If you boycotted the NFL last year, was it because of the kneeling or because you don't want your entertainment interrupted by political activists? Or was there another reason? Do you think the free market was clear on why the NFL ratings took a hit, or do you think the NFL didn't understand? Do you think the NFL will recover by forcing their players to stand for the national anthem? I honestly haven't watched much football because I am boarded with it. The new rules for safety has made it slow and tiresome. The ref strike. The next strike by the players. The cheating by the Pats, whatever it is, I am personally done with the sport and doubt if my team starts winning that I would even care.
One and the same. I stopped watching last year when I saw half the Baltimore Ravens (who I used to like) kneel like the losers that they are in England, and stand proudly for “God save The Queen” two minutes later. That was an embarrassment for anyone watching. I don’t mind having free time on Sunday as opposed to planning the day around the football schedule as we used to do. Seriously doubt I’ll miss it.
Eh, can’t be sure to be honest. I rather enjoyed not having to pay attention last season upon tuning out. I predict that the sports media will focus on whoever stays in the locker room as their form of “protest” as opposed to reporting on the actual game, stats, top plays, etc.
It's a private business that has lost millions of dollars due to these protesting clowns. People don't watch football to get politically lectured by urbanites who can barely read and only got a college degree because the school fast tracked them. If they wish to protest, they can do it 'off the clock.'
I watched all last year, saw my team (Ravens) kneeling, went "ooooooooooooooh" when they did because I knew the backlash was coming and tried to watch the game, only to stop watching when I realized they were getting mollywhooped by the Jags. I have season tickets to the games and the rest of the season I noticed lots of empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium, even for our primetime games and we were one play away from securing a playoff spot at the end of the season. Can't deny that the protests didn't have an affect but I noticed that while lots of our seats were empty, other teams had full or nearly full stadiums by the end of the year and doubly so when the playoffs came around, and some of those teams happened to be losing teams, too. That's when I realized maybe it's not just the protests but the fact that our team, namely the offense sucks our QB is regressing and throwing nothing but short passes and is just boring to watch. Meanwhile, the Packers for example still managed to fill up Lambeau Field despite no Aaron Rodgers and no playoffs that year. As for the new rule, the NFL makes an ass out of itself on a yearly basis with new, stupid rules, heavier fines, sketchy refereeing and general mishandling of other things so this is pretty in-character for them.
I honestly found the emotional outcry of conservatives entertaining, over something so harmless. The fact that it took a dip in the ratings tells me enough people didn’t get this message: for those two minutes, switch the station or turn away from the TV. Forcing people to stand for the NA is an act of dictatorship. People tend to forget why Kaepernick was kneeling in the first place. To bring attention to police brutality in inner city America. People have somehow gotten that confused with the move being unpatriotic.
I think the NFL was looking for a very simple scapegoat/ quickfix for some very serious long term economic and structural problems that have caused a decline in support for about a decade. Banning this kneel does not cost much money, impact the basic economic model on which so many depend, or deal with the public relations threats or the changing habits of viewership. While I absolutely agree that the owners have every right to decide what players do on 'company time' wearing the company uniform while performing the assigned tasks of their jobs , I think they are showing poor judgement here. The truth is that football players look less and less like heroes, and more and more like pathetic suckers, so desperate for the attention and money that they are willing to throw their physical and cognitive health down the tubes. Its quite a feat to appear self entitled enough to be able do do whatever you want and get away with it, and simultaneously look as though you must have some low self esteem to be willing to throw away so much of your self for a ten to fifteen years at best. It seems sad.
The NFL has aligned itself with the opposition to a large populist political movement. Most people will avoid watching their political enemies profit from broadcasting propaganda.
The NFL fixed their financial issues with the new rule.....and that's it. If they have another Ray Rice or Greg Hardy incident on their hands, which I can picture, then they'll do what they do.
When everything comes together at once like when more games are decided by the refs than anything else.
So, you don't think it was ok for those who boycotted the games? You think it was only conservatives you took offense to the kneeling? And to bring attention to crooked Hillary. Also, a private business is a dictatorship, you can also choose to work for them or leave.
For the most part, it was conservatives that were making the fuss. That’s why I said the emotional outcry from the conservatives. The NFL is so public, it’s really lost the idea its a private business. Forcing someone to do something against their will is being a dictator.
Solution is relatively easy If your on the field you stand or you don't play. Still get payed but no game time.
Entertainment was never interrupted as the kneeling occurred before the game. Anyone who uses this as the excuse is being disingenuous. Seems to me that anyone who boycotted the games weren't a true fan of football to begin with. The NFL is a billion dollar industry and will be quite fine. I believe over 100 million people watched the Super Bowl last year. Were the numbers down from some previous years? Yup. But we're still talking over 100 MILLION people who still watched. That ain't chump change. The NFL will be just fine.
It's funny to hear people claim that kneeling during the anthem or burning flags is not a big deal. We used to have pride as a nation. I was taught to stand for the pledge/anthem and there is nothing wrong with that. My kids know that they better not even think about disrespecting this country or our flag for any reason. There is a time for expressing discontent and a time for showing respect. Go to a HS school game in my home town and you can here a pin drop as everyone stands, removes their caps, and stands at attention for the anthem to be played. Its called respect, and many people don't have it anymore or even know what it is.
