Politics in Sport

[TBBills]

16 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

Apparently you need to listen to yourself.

 

I'll rephrase what I said before. I never saw political slogans on the field as a kid at a sporting event IN PERSON.

Your examples do nothing to change that, all of those protests are not the exact same thing.

 

I was born in 1973.

It's b.c as a kid you never were looking for them. As a political monger now all you do is look for them.

Edited January 8, 2022 by TBBills

[Mark Vader]

39 minutes ago, TBBills said:

It's b.c as a kid you never were looking for them. As a political monger now all you do is look for them.

Show me all the photographs of every sporting event that had political slogans written on the field during the 1980's.

 

And I don't go looking for them, they are in clear sight for everyone to see. 

1 hour ago, DrW said:

 

This makes it sound as if the NFL forces the players to put the slogans on the back of their helmets. However, this is not the case; it is up to the individual player. Just watch the huddle in games of this season. Some players have slogans, others have the team name.

Yes, I have noticed that not every single player does it.

 

Now, what exactly do all of these slogans mean?

[Warcodered]

10 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

Show me all the photographs of every sporting event that had political slogans written on the field during the 1980's.

 

And I don't go looking for them, they are in clear sight for everyone to see. 

Yes, I have noticed that not every single player does it.

 

Now, what exactly do all of these slogans mean?

Weren't there two player strikes in the 80s?

[Mark Vader]

9 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Weren't there two player strikes in the 80s?

Yes. You're point being?

[ExiledInIllinois]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nfl-football-political_n_59c91815e4b06ddf45f9b002

 

"...Today, the league has its own political action committee and has poached political communications gurus and strategists away from high-ranking political positions. And it likely isn’t a coincidence that its federal lobbying expenditures have increased in recent years as lawmakers have re-examined its erstwhile tax-exempt status (which the NFL gave up voluntarily in 2015), its antitrust exemption (which it has fought to expand), the racist name of one of its teams, the legality of daily fantasy sports and sports gambling, and the brain injuries that plague the sport. The NFL, too, has allegedly used its considerable power to steer money away from certain federal government-sponsored studies into head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain disease that has been found in dozens of deceased football players. ..."

 

"...The same is true of the current protests, on which the NFL’s default position is unavoidably political. Its choice to play the national anthem before games; its embrace of the singular view of patriotism that says wrapping yourself in the American flag is the only way to express love for your country; its unquestioned love of the military and military symbolism, from fighter jet flyovers to camouflage uniform accoutrements to the millions of dollars its teams took from the Pentagon to promote the military’s causes ― these are all forms of political speech, of the sort that has wrongly fed the notion that players kneeling during the national anthem to protest America’s ongoing racial injustices are somehow, first and foremost, disrespecting America’s troops. ..."

 

“There is no such thing as a politically agnostic NFL, and the NFL we know today would not exist if there were.”

 

 

[GunnerBill]

10 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

They do not fit my political viewpoint.

 

Do I think the flyover is political? No.

 

Would I be upset if they did away with the flyover? No.

 

I think the playing of the national anthem is a neat tradition. If they were to do away with it, I would miss it, but it wouldn't anger me.

 

But they are political. By their very nature. There is no way for a national anthem not to be political. I don't have a particular problem with flyovers or anthems being sung. But I see them for what they are, political statements about military force and patriotism. 

 

I just do exactly as I suggest others do about the politics elements that make them uncomfortable... shrug your shoulders and concentrate on enjoying the game. Because it will always be so.  

Edited January 8, 2022 by GunnerBill

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

But they are political. By their very nature. There is no way for a national anthem not to be political. I don't have a particular problem with flyovers or anthems being sung. But I see them for what they are, political statements about military force and patriotism. 

 

I just do exactly as I suggest others do about the politics elements that make them uncomfortable... shrug your shoulders and concentrate on enjoying the game. Because it will always be so.  

That seems reasonable, though some people prefer to complain, unsubscribe, discontinue attending games or stop watching.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. 

[TBBills]

1 minute ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

That seems reasonable, though some people prefer to complain, unsubscribe, discontinue attending games or stop watching.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. 

I think that part is funny. People will stop enjoying something b.c they don't know how to ignore the stupid *****. 

 

That is when you know you have a problem, when you allow politics to shape what you enjoy. It's  sad.

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

1 minute ago, TBBills said:

I think that part is funny. People will stop enjoying something b.c they don't know how to ignore the stupid *****. 

 

That is when you know you have a problem, when you allow politics to shape what you enjoy. It's  sad.

You’re focusing on politics, and I disagree that many of these issues are political. Be that as it may, you’re viewing this through the wrong lens.  When issues become large enough to reduce the inherent value of what amounts to entertainment, it’s no longer enjoyable.    
 

[Teddy KGB]

16 hours ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

Well thing were going good here

its prob okay again now that someone has put ex in check. 
 

 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

That seems reasonable, though some people prefer to complain, unsubscribe, discontinue attending games or stop watching.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. 

 

If people choose to walk away from the thing... stop attending or unsubscribe I support them doing so. If you are no longer enjoying something, for whatever reason, stop doing it. 

 

I admit though I am sceptical that a lot of the people shouting on social media that they are done because of covid restrictions or the kneeling issue or anything else actually do walk away. Most of them like to display a bit of outrage and then carry on regardless.

[Orlando Tim]

I see people arguing past each other here by defining politics as two very different things. One is pro American politics and one is overtly partisan politics. Overtly partisan is a newer event being supported by owners and such. I know some athletes like Tommie Smith and John Carlos did it but then it was not celebrated by the Olympic committee. Heck in 1994 Chris Jackson tried to sit in an NBA game and they passed a rule to make him stand. The partisan politics is new.

[Boatdrinks]

It’s not impossible to keep politics out of sport. The radical lefty journalists just refuse  to do so. I’ve never subscribed to the athletic, and I certainly won’t now. Just as I won’t purchase a copy of the Buffalo News or NYT. Sure, they are politics that I generally disagree with as the media is dominated by liberals. Even if it was a political point I agree with, I’d prefer to keep it out of a sports based article, column etc. Can we stop with the liberal narrative of ” topics that make you uncomfortable” any time a leftist viewpoint, lie, etc is brought up?  These aren’t topics that make me uncomfortable, they’re opinions and lies that piss me off! Why would I pay to read something that doesn’t provide what I want ? Namely an escape from the day to day world that is sports. 

[Big Blitz]

Politics in sports?  I'd rather Americans get together for 3 hours and not wonder who the hell votes for who and to forget about the struggles of our day - which for too many is fighting online about everything.  

 

And unfortunately we're not allowed to have free and open discussion in America anymore especially online.  Nope.  Gone.

 

So politics in sports doesn't mean what maybe a few like the op would like it to mean.  Can't be political when not taking the "proper" position costs you your livelihood.  People wanted to cut Cole Beasely for not getting a vaccine that never did what they thought it would when they drew up the protocols.   No one will admit it - but that take is so ridiculously bad in retrospect now.  But the people orchestrating this sham have an agenda oh well we meant well!

 

Right think only.  This country died right around the time when someone said "All Lives Matter" and was subsequently canceled (it coincides with a lot of other parade of stupids that led to this).  Like when Drew Brees decided he would stand for the anthem and basically had to apologize.  Athletes losing endorsements for wrong think.  We just embarrassingly moved the MLB all star game because of a - how is the left lying about it - a "voter suppression bill."

 

Robert Malone absolutely nailed it on Joe Rogan by calling government control of the narrative as a type of horizontal integration of media, Journalists, Silicon Valley, etc.  None of those things need be "government run" when they're all doing the States bidding.   

 

Good luck getting a job if you're conservative in journalism anywhere - journalism today is just "Hi we're here to defend Democrats and those Trump people wanted to overthrow the government."

 

This country is fast becoming a third world dumpster fire brought to you by libs doing the bidding of the Deep State without any care of consequence or they know exactly what they're doing and that's the point.  

 

And speaking of Dr. Malone, he was also right when he said if a man of his qualifications achievements and accomplishments isn't allowed on THE (unfortunately) primary public square of debate then we're all f...ed.

 

There is no fixing this.  

 

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

22 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

If people choose to walk away from the thing... stop attending or unsubscribe I support them doing so. If you are no longer enjoying something, for whatever reason, stop doing it. 

 

I admit though I am sceptical that a lot of the people shouting on social media that they are done because of covid restrictions or the kneeling issue or anything else actually do walk away. Most of them like to display a bit of outrage and then carry on regardless.

That goes both ways though.  The folks upset about the Redskins name for decades.  Lots of smoke, very little fire.   The initiative to change the name went on for a very long time, had virtually no impact on the success of the franchise.  Had the Skins remained the Skins, those folks would still be watching.   
 

 

 

[GunnerBill]

4 minutes ago, leh-nerd skin-erd said:

That goes both ways though.  The folks upset about the Redskins name for decades.  Lots of smoke, very little fire.   The initiative to change the name went on for a very long time, had virtually no impact on the success of the franchise.  Had the Skins remained the Skins, those folks would still be watching.   
 

 

Yep. Totally agree with that.

[SoTier]

13 hours ago, Boatdrinks said:

It’s not impossible to keep politics out of sport. The radical lefty journalists just refuse  to do so. I’ve never subscribed to the athletic, and I certainly won’t now. Just as I won’t purchase a copy of the Buffalo News or NYT. Sure, they are politics that I generally disagree with as the media is dominated by liberals. Even if it was a political point I agree with, I’d prefer to keep it out of a sports based article, column etc. Can we stop with the liberal narrative of ” topics that make you uncomfortable” any time a leftist viewpoint, lie, etc is brought up?  These aren’t topics that make me uncomfortable, they’re opinions and lies that piss me off! Why would I pay to read something that doesn’t provide what I want ? Namely an escape from the day to day world that is sports. 

 

ROTFLMAO.    How, exactly, are "radical lefty journalists" polluting the purity of sports with "politics"?    What specific "opinions and lies" are these journalists spreading that "piss you off"?

[Big Blitz]

45 minutes ago, SoTier said:

 

ROTFLMAO.    How, exactly, are "radical lefty journalists" polluting the purity of sports with "politics"?    What specific "opinions and lies" are these journalists spreading that "piss you off"?

 

 

No no no no....

 

You prove to us that mainstream conservative opinions can be found on ESPN or the Athletic or the Ringer or every Sports section of every major paper in America

 

Find me ONE who stood up for Drew Brees

 

Find me one who stood up for Cole Beasely 

 

[Boatdrinks]

12 hours ago, SoTier said:

 

ROTFLMAO.    How, exactly, are "radical lefty journalists" polluting the purity of sports with "politics"?    What specific "opinions and lies" are these journalists spreading that "piss you off"?

Too many examples to list. Maybe you don’t peruse sports articles very often. There’s been a lot of these things with the events of the last few years. Use your imagination if you can’t think of any. It’s not surprising because liberal ideas / opinions are often stated as accepted fact in mainstream media pieces. 

[SoTier]

6 hours ago, Boatdrinks said:

Too many examples to list. Maybe you don’t peruse sports articles very often. There’s been a lot of these things with the events of the last few years. Use your imagination if you can’t think of any. It’s not surprising because liberal ideas / opinions are often stated as accepted fact in mainstream media pieces. 

 

Right-o.  There are so many "lefties" inserting their "opinions and lies" into sports that you can't even give one example.   Well, dude, I call bull manure.   When you "get pissed off" about somebody spreading "opinions and lies" as "fact", you should in  a mirror.