he apparently did not want to move us and lose tip.  He gave us a new table and a discount coupon.

 

What did that have to do with the 5 year old repeating the behavior?

(Also, good story, no sarcasm, I just fail to see how it relates to the topic, or how it relates to your comment about 5 year olds. If I'm missing it, explain, this honestly isn't meant to be a troll)

9 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

That simply isn’t true. I’ve been to games in multiple sports all across the country where players were on the field, the court, or the ice...long before 9/11.  So according to you the players aren’t protesting social justice. They’re really just annoyed that they have to be on the field while “a song” is played? 

 

They were not in the field in the NFL prior to the doj paying the NFL for patriotism.

 

2 minutes ago, JM57 said:

Once again, you are reading things that were not in my post. I said NOTHING about other sports, but you did. I said NOTHING about the fans, but you did. 

 

Prior to a certain point, in my lifetime, the NFL--and for the sake of clarity, I mean ONLY the NFL--had its players in the locker rooms during the anthems. At some point, whether it was post-9/11 as I said, or post 2010 when the military started throwing money to the league for shows of patriotism, it changed. That doesn't mean it hasn't changed back and forth in your lifetime. Maybe it has. But I am telling you in say, 1999, players were in locker rooms, and by 2011 they were not. It's unnecessary for them to be out there, especially when it's the simplest solution to this issue.

 

It's been explained to him already.

He's acting like it's fake news that they weren't on the field before.

[nucci]

15 hours ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

Kneel, don’t kneel, whatever.

 

Play the damn song and kick the damn ball off.

or don't play the damn song and just kick the damn ball off

11 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

For me, my personal decline in viewership is entirely officiating related.

I'm tired of a 5 yd defensive penalty for illegal contact on 3rd and long far away from the play....and after watching replay...was not even a penalty...

[Mr. WEO]

16 hours ago, xsoldier54 said:

TV ratings were way down for Sunday, Monday night and Thursday night games.   If the trend continued it would mean a surefire end to the league.  Owners knew it, even though players seemed too stupid to know they were potentially killing their own golden calf. 

 

I see this type of hyperbole a lot.  Most pro sports have suffered a drop in ratings and they would all kill for the NFL's worst ratings.

 

The NFL still dominated the ratings and is still the only sure thing as far as advertisers are concerned.  This has been discussed to death--people watch TV differently now.  The NFL devours all other American sports leagues on TV.  That's not changing ever.

[formerlyofCtown]

The Clinton foundation

[SouthNYfan]

27 minutes ago, nucci said:

or don't play the damn song and just kick the damn ball off

I'm tired of a 5 yd defensive penalty for illegal contact on 3rd and long far away from the play....and after watching replay...was not even a penalty...

 

You mean the "Patriots special"?

That train ain't never late.

[SoCal Deek]

47 minutes ago, SouthNYfan said:

 

 

It's been explained to him already.

He's acting like it's fake news that they weren't on the field before.

So if I have this correct, your point is that the players would NEVER have stood for the anthem, even if it was before 9/11, because for some reason only NFL players are annoyed by the song?  That makes it the Leagues fault?  Or...That  somehow makes it the fault of the military?  

 

Face it, it’s an I’ll conceived gesture. The players are actors on a very expensive TV Show. Let’s see what happens when the cast of your favorite TV series start wearing political t-shirts during episodes. 

[T master]

I hope so i watched 2 Bills games last yr & a piece of another because i wanted to watch to get away from the crap of the every day politics & that was a huge talking point so i shut it off !!

 

If they keep it up this yr i will do the same which sucks because i like watching the Bills & the NFL in general . I think another thing that has changed to us the viewer (for me anyway) is the "it's all about me" players these stupid pre thought up celebrations make the game a lot less than what it was !!

 

I miss the spontaneousness of TO & others like him now a days these players in order to draw more attention to them selves actually sit & plan out what type of celebration they will do & after every TD it's like okay what kind of crap is this guy going to do ? !!

 

The Kyle Williams one was pretty cool just due to the fact he said it was a spur of the moment thing which i tend to believe Kyle wouldn't waste his time on a preplanned celebration & it being his first TD of a long career it needed to be celebrated .

 

But the HO HUM ness of every TD a planned / intentional celebration i think wears thin on a lot of fans me being one !! 

 

Please just get back to playing football & the NFL will be much better for it  !!

 

GO BILLS !! 

Edited May 23, 2018 by T master

[4_kidd_4]

54 minutes ago, nucci said:

or don't play the damn song and just kick the damn ball off

 

I’m good with this too.

 

Personally, I file this whole thing under “it only bothers you if you let it” category.  In fact, that’s how I file most things these days.

 

[nucci]

3 minutes ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

 

I’m good with this too.

 

Personally, I file this whole thing under “it only bothers you if you let it” category.  In fact, that’s how I file most things these days.

 

I concur

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Not at the table Karlos]

How about they stop playing the anthem during sporting events. 

[Chicken Boo]

17 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

I've been saying this since this BS started.  How many Bills visit the East Side of Buffalo on a regular basis, meet with community leaders, and attempt to make a difference in regards to social injustices, police brutality, etc...(and I'm not talking about going to some grade school and reading books to 6 year olds).

 

My guess is most of them couldn't find the East Side of Buffalo even if you gave them a map.

 

Likely because they're more worried about where THEY grew up.

[SouthNYfan]

44 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

So if I have this correct, your point is that the players would NEVER have stood for the anthem, even if it was before 9/11, because for some reason only NFL players are annoyed by the song?  That makes it the Leagues fault?  Or...That  somehow makes it the fault of the military?  

 

Face it, it’s an I’ll conceived gesture. The players are actors on a very expensive TV Show. Let’s see what happens when the cast of your favorite TV series start wearing political t-shirts during episodes. 

 

They aren't "annoyed by the song"

Feel free to look at the million other threads and topics and internet searches about it.

I'm not here to discuss that.

If you've looked at my posting history on this topic, I actually don't agree with any form protesting/political stuff during the game or at the work place, so let's not act like I'm on board with it.

My point was prior to 2009 players weren't required to be in the sidelines on primetime games, they remained in the locker room, but had the personal option to come out and stand if they felt like it.

Some $$ was paid to the NFL which many believe was for this to be forced instead of optional.

Nobody cared before this.

That's the point of what I am trying to say, which you keep twisting.

[Rico]

18 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

I've been saying this since this BS started.  How many Bills visit the East Side of Buffalo on a regular basis, meet with community leaders, and attempt to make a difference in regards to social injustices, police brutality, etc...(and I'm not talking about going to some grade school and reading books to 6 year olds).

 

My guess is most of them couldn't find the East Side of Buffalo even if you gave them a map.

Can’t blame them. Even back when I was growing up in Buffalo, we all knew to stay away from the East Side.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Seems like a reasonable compromise.

Anthem this!

[boyst]

20 hours ago, Soda Popinski said:

What is the 90 million dollars for? 

Nothing but good PR. It's a joke. Idiot NFL players on their knees means nothing.

19 hours ago, eball said:

 

How does any non-profit coalition use their funding?  I don't know, I'm asking -- but I'd assume it is in marketing, outreach, awareness programs, etc.  Everything costs $$.  It would be nice to see athletes who were kneeling be some of the guys who are going out and speaking to groups (without being paid) about the social issues they wanted to raise awareness of.

These half brain knuckle dragging cro mags aren't going to fund police training or work with inner city at risk youth to teach them to obey and be compliant with law officials and authority. That's not how it works.

 

Sadly this will be nothing more the a level of nepotism inside of the NFL and the despot that will be the CEO of this fraudulent schtick.

[Malazan]

Thank god this long national nightmare is finally over. 

[26CornerBlitz]