The NAACP’s interim president Derrick Johnson is requesting a formal meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to the failure of any team to pick up Colin Kaepernick and how the NFL will honor his “constitutional rights” and those of other NFL players. I have said previously that I strongly disagree with the decision of Kaepernick and others to refuse to stand during the national anthem. However, I fully accept the first amendment right to carry out such protests. However, the question is far more complex when moved into the realm of employment and demonstrations at work. The question becomes less a constitutional matter than an employment matter.
In the letter, Johnson accused the NFL of “blackballing” Kaepernick, who is often booed by fans who view his protest as disrespectful of the country’s values.
Last season, Mr. Kaepernick chose to exercise his First Amendment rights by protesting the inequitable treatment of people of color in America. By quietly taking a knee during the national anthem, he was able to shine a light on the many injustices, particularly, the disproportionate occurrences of police misconduct toward communities of color. As outlined in your office’s public statement, this act of dissent is well within the National Football League’s stated bylaws. Yet, as the NFL season quickly approaches, Mr. Kaepernick has spent an unprecedented amount of time as a free agent, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that this is no sheer coincidence.
“No player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech — to do so is in violation of his rights under the Constitution and the NFL’s own regulations.
We have previously discussed the issues of free speech and privacy within the realm of employment. The first amendment protects citizens against censorship from the government as opposed to private parties. The latter is more of a “Little Brother problem.” Employees generally do not have the right to use their workplace for political statements or protests. They are hired to perform a task and such protests can have a significant impact on customers and business. When someone goes to Starbucks, they want a coffee not a controversy.
Having said that, the national anthem is viewed by Kaepernick as a type of forced political speech in favor of a national symbol that he associates with the oppression or abuse of African Americans. In the public school setting, the Court has recognized the constitutional right of students to refuse to recite the pledge of allegiance. Standing for the anthem is heavily laded with symbolism — indeed that is precisely why people are upset. That certainly makes this controversy a closer issue but not, in my view, a determinative one. Employers generally have a right to bar players from using games to carry out a political protest.
Adding to the difficulty for asserting a constitutional violation against Kaepernick is the fact that he is not a particularly good player. According to ESPN, he was one of the league’s least-accurate quarterbacks in the NFL with a dismal 60.1 completion percentage — ranked No. 23 in the NFL. His percentage of off-target throws — judged on video by ESPN Stats & Information — ranked No. 18 (17.6 percent). Accordingly he brings much controversy to games but not an equal amount of talent.
Thus far, the NFL and owners have not stopped players from protesting at these games despite the majority of fans who object to the demonstrations. However, when firing decisions are made, teams make a holistic judgment on what a player can offer to a team in both of talent and controversy.
In the end, I still do not appreciate these protests. The flag and anthem represent the values of a country that has not always lived up to our beliefs. We remains a nation with deep racial and social problems, but the anthem reflects a commitment to work through those problems together. It represents a constitutional system that has had many triumphs in the fight for equality from desegregation to voting rights to anti-discrimination laws. Standing for the anthem reflects our mutual support for those ideals despite the fact that we have not always down the most to maintain them.
The allowing players to protest raises some difficult questions for the NFL. Would the teams feel the same way if players took a knee to oppose immigration policies or the other issues? When benefit of a ban on protests during the anthem is to avoid a slippery slope where teams have to decide what protests will be allowed and what will be barred. At the moment, the NFL appears to be saying that you can refuse to stand for any reason.
What do you think?
Yeah, we know Trump’s an idiot for choosing to take on the GSW Warriors, and for wanting violent plays allowed in the NFL, but he is NOT wrong about “taking a knee.”
Open Letter in response to Enigma In Black: (reposted below).
Evidently you took Classic Post-modern Sociology along with your Economics. (yep, there’s irony there). It’s true that we use epithets to classify and devalue people and objectify them so that we do not have to be concerned with their feelings and rights. After all, isn’t that why your Pimp Brothas invented “Bitch Slapping”? ‘Cause (just sayin’) being a Bitch means I get to slap a “Ho” just like I would beat a dog. Right?
OK, so you are against Forced Political Speech? Yet, I am assuming you have no problem forcing white people to stop using the “N” word. Forcing whites to find some other Politically Correct word is *indeed* forced Political Speech. It’s especially Political when hypocrites make no attempt to stop Black folks from using such an offensive and odious word.
You don’t have a problem with Forced Hiring of people of specific Classifications for Political Purposes.
Here’s the thing (or one of them): it may be your right to wear T-shirts with pictures of Nooses in Public.
But – if you wear one in *my* workplace – or use the N-word at work – I will fire your ass, and legally so.
Why? Because you have no right to offend my customers in *my* workplace – which pays *your* salary.
In case you did not notice: it’s illegal to smoke in many areas. However, if you have a Private Club, you can smoke and drink all you want….just as a Private Club is indeed allowed to discriminate on the basis of race and gender.
Women started normalizing this reverse sexism with “Safe Zones” on college campuses, where women could congregate without their fragile self-esteems having to be concerned with what deplorable men might think.
Now, Black students have their own “Safe Zones” – forget about Forced Integration of Schools, lol.
See, you will *force* white people to “integrate” – and castigate them for refusing to sit with Blacks, but you will not force Blacks to integrate and sit with whites….(and please spare me the sophistry that they are false equivalencies due to power imbalances. Blacks are empowered to do pretty much anything they please on campuses these days).
Partly, that is because the National Guard *forced* Political Behavior upon white people at Gunpoint, when they stopped whites from interfering with Black kids integrating into white schools.
Yeah, that’s correct: a Racist, white Institution known as the National Guard was ready to shoot any white people who tried to stop Black kids from going to an integrated school.
But folks like Kap and you only want to talk about the Bad things which have occurred.
The NFL is a Business, and pretty much a Private Club. They can charge whatever they want to let you come in and watch what their *EMPLOYEES* do…just like a Strip Club, or a Bar, or Augusta National Golf Club (which does not have to let Blacks OR Women join).
I don’t particularly feel like stopping what I am doing to stand for the National Anthem. Yes, I will be “coerced” by the stares and whispers and rude comments…but I stand simply out of respect for all the other people who care about the notion of protecting a Homeland, Democracy and Freedom.
I care about all these things, too – probably *more* than the people who are standing – because I am probably more aware of all the ways that those core values are fragile and constantly under attack by various forces with agendas…including Right AND Left Wing Radical Terrorists.
I’m an Atheist. When my family holds hands around Christmas Dinner, I don’t choose that moment to start lecturing people about all the genocides committed in the name of Religion, nor all the little boys and girls molested by Priests.
Those people have every right to believe in their Religion, and to engage in Rituals – as pretty much *every* Society known to Science does.
I am not going to rain on their Parade in a Self-serving manner.
I am not going to take a knee during the Prayer because I or somebody I know was sexually abused by a Priest, due to the Church’s incredible Social Power and Privilege.
I have too much respect for those people to ruin their moment for my own agenda
I would consider carrying a placard outside the Offices of a Religion, though.
Kap has every right to protest outside the stadium, and do a sitdown in front of the White House,
or Main Street USA.
Inside the Stadium, he is an Employee – and the fact that he is holding out for a $10Million Salary proves that the relationship is Contractual, but also “at will” once the contract is over.
As an Employee, he wears a Uniform. A *uniform* – it means that everyone on the team behaves in the same manner – by uniformly wearing the same colors and emblems and fashion statements.
Employers have the right to regulate what employees wear, and how they dress, and how they *Behave* in other ways.
They can be fired for being rude to customers.
They can be fired for not following Company Policy.
They *can* and should be fired for bringing their Political Agendas into the Workplace.
That is the cornerstone of Corruption.
I hate that about the USA: So many places where employees are coerced into supporting the Political agendas of their Employers….Forcing people to actually spend time going out and placing Posters on behalf of a Candidate, or passing around a donation Jar. It is CORRUPT, but commonplace.
And just because the person is endorsing a Liberal SJW cause does *not* make it any more palatable.
Kap is indeed a Dupe. His GF is a Black Activist with her own show.
He was duped by BLM, as were you. His was NOT an honest “stand” against injustice.
BLM has been duped by radical Black Activists who celebrate the Black Liberation Army.
Face up to the fact that *Advocates* bear NO Allegiance to “The Truth” and have their own self-serving Brands of Morals.
They will candidly admit that their only concern is pursuing the agenda of their Cause and acquiring resources and power for their own Benefit. Naturally, sooner or later, they all say that what benefits *them* benefits the Cause.
There never was a shred of evidence to falsify George Zimmerman’s defense that he was afraid for his life when a 6 foot 3 athletic youth was sitting on him and wailing away MMA style (as witnesses attested to).
But the truth did not matter, as innuendo and rumors were deliberately spread via a Social Media campaign orchestrated by a Paid Market Researcher hired by the family’s Lawyer.
The same thing with Mike Brown. There never was any”Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” cry for mercy. It was an outright LIE, which was proven by the FBI and admitted to by the Black Attorney General, who also was forced to admit that they could find no evidence at all that George Zimmerman harbored racist sentiments.
Tell ya what: He *certainly* does NOW!
BLM uses the lies perpetrated by Ferguson low-lifes to justify chanting during marches for the killing of Cops.
And SJWs of all stripes got suckered by the PR campaigns financed by left-wing Activists of all stripes.
You actually have the nerve to claim that white cops are the greatest fear that you have for your children. Meanwhile, Children – totally innocent – as young as 2 – and even in the womb – are shot by the hundreds by Black thugs in the streets of Chicago and other urban areas.
Black children cannot even sit on their own porches, or play in a playground or attend CHURCH without getting SHOT.
And BLM does NOTHING. They will go march on the Magnificant Mile, and harass white shoppers and harass motorists trying to hang on their jobs by getting to work on time – but do they ever burn down or loot the Drug Dealers businesses (which every person in every ‘hood knows where they are)?
Naw…they go for the Low-hanging fruit. As does Kap.
You have no problem with poseurs like Jesse Williams shouting that “whiteness must be destroyed” – but you will damn sure make sure that somebody gets fired if they claim that Blacks are making it impossible to live and survive in certain neighborhoods for *anybody*.
You heard of White Flight? Guess what? Every place the whites flee from, Blacks are doing their best to Flee Into, to escape having everything they work for stolen and their children and valued members of the community gunned down in front of their eyes.
For every Tamir Rice there are 200 Black Children shot every year in Chicago.
And I am sick of Mike Brown’s stepfather or father getting Publicity – when Mike Brown had not lived with either his Mother or Father for a year, but was shunted around from relative to relative.
And his own Grandmother would not let him stay in her house while she had to go to the hospital,
so he ended up crashing with his friend’s family.
But suddenly these “fathers” want to be fathers, when the kid was drowning in drugs and lethargy,
which is business as usual as it is people like that who idolize the Gangsta Rappers, and make them rich.
So, yeah, SJWs dupe people into believing the PC Dogma that there are NO differences between the Races, and Race is a Social Construct – but only when it suits *them* – as they cultivate Race-based safe zones and race-based jobs and promotions and admittance to schools.
Sorry, but there are significant differences in the achievement orientations of Blacks and whites, as well as in their academic skills. This has been proven every year by the SATs, the ACTs and every other Standardized Tool for Assessing Skills *and* intellectual ability (two different, but related things).
Now, when you compare Blacks and whites who get college degrees, Blacks tend to outperform whites.
Blacks tend to do more with what they have got. Evolutionary survival will kind of do that, when you’re an Oppressed people, which Blacks were and *are*.
So, there are real differences between whites and Blacks – population wise. Blacks engage in far more violent crime. Gotta laugh when you guys gotta reach for the old Serial Killer child molester stereotypes.
I think you will find that far more Black women have been molested than white women. It’s way more than One In Four, which is the general ratio which the Feminists (truthfully) proclaim.
And when was the last time you heard of a Black woman being raped by white people other than Tawana Brawley and the Stripper at the College frat house?
Blacks rape white women far more than the opposite, and they also kill twice as many whites each year as the number of Blacks killed by whites – Nationwide RAW numbers. The population Proportions are sky high.
It’s not white punks stealing your phones and purses on the Trains in Chicago.
It’s not white people live-streaming rapes and beatings and murders on Facebook.
So, is it fair to judge ALL Black folks by the Thugs who either cannot speak properly – or refuse to “talk white”?
Nope. But those thugs represent a greater threat to ordinary, honest Black folks than ordinary white cops do each and every day.
You don’t want me Judging YOU by the thugs and bad actors in school rooms who terrorize Teachers and other students.
But Kap and BLM wants to judge ALL white people, and hold us all equally responsible for the corrupt cops and social institutions of the past.
You try to sucker people into believing that “Whiteness” is the problem in America…when Blackness is just as much a problem in Zimbabwe and the Genocide in Rawanda and the modern slavery and killing of Albinos which goes on in Africa.
It’s *Power* that is undemocratically wielded that is the enemy of the common person…regardless of their color.
DOH….why do you think the Unions (funded by the Communists/Socialists, who also funded the NAACP) were one of the first Social Institutions to demand that ALL workers were Comrades and should be treated equally?
You really are naive if you do not recognize the extent to which Communists and Socialists funded and popularized Subversion. They made it Cool to be a subversive, just as it is now the coolest thing to “Disrupt” stuff.
This has all come about as a result of the Marxist philosophies embedded in Modern Education. I ought to know, I am a trained Teacher, properly indoctrinated in the approaches which guided Pink Floyd’s Brick in the Wall anthem.
I am actually a Socialist.
But I hate *anybody* who LIES and distorts reality for Political purposes and the furthering of their own personal agenda.
And, yeah, I use the word *hate* deliberately.
There *should* be Hate in the world.
All Human Emotions are functional….in their place.
No Quakers ever protected a country from Nazis or Barbarians or Savages of any ilk.
But you hate people and things for what they have *actually* DONE…not for what you think they might do, and definitely not for triggering the meltdown of your Ego and Self-esteem because somebody dared to disagree or say “NO” to you.
In closing, You be YOU, I’ll be ME, and together we can be WE.
If we can be mutually respectful, honest, accountable and fair in our dealings with one another,
then our Color, genitals, religions and politics really should be left OUT of it,.
Trouble is, I know *you* will NEVER abide by the Rules, because you have been taught that anything you gain will have to be at my expense.
That is why people *like* you want to tear down all the Institutions built by people *like* me.
You cannot see any way that you can get as much power and resources as you want –
as quickly as you want them – in any other way.
You want to force Change down people’s throats.
You don’t want it to Evolve, as it has been – gradual, but impressively.
You want to argue how Evil America is, and white people are, yet you ignore the Billions spent on Social Programs to feed, clothe and house poor Black folks….and to foster their educations.
Those Affirmative Action programs put in place by Harvard, Yale and the Ivy League schools were NOT put in place by Racists and Nazis.
They were put in place by fair-minded white people like me who appreciate Diversity and don’t mind giving other people a chance to drink at the water fountain first for a change.
When it is raining, I curse that I cannot park in the spot closest to the doors of the Mall because it’s a Handicapped Parking Zone…
But I would never tear those signs down. I want to live in a place that helps the sharing and accessibility of the Community’s Resources for everyone (shopping and Fast FOOD!)
However, you want to tear down Other People’s Signs and Symbols – forcefully – rather than by letting them wither away, and letting people realize that they maybe weren’t such great ideas after all.
And so you are going to start a Race war.
You are going to drive the Racists and Neonazis OUT of the woodwork – because your poorly-educated SJWs have never studied History, because it was too boring and did not allow them to express their individuality and creativity through collages.
Your SJWs never studied the Terrorism that was necessary to protect *any* of the Marxist/Communist Revolutions which occurred world-wide, from Russia’s stalags, to the Chinese Re-Education Camps, to the Cambodian Killing Fields, to the public Executions by Che Guevara – the man of the “people.”
They have never studied or understood the “Reign of Terror” that occurred following the French Revolution which guaranteed Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to ALL (except those who were murdered by wave after wave of Zealots who all believed that it was up to *them* to protect the Revolution).
So, yeah, Kaps a Dupe, as are you, even though you are both pretty nice guys in the right circumstances.
As are we ALL.
But – in the right circumstances – Kap and YOU – and ME – will kill to defend the things which we feel must be defended at all costs.
In *my* case, I’ve risked my life defending YOUR right to Free Speech and to be educated freely and to live where you want.
I doubt Kap or You will do the same for me.
You cannot – because – by YOUR Definition – I am *white* – and people like you and Jesse Williams have been duped by Terrorists like Assata Shakur into believing that you can tear down this country and rebuild it in *your* Image, not mine…
and you do not care that people like *her* murder innocent people who get in the way of the People’s Liberation, just as Winnie Mandela had her thugs put burning necklaces of Tires around the necks of 14 year old children whom she thought betrayed her “movement.”
So, even though I don’t want to stand during the National Anthem, I will, and I want the NFL to fire Kap, and anybody else who doesn’t realize that they are being paid MILLIONS of dollars a year to Behave Politically, which means you do not offend the people who PAY for the Stadiums and the Bills and the Salaries of the Players.
I was totally amazed to hear Jim Brown, who kicked more than a few white asses as a Black Activist, state that you gotta render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s If you are going to accept a Salary for a Job, then
you recognize that you cannot go around damaging your Employer’s business.
It’s a dirty bird that shits in its own nest.
https://theintercept.com/2017/09/17/intercepted-shaun-king-trump-kaepernick/
It strikes me that the NAACP is actually making it impossible for any team to hire Kaepernick. His supporters seems mostly devoid of any idea of the way a professional football team operates.
They cite Kap’s decent 90 QBR for last year and forget to factor in his asking salary. He walked away from a $14.5 million 2017/2018 salary and it is reported that he is now asking around $10 million.
By way of comparison, Miami’s backup, Matt Moore, had a great QBR of 105, is only a couple of years older, has more experience, and only makes $1.8 million. He happens by the way, to be white. To hire Kap, a team would have to pay millions more than the going rate for a mediocre QB, which is what he is at present, and possibly take even more in a salary cap hit. Even if he had no issues of distracting behavior, he is still not worth the money.
Now we get to the NAACP involvement. They attempted to intimidate the NFL into forcing someone to hire Kap. At this point, any GM whose hires him, should be fired immediately! Any team hiring him would be unable to discipline, bench, or cut him, for fear of the mobs converging on their stadium.
If the race merchants can converge en massed on the NFL offices, why would we not think they would be willing to burn a stadium down if they perceive racial mistreatment of their hero?
Mespo said this:
“Typical conclusion rendered on only the facts you like, PatricParamedic. You forgot to add that the NFL hid damaging information about the deleterious effects of concussions for years from the players all the while telling them the injuries were transitory and treating them as such.”
Wrong, Mespo. Which is a rarity for you. What the NFL did – or did not – admit, is immaterial to my argument.
Nobody goes from Pop Warner to the NFL. Children don’t awaken to find themselves in a 3-point stance for the Packers.
Players and former players of the NFL were up close and personal to the head violence and 10-tons of helmet thudding YEARS before they were drafted. Is it possible than any one of those suing now hadn’t witnessed – many times over – people trucked off the field? Practically every single high school game has a Paramedic unit sitting on the sidelines.
The overwhelming majority of those suing likely have at least SOME college-level education – and many have 4-year degrees.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the following jaw-dropping poll:
In the 1970s, Doctor Robert Goldman asked world-class athletes: “If I had a magic drug that, if you took it once, you would win every competition for the next 5 years, but it would kill you 5 years after you took it, would you still take the drug?”
More than half said they would take the drug. HALF.
So my take is simple: these athletes knew damned well getting pounded in the head isn’t smart; they had personal evidence it isn’t healthy. They were – and still are – perfectly willing to “take the pill.”
We are not elevating society by repudiating personal responsibility.
Patric, both you and Mespo are making good arguments. We have to see what the NFL and physicians were actually telling their players, but my belief is that the risks incurred, though great, cannot be separated from the earlier risks and that most had some knowledge of the risks. Therefore, I would find any victory of the players to be the fault of many including themselves and drastically restrict the awards if any based upon individual circumstances.
So what does the NAACP expect to accomplish by a meeting with NFL Commissioner Goodell? Do they think Goodell can order a team to hire Kaepernick? It’s not going to happen. All Goodell can do is explain what the NAACP should already know – that these teams are private businesses and are going to do whatever is in their own financial best interests. The NAACP has a history of exerting pressure on companies to hire blacks with sub-par qualifications, but I can’t see Kap getting the benefit of some type of political affirmative action in the NFL.
TIN – maybe the NAACP is willing to go halves on Colin’s salary for a year to get him on a team?
Haha……not holding my breath!
Colon Kaepernick enjoys the freedom of speech.
The NFL enjoys the freedom of enterprise and the right to private property.
Those two parties have a private, binding contract for performance and compensation.
The government may take Colon Kaepernick’s contract or his entire NFL team for public use but it must provide “just compensation” to the owner of that NFL team as required by the 5th Amendment.
In the absence of just compensation, the government may not possess, control, manage, operate or dispose of any NFL team due to the fact that private property is “that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world in exclusion of every other individual,” so said James Madison.
The judicial branch has no authority to “interpret,” legislate or modify the Constitution and the judicial is the branch “…whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void,” so said Alexander Hamilton.
All laws and “precedents” to the contrary are unconstitutional and require corrective and/or punitive action (i.e. impeachment for crimes of high office) by the legislative branch.
___________________________________________________________________________________
5th Amendment –
“nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
_______________________________________________________________________
James Madison defined “private property” as
“that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the
world in exclusion of every other individual.”
“…IN EXCLUSION OF EVERY OTHER INDIVIDUAL.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
Manifest Tenor
Alexander Hamilton –
“[A] limited Constitution … can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing … To deny this would be to affirm … that men acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.”
I wonder if maybe Colon went to elementary school here, the school in James Clavell’s – The Children’s Story???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRrQQYB6Nd4
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
If everyone stopped watching American football the question would soon be moot.
America was forced to stop watching American football somewhere back in the 1980’s.
It’s a fascinating phenomenon. American football used to be played by Americans. America stopped
Americans from playing football and replaced them with Africans so that now, virtually all football players in
America are African. Americans couldn’t watch American football if they wanted to. Somebody annihilated
it. What kind of a country does that? The Founders and Lincoln were right. Slavery should have been
abolished and the slaves compassionately repatriated to Liberia. America doesn’t even make any sense
anymore. Next thing you know, the Mexicans will be taking over. Oops. Don’t look now.
And America so loved its country, it gave its only begotten country away.
I agree with the good “perfesser” that this is fundamentally an employment law question.The complaint alleges retaliation by the NFL which is easily rebutted by the mediocre talent of the player.
The last sentence appears to be wrong?
National Anthem is only about war and since 9/11 the military is at every sporting event of course they pay the nfl tax payer money to join in the glory of war. The young man has a point as we just saw and will see many more times in the years to come white vs color. Sad days ahead in the New Amerika.
Oh his Q rating for the last 2 games of the season was 112.? and that’s not bad with no offense line, no running back, and only 1 receiver he could count on.
The nfl will doa in a few years if the owners don’t do the right thing about players health. The concussion is the real deal from HS to the nfl.
JT is it about time you take one those road trips so we can check out the pictures?
“The concussion is the real deal from HS to the nfl.”
Yes. And even younger:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/highland-park/news/ct-hpn-park-dist-cancels-tackle-football-tl-0831-20170823-story.html
The constant hitting in daily practice is the main culprit. CTE is a cumulative disease. The NFLPA has made most practices non hitting. The main problem now is in high school and college practices where there are no unions to protect the players and limit practice contact drills. Mespo could give us some personal info on this.
This is not totally new medical info. In the 60’s I suffered a severe concussion playing football. I remember the doc telling my parents I was exponentially more susceptible for further concussions and the cumulative effect of hitting was dangerous. I had an uncle who was a pro boxer w/ over 100 fights. He always told my old man to not let me box and expressed concern w/ hitting in football. This was all over 50 years ago. Although NFL players did not know specifically the danger, they knew the general risk. I and my parents were warned over 50 years ago.
Please, can we have a SERIOUS discussion. No one can argue that professional team sports are at, or near the top, of any meritocracy list. Pro sports are the antithesis of govt. patronage jobs. And, since it is a meritocracy, w/ BILLIONS of dollars involved, and WINNING being the most important goal, the best players rise to the top. Professional football has created more millionaires for black men than just about any other sport or industry. 70% of NFL players are black. The NFL kicks Hollywood’s ass in being a meritocracy. Hollywood is allegedly a liberal, equal opportunity industry. Well, the Academy Awards were SHAMEFUL and had to be shamed just a couple years ago to include ANY black actors. The alleged conservative, racist, NFL is light years ahead of Hollywood in being a meritocracy. There are 8 black head coaches and the Rooney rule requires teams to interview a black coach and executive for every vacancy. Art Rooney[Obama guy] has been instrumental in increasing opportunities for black coaches and executives for decades now.
The MSM writers fanning the flames on racial issues are OVERWHELMINGLY white, Ivy League, elitists. The racial pimps like the corrupt NAACP have real problems picking their “colored person” victims. There are black people discriminated against in this country. This lame brained, inarticulate, ham n’ egger, Colin Kaepernick ain’t one of those people.
Branch Rickey was a very good man, enlightened racially and a man of God. But, being the man who hired Jack Robinson was as much about Branch Rickey being a fierce competitor as it was about him being racially enlightened. Branch Rickey worked in a meritocracy and WANTED TO WIN. Hiring Jack Robinson would help the Dodgers win and give them a distinct advantage going forward. Colin Kaepernick is the antithesis of Jack Robinson. He is more akin to Pumpsie Green.
Speaking of Hollywood, I particularly enjoyed Meryl Streep lecturing the country on Trump and morality while dripping in diamonds and couture loaned or given to her for free, along with the swag bags. Meanwhile, the people who work behind the scenes in the movie industry, such as FX people, work mainly by contract. It is rare nowadays for anyone to be on staff in that part of the industry. The studios pay them a pittance so that they can pay the actors and executives exorbitant amounts. And they cannot push for more because they’ll just contract overseas for people who are even lower paid. The contract lasts the length of movie production, and then everyone’s out of work. And the hours are atrocious. Hideously long hours for the pay. Who the hell is Hollywood to preach to us about how to treat anyone?
Karen, Good back story comment. There is much hypocrisy in this world from both ends of the spectrum. But, Hollywood is the most hypocritical.
Why individuals afford credibility to many of these stars is frankly an embarrassment. Many of them are as you write are great hypocrites. For me what is especially contemptible is when wealthy politicians or their spouses live regal lifestyles rife with conspicuous consumption but appear for photo ops serving food at soup kitchens. Of course, none of them would be content to work in the back, out of the limelight and washing dishes–that would not work for their virtue signaling.
There is a passage in the Bible and for the moment I cannot remember where it is located, but it read something to the effect of doing charity or giving alms anonymously, telling no one. That is virtue.
For me it is impossible to live in an eight figure mansion and claim that one cares about ordinary people and is concerned about their plight.
I remember decades ago a philanthropist that gave a lot of money to the black community saying he would pay for the college education of those in a particular area that were admitted. My understanding was that he didn’t use a chaffeur rather took the bus. He gave money that really isn’t that important when one has so much of it, but what made him great was he gave his time visiting the schools and actually encouraging the young.
He didn’t give money to ‘the black community’. He promised to pay the college tuition of a specific set of 12 year olds who were completing elementary school the year he gave the commencement address at said elementary school. (It was the school he’d attended as a youngster, but had very different demographics by the time he was asked to give the address).
The man in question was Eugene Lang, who died last April. He was a student at that elementary school ca. 1928 and promised to pay the tuitions of the cohort finishing in 1981. This account here has it that the offer was more circumscribed than originally reported:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/eugene-lang-millionaire-who-financed-college-dreams-dies-at-98/2017/04/11/7b5b6374-1dfa-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html?utm_term=.8cf5633cf390
The article indicates about 60 students were in attendance, of whom 33 had enrolled in tertiary schooling by age 22.
Thank you for the complete story that I heard so many decades ago, but lost track of. I consider helping to educate a whole group of students from one community as giving money to the community, but in a designated way. You can approach the gift any which way you wish.
I think he is being “colorballed”. Ask the NAACP what their initials stand for. If he was Black Balled they would be the NABP.
Oh say can you see? By the dawn’s early light. What so proudly we hailed at the twighlights last gleaming. etc
A few thoughts…
Kaepernick is being asked to participate in “forced political speech” which is all about the marketing of the NFL brand. His “protest” isn’t so much doing something to bring a lot of attention to himself, nor is he disrupting others from participating if they so choose. He had been kneeling for several weeks before anyone noticed and it became an issue.
Turley’s assessment of him as a player is based on one statistic which does not reflect his value at the position and his legs have always been a big reason he led SF to a Super Bowl. Given some of the other players playing the position, I don’t think it’s reasonable to say lack of talent is keeping him out of the league.
Having worked in a subcontractor capacity at several Super Bowls, I can state with certainty that the NFL is ultra concerned about its image, maintaining Corporate ties and relationships with advertisers which are some of the reasons they push the forced speech to begin with.
Kaepernick is being asked to participate in “forced political speech” which is all about the marketing of the NFL brand. His “protest” i
He wasn’t ‘forced’ to do anything. He made himself conspicuous with contrived gestures he chose to make.
The “forced speech” would have been standing in line with his hand over his heart facing the flag. Maybe there was no way to inconspicuously not stand but “contrived gestures” is a bit of a stretch. The media and various factions made it a big deal. Media of course includes all media including right wing media.
It’s not “forced” if it is part of his voluntary employment. He is free to go elsewhere if he doesn’t like it. Moreover, “taking a knee” is making a statement of protest and drawing attention to it. I went to high school with several Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their religion forbids stating the Pledge of Allegiance, as they feel it is putting country before God. But when everyone else stood, they politely stood as well, but just refrained from stating the words. It was no big deal as they did not “take a knee” or do anything to draw attention to themselves. What Kap did was an intentional protest, and if his employer feels he is not worth the controversy, they are free to cut him and let him take his political grandstanding and mediocre skills elsewhere. Regardless of what the NAACP thinks, nobody is entitled to a position in the NFL.
Helping you to understand what “forced” means. Pay particular attention to the word “coercion” which is exactly what’s happening here. No need to thank me!
forced
fôrst/Submit
adjective
obtained or imposed by coercion or physical power.
I agree with you that no one is entitled to a position in the NFL. But since he is demonstrably better than some others that play his position, he may well have a case. Probably hard to prove, we’ll see how effective the boycott against the league is?
“Stupid is as stupid does.” Boycotting a league that is 70% black, to protest a ham n’ egger QB who pissed on both legs and is a pawn of SJW’s. Yea, that’s the way to go. LOL!
I always marvel at the ability of some to classify people in a manner which allows you to ignore someone. Why does he have to be a “pawn of SJW’s” Why can’t his stand come from an honest stand against injustice? I think much of the negative response to his action came from those not willing to recognize his concerns.
As far as the boycott, I don’t know that it will have the desired effect but we will see.
Open Letter to Enigma In Black: Evidently you took Classic Post-modern Sociology along with your Economics. (yep, there’s irony there). It’s true that we use epithets to classify and devalue people and objectify them so that we do not have to be concerned with their feelings and rights. After all, isn’t that why your Pimp Brothas invented “Bitch Slapping”? ‘Cause (just saying) being a Bitch means I get to slap a “Ho” just like I would beat a dog. Right?
OK, so you are against Forced Political Speech? Yet, I am assuming you have no problem forcing white people to stop using the “N” word. Forcing whites to find some other Politically Correct word is *indeed* forced Political Speech. It’s especially Political when hypocrites make no attempt to stop Black folks from using such an offensive and odious word.
You don’t have a problem with Forced Hiring of people of specific Classifications for Political Purposes.
Here’s the thing (or one of them): it may be your right to wear T-shirts with pictures of Nooses in Public.
But – if you wear one in *my* workplace – or use the N-word at work – I will fire your ass, and legally so.
Why? Because you have no right to offend my customers in *my* workplace – which pays *your* salary.
In case you did not notice: it’s illegal to smoke in many areas. However, if you have a Private Club, you can smoke and drink all you want….just as a Private Club is indeed allowed to discriminate on the basis of race and gender.
Women started normalizing this reverse sexism with “Safe Zones” on college campuses, where women could congregate without their fragile self-esteems having to be concerned with what deplorable men might think.
Now, Black students have their own “Safe Zones” – forget about Forced Integration of Schools, lol.
See, you will *force* white people to “integrate” – and castigate them for refusing to sit with Blacks, but you will not force Blacks to integrate and sit with whites….(and please spare me the sophistry that they are false equivalencies due to power imbalances. Blacks are empowered to do pretty much anything they please on campuses these days).
The NFL is a Business, and pretty much a Private Club. They can charge whatever they want to let you come in and watch what their *EMPLOYEES* do…just like a Strip Club, or a Bar, or Augusta National Golf Club (which does not have to let Blacks OR Women join).
I don’t particularly feel like stopping what I am doing to stand for the National Anthem. Yes, I will be “coerced” by the stares and whispers and rude comments…I stand simply out of respect for all the other people who care about the notion of protecting a Homeland, Democracy and Freedom.
I care about all these things, too – probably *more* than the people who are standing – because I am probably more aware of all the ways that those core values are fragile and constantly under attack by various forces with agendas…including Right AND Left Wing Radical Terrorists.
I’m an Atheist. When my family holds hands around Christmas Dinner, I don’t choose that moment to start lecturing people about all the genocides committed in the name of Religion, nor all the little boys and girls molested by Priests.
Those people have every right to believe in their Religion, and to engage in Rituals – as pretty much *every* Society known to Science does.
I am not going to rain on their Parade in a Self-serving manner.
I am not going to take a knee during the Prayer because I or somebody I know was sexually abused by a Priest, due to the Church’s incredible Social Power and Privilege.
I have too much respect for those people to ruin their moment for my own agenda
I would consider carrying a placard outside the Offices of a Religion, though.
Kap has every right to protest outside the stadium, and do a sitdown in front of the White House,
or Main Street USA.
Inside the Stadium, he is an Employee – and the fact that he is holding out for a $10Million Salary proves that the relationship is Contractual, but also “at will” once the contract is over.
As an Employee, he wears a Uniform. A *uniform* – it means that everyone on the team behaves in the same manner – by uniformly wearing the same colors and emblems and fashion statements.
Employers have the right to regulate what employees wear, and how they dress, and how they *Behave* in other ways.
They can be fired for being rude to customers.
They can be fired for not following Company Policy.
They *can* and should be fired for bringing their Political Agendas into the Workplace.
That is the cornerstone of Corruption.
I hate that about the USA: So many places where employees are coerced into supporting the Political agendas of their Employers….Forcing people to actually spend time going out and placing Posters on behalf of a Candidate, or passing around a donation Jar. It is CORRUPT, but commonplace.
And just because the person is endorsing a Liberal SJW cause does *not* make it any more palatable.
Kap is indeed a Dupe. His GF is a Black Activist with her own show.
He was duped by BLM, as were you. His was NOT an honest “stand” against injustice.
BLM has been duped by radical Black Activists who celebrate the Black Liberation Army.
Face up to the fact that *Advocates* bear NO Allegiance to “The Truth” and have their own self-serving Brands of Morals.
They will candidly admit that their only concern is pursuing the agenda of their Cause and acquiring resources and power for their own Benefit. Naturally, sooner or later, they all say that what benefits *them* benefits the Cause.
There never was a shred of evidence to falsify George Zimmerman’s defense that he was afraid for his life when a 6 foot 3 athletic youth was sitting on him and wailing away MMA style (as witnesses attested to).
But the truth did not matter, as innuendo and rumors were deliberately spread via a Social Media campaign orchestrated by a Paid Market Researcher hired by the family’s Lawyer.
The same thing with Mike Brown. There never was any”Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” cry for mercy. It was an outright LIE, which was proven by the FBI and admitted to by the Black Attorney General, who also was forced to admit that they could find no evidence at all that George Zimmerman harbored racist sentiments.
Tell ya what: He *certainly* does NOW!
BLM uses the lies perpetrated by Ferguson low-lifes to justify chanting during marches for the killing of Cops.
And SJWs of all stripes got suckered by the PR campaigns financed by left-wing Activists of all stripes.
You actually have the nerve to claim that white cops are the greatest fear that you have for your children. Meanwhile, Children – totally innocent – as young as 2 – and even in the womb – are shot by the hundreds by Black thugs in the streets of Chicago and other urban areas.
Black children cannot even sit on their own porches, or play in a playground or attend CHURCH without getting SHOT.
And BLM does NOTHING. They will go march on the Magnificant Mile, and harass white shoppers and harass motorists trying to hang on their jobs by getting to work on time – but do they ever burn down or loot the Drug Dealers businesses (which every person in every ‘hood knows where they are)?
Naw…they go for the Low-hanging fruit. As does Kap.
You have no problem with poseurs like Jesse Williams shouting that “whiteness must be destroyed” – but you will damn sure make sure that somebody gets fired if they claim that Blacks are making it impossible to live and survive in certain neighborhoods for *anybody*.
You heard of White Flight? Guess what? Every place the whites flee from, Blacks are doing their best to Flee Into, to escape having everything they work for stolen and their children and valued members of the community gunned down in front of their eyes.
For every Tamir Rice there are 200 Black Children shot every year in Chicago.
And I am sick of Mike Brown’s stepfather or father getting Publicity – when Mike Brown had not lived with his either his Mother or Father for a year, but was shunted around from relative to relative.
And his own Grandmother would not let him stay in her house while she had to go to the hospital,
so he ended up crashing with his friend’s family.
But suddenly these “fathers” want to be fathers, when the kid was drowning in drugs and lethargy,
which is business as usual as it is people like that who idolize the Gangsta Rappers, and make them rich.
So, yeah, SJWs dupe people into believing the PC Dogma that there are NO differences between the Races, and Race is a Social Construct – but only when it suits *them* – as they cultivate Race-based safe zones and race-based jobs and promotions and admittance to schools.
Sorry, but there are significant differences in the achievement orientations of Blacks and whites, as well as in their academic skills. This has been proven every year by the SATs, the ACTs and every other Standardized Tool for Assessing Skills *and* intellectual ability (two different, but related things).
Now, when you compare Blacks and whites who get college degrees, Blacks tend to outperform whites.
Blacks tend to do more with what they have got. Evolutionary survival will kind of do that, when you’re an Oppressed people, which Blacks were and *are*.
So, there are real differences between whites and Blacks – population wise. Blacks engage in far more violent crime. Gotta laugh when you guys gotta reach for the old Serial Killer child molester stereotypes.
I think you will find that far more Black women have been molested than white women. It’s way more than One In Four, which is the general ratio which the Feminists (truthfully) proclaim.
And when was the last time you heard of a Black woman being raped by white people other than Tawana Brawley and the Stripper at the College frat house?
Blacks rape white women far more than the opposite, and they also kill twice as many whites each year as the number of Blacks killed by whites – Nationwide RAW numbers. The population Proportions are sky high.
It’s not white punks stealing your phones and purses on the Trains in Chicago.
It’s not white people live-streaming rapes and beatings and murders on Facebook.
So, is it fair to judge ALL Black folks by the Thugs who either cannot speak properly – or refuse to “talk white”?
Nope. But those thugs represent a greater threat to ordinary, honest Black folks than ordinary white cops do each and every day.
You don’t want me Judging YOU by the thugs and bad actors in school rooms who terrorize Teachers and other students.
But Kap and BLM wants to judge ALL white people, and hold us all equally responsible for the corrupt cops and social institutions of the past.
You try to sucker people into believing that “Whiteness” is the problem in America…when Blackness is just as much a problem in Zimbabwe and the Genocide in Rawanda and the modern slavery and killing of Albinos which goes on in Africa.
It’s *Power* that is undemocratically wielded that is the enemy of the common person…regardless of their color.
DOH….why do you think the Unions (funded by the Communists/Socialists, who also funded the NAACP) were one of the first Social Institutions to demand that ALL workers were Comrades and should be treated equally?
You really are naive if you do not recognize the extent to which Communists and Socialists funded and popularized Subversion. They made it Cool to be a subversive, just as it is now the coolest thing to “Disrupt” stuff.
This has all come about as a result of the Marxist philosophies embedded in Modern Education. I ought to know, I am a trained Teacher, properly indoctrinated in the approaches which guided Pink Floyd’s Brick in the Wall anthem.
I am actually a Socialist.
But I hate *anybody* who LIES and distorts reality for Political purposes and the furthering of their own personal agenda.
And, yeah, I use the word *hate* deliberately.
There *should* be Hate in the world.
All Human Emotions are functional….in their place.
No Quakers ever protected a country from Nazis or Barbarians or Savages of any ilk.
But you hate people and things for what they have *actually* DONE…not for what you think they might do, and definitely not for triggering the meltdown of your Ego and Self-esteem because somebody dared to disagree or say “NO” to you.
In closing, You be YOU, I’ll be ME, and together we can be WE.
If we can be mutually respectful, honest, accountable and fair in our dealings with one another,
then our Color, genitals, religions and politics really should be left OUT of it,.
Trouble is, I know *you* will NEVER abide by the Rules, because you have been taught that anything you gain will have to be at my expense.
That is why people *like* you want to tear down all the Institutions built by people *like* me.
You cannot see any way that you can get as much power and resources as you want –
as quickly as you want them – in any other way.
You want to force Change down people’s throats.
You don’t want it to Evolve, as it has been – gradual, but impressively.
You want to argue how Evil America is, and white people are, yet you ignore the Billions spent on Social Programs to feed, clothe and house poor Black folks….and to foster their educations.
Those Affirmative Action programs put in place by Harvard, Yale and the Ivy League schools were NOT put in place by Racists and Nazis.
They were put in place by fair-minded white people like me who appreciate Diversity and don’t mind giving other people a chance to drink at the water fountain first for a change.
When it is raining, I curse that I cannot park in the spot closest to the doors of the Mall because it’s a Handicapped Parking Zone…
But I would never tear those signs down. I want to live in a place that helps the sharing and accessibility of the Community’s Resources for everyone (shopping and Fast FOOD!)
However, you want to tear down Other People’s Signs and Symbols – forcefully – rather than by letting them wither away, and letting people realize that they maybe weren’t such great ideas after all.
And so you are going to start a Race war.
You are going to drive the Racists and Neonazis OUT of the woodwork – because your poorly-educated SJWs have never studied History, because it was too boring and did not allow them to express their individuality and creativity through collages.
Your SJWs never studied the Terrorism that was necessary to protect *any* of the Marxist/Communist Revolutions which occurred world-wide, from Russia’s stalags, to the Chinese Re-Education Camps, to the Cambodian Killing Fields, to the public Executions by Che Guevara – the man of the “people.”
They have never studied or understood the “Reign of Terror” that occurred following the French Revolution which guaranteed Liberty, Equality and Fraternity to ALL (except those who were murdered by wave after wave of Zealots who all believed that it was up to *them* to protect the Revolution).
So, yeah, Kaps a Dupe, as are you, even though you are both pretty nice guys in the right circumstances.
As are we ALL.
But – in the right circumstances – Kap and YOU – and ME – will kill to defend the things which we feel must be defended at all costs.
In *my* case, I’ve risked my life defending YOUR right to Free Speech and to be educated freely and to live where you want.
I doubt Kap or You will do the same for me.
You cannot – because – by YOUR Definition – I am *white* – and people like you and Jesse Williams have been duped by Terrorists like Assata Shakur into believing that you can tear down this country and rebuild it in *your* Image, not mine…
and you do not care that people like *her* murder innocent people who get in the way of the People’s Liberation, just as Winnie Mandela had her thugs put burning necklaces of Tires around the necks of 14 year old children whom she thought betrayed her “movement.”
So, even though I don’t want to stand during the National Anthem, I will, and I want the NFL to fire Kap, and anybody else who doesn’t realize that they are being paid MILLIONS of dollars a year to Behave Politically, which means you do not offend the people who PAY for the Stadiums and the Bills and the Salaries of the Players.
I was totally amazed to hear Jim Brown, who kicked more than a few white asses as a Black Activist, state that you gotta render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s If you are going to accept a Salary for a Job, then
you recognize that you cannot go around damaging your Employer’s business.
It’s a dirty bird that shits in its own nest.
My, my, “Pox!” You seemed to have unleashed all your pent-up frustration here. Please don’t be one of those that scream that I didn’t respond to one of the zillion points you tried to make here.
You begin early with an assumption that I want to force white speech (or white silence) when they want to use politically incorrect words like n*gger. In truth, I am happy when people come out and express themselves that way because it removes any question. While many people think we cry racism at the drop of a hat. The truth is that the great majority of the time, we don’t know what’s in someone’s heart and mind and while it may be a possibility, I wouldn’t make that claim without clear examples or a track record. I’ve indeed called a limited number of individuals racist that meet that criteria for me. I am more likely to call a specific policy racist because of a known effect, voter suppression would be an example.
You seem to have an issue with players taking a knee or not otherwise participating in what you agree is forced speech. Somehow the money they make means they give up their rights? Their protest isn’t what you claim it is, an attack on our military and their service. Many of the players have family members who have served, a few players have served themselves (BTW, thank you for their service.) The “private club” you mention often had their stadiums built with public funds and/or tax write-offs. Does the public lose their right to have an opinion after their money has been spent?
There is someone (admittedly not that familiar with the Constitution) that advocated the firing of the “sons of bitches” that protest in a manner, not to his liking. The “bitches” that they are sons of are mothers not unlike my late mother. Judging by the response of every single NFL team and multiple owners to his comments. I think the question of whether he was wrong has already been answered.
Your “Open Letter” to me seems to really be your list of grievances regarding everything about black people that disturbs you. You’ve railed against things I don’t think I’ve taken a public position on like unions. I wonder what has brought out all this apparent anger?
Search my comments and see if I’ve ever made a claim that “white people” do this or that. I speak of individuals, actions, and policies.
I don’t believe we’ve conversed before by the way. I am open to actually discussing any topic and would be glad to tell you my opinion on any subject or that I don’t have one which is true more often than you imagine. All you have to do is ask!
enigma – the NAACP is a paper organization made up of senior citizens. I do not think their boycott is going anywhere.
It’s not their boycott. More of an organic thing, not surprised you haven’t heard of it. Some people (black people) are taking it seriously and others ignoring it because after all… football. The NAACP isn’t what it used to be, I suggest you’d find a compelling read in “Devil in the Grove” which highlights a particular case but covers the NAACP over the mid-1950’s to 1960’s. I have an opinion as to their decline which was that they basically weren’t cool enough for black youth. They also face some of the constant negative press that BLM and others face, often being called racist for demanding equal rights.
enigma – I think the NAACP is just aging out. They have no real steam left. As for the boycott, who knows. If you already have season tickets you are going to show up. If you don’t you are sitting in the cheaper seats anyway, nosebleed section. You have a better view of the game from home on your tv.
Personally, I do not follow professional football, but I do follow PAC-12 football. So, what happens to the NFL bothers me not one wit.
You may be right about the NAACP. In their heyday, they were a cash poor organization whose strength was always their victories in the courtroom. They still have every opportunity to effect change through the legal process. The other side if you can call it that is so well financed though.
The “boycott” is supposed to include television watching as well. Ratings have been declining… We will see if it makes a bit of difference.
enigma – the NFL is loaded with black players, coaches and staff. And so, to save one job, of one pi*s poor QB, they are going to boycott all the other blacks? Does that actually make any sense? A job walkout would make sense, where the millionaires started putting it on the line. AA wise, I think the NFL and NBA need more whites. However, where would Spike Lee go on the weekend? Maybe he would switch to the opera?
BTW, everyone’s TV ratings have been going done. The long running NCIS fired Pauley Parrette and is replacing her. That is NOT going to end well for them. This might be their last season.
I’m trying to think of a better example than the first one that comes to mind. Let’s say McDonalds, who to my eye has a disproportionately high number of black employees in it’s non-management ranks although the franchise owners are predominantly white (McDonalds does far better than the NFL in that regard). Engaged in a policy that affected one employee but offended a percentage of people that identified with the employee on principle and then organized a boycott. Would it be fair to characterize the boycott as being against the non-management black employees?
BTW, Abby was one of the remaining reasons to watch.
enigma – here everyone at McDonalds is white, Latino or black. Very mixed. And my closest McDonald’s is a franchise run by Asians. However, most of the staff is part-time and if you start a boycott, the owner starts cutting staff, either temporary or permanent.
As of last season, Abby was the show. Gibbs has gone soft, gotten a new haircut. Prior we have Michael and Ziva who were always a delight to watch play off each other. Then Ziva left, then Ziva died. Then Michael became a parent, etc. The rest of the cast are B players. I am done with NCIS. There is enough stuff to watch on the web or cable. I love Joe Spano, but I am not going to watch the show just for him.
” Pay particular attention to the word “coercion” which is exactly what’s happening here.”
Coercion generally exists in a contract. The contract says that a person will do the following. If that person doesn’t do the following he can be fired. Yes that is coercion, but the employment was voluntary. It makes no difference whether the player is black or white. In this case the player is black so perhaps you believe different rules should exist? Racial discrimination seems not to be involved since so many blacks are NFL players
“It is beyond my control!”
Lots of athletes stand quietly without their hands over their hearts. Few that I see are actually singing the national anthem. Some athletes appear to be using that time to continue their pregame mental preparations (thinking through plays in their head, amping themselves up, whatever). Kaepernick could have done that and nobody would have cared. I agree with TIN. This special pleading on the part of the NAACP is ridiculous.
As protests go, this went unnoticed for weeks before someone noticed. It really was a simple, quiet protest. The NAACP raises a valid point,, Can the NFL force its players to engage in political speech?
Enigma, you and I simply disagree. I don’t consider standing during the national anthem to be political speech. I do think that athletes are subject to the constraints of their contracts, and assume risks based on their actions. NFL contracts don’t pay out financially the same was as those negotiated in the NBA or MLB. That being said, I think talent outweighs all other factors, and if Mr. Kaepernick had been a better player, the coach would have put up with his protest.
The NFL is quite selective as to what they will “put up with.” They seem to have little problem with drug use, domestic violence, steroids and human growth hormones, rape, alcoholism and more. In those cases, talent will supersede all else. Take a knee and it’s too much to bear.
There are quarterbacks on rosters who haven’t attempted a pass in the league. They pull people back from retirement that are long in the tooth and can barely trot. While rating talent is subjective, I don’t think you can say he’s worse than every other quarterback out there?
Enigma, I am unlikely to say anything that will be persuasive to you. In most cases, fans are not privy to all that goes on in the minds of players or management. I think the owners want to make money (just like everyone else in the biz) and anything that gets in the way of that becomes a liability. You and others see Mr. Kaepernick as a quality player, who should be hired to displace a player on a current roster. That is a subjective opinion, just like every other opinion. I still think it’s special pleading; who in the US gets to demand to be hired? The whole idea is ludicrous.
Haven’t read the full NAACP request, I think they’re addressing the League because no individual team couldn’t be forced to hire him. There is a real issue about forced political speech and possible conspiracy among owners to blackball him. I don’t suggest he replace any player he’s not better than.
The NAACP and enigma don’t give a rat’s ass about Kap. And enigma does not understand even basics in football or economics.
Here’s a tip, if someone wanted to help Kap and not just use him as a downtrodden Colored Person. And it would not only help Kap, it would force the hand of owners, seeing if there really is collusion. ANYONE w/ even a cursory knowledge of football knows Kap is not worth close to the $10 million he’s demanding. So, lower your asking price to $2 million. When some starting QB gets hurt, which will happen, a team would be very tempted to take Kap at the $2 million which is what people who understand salaries say Kap is currently worth. Kap’s continuing demand for an exorbitant $10 million makes it easy to tell him to LEGITIMATELY take a hike. The only people looking upon Kap as a martyr are uninformed fools, being played by the NAACP, just like Kap is being played.
Thanks, Nick. I wrote a long response to Enigma, but deleted it by mistake, and yours is better anyway. I would add the following: a protest in front of the NFL offices by people, some of whom may be unemployed, in support of a person with an estimated worth of ~$16M is unseemly. And led by Spike Lee? No sense of scale or purpose.
So I guess my Economics degree went to waste after all. And not seeing things your way makes me a fool.
Nick and Cape Cod, you are both stating your cases in a proper fashion. If someone feels Kaepernick was ill treated they should provide a legally based argument. Right now it seems to be that the NFL doesn’t want to face an expansion of this type of action so they cut it off. It appears to be a correct economic decision and legally appropriate.
enigma, I don’t know where you got your degree. But, for the this discussion, let’s say you got a degree from an august university and you understand microeconomics, macroeconomics, and all fundamentals. However, you have displayed ignorance vis a vis salary structures in the NFL. Earlier, you spoke of working for some company affiliated w/ several Super Bowls. Really..WTF does that mean? I have degrees in criminal justice and also high school social studies education. But, there are many specific issues in criminal justice and social studies that I am ignorant, and I have the self esteem to admit it.
Please read what Jason Whitlock has to say about Kap. He’s much harder on him than am I, and he knows Kap and football better than anyone here. Whitlock is certain this has nothing to do w/ police violence and everything to do w/ Colin Kapernick, a guy who has squandered his God given talents and descended from a top tier QB to a 2nd team guy. Kapernick had a troubled life, has a HUGE chip on his shoulder, and is being manipulated as well as being manipulator. And, as Whitlock points out, Kap has spoken little about police violence and A LOT about Colin Kapernick this past year.
Jason Whitlock is speaking out on a number of subjects these days and seemingly has an agenda of his own. Apparently, he can read minds though, I wish I had that ability. It’s much easier to find fault with the messenger than to deal with the subject of his protest so that’s what most are doing.
Cape Cod and allan, Thanks for your kind comments. The people making a big issue about this know little or nothing about football. People who know know football and Kap think this is all about Kap and his wasted career, not anything noble.
The people that are concerned with injustice might disagree.
enigma, Whitlock is indeed outspoken. He defends people worthy of defense and is fearless in speaking his mind about people and issues that need hard, non PC truth. Whitlock was one of the first people to attack PC @ ESPN. A PC white scribe on ESPN, the weasel Italian, Mike Lupica, used his influence to get Whitlock fired. I first started reading Whitlock when he was a columnist @ the KC Star. In many ways, Whitlock is the antithesis of MSM writers, white and black. Writers walk on eggshells when discussing hot button topics, Whitlock speaks his mind and backs up everything he says. I’m sure he’s not your cup o’ tea since he calls out all people, including black people, on their horsesh!t.
I’m familiar with Jason from his KC Star days and have enjoyed quite a bit of his sports commentary and respect some of his views. It seems of late he’s auditioning for more appearances on Fox which seems to be his new hustle. Everybody “backs up” what they say with something. I can just agree to disagree with him sometimes.
Nick and Cape Cod, it seems that the meat of the problem could be:
“This is a shakedown. This is an Al Sharpton racial shakedown of the NFL. They are trying through public pressure, through rallies, through everything, to give this guy a roster spot and give him the contract he wants. That’s what all this is about. It’s a shakedown. Colin Kaepernick is the Tawana Brawley of the NFL,”
Yes I remember how people were so incensed when anyone asked if Tawana Brawley was telling the truth. It seems it is OK for some people to lie again and again as long as it promotes their agenda.
allan, I’m inclined to agree with you, as the timing of this thing takes advantage of the “summer of servitude” we’ve just been through and everyone who actually has a job to do is just so ready to be done with all the identity politics. So Whitlock thinks the NFL will cave…..okay, so let’s imagine Colin and a prospective owner & coach sit down at the negotiation table. How much does he get paid? $10M? What if that is more than the starting QB–10 QBs are </= $10M now including Cutler. Nah, that won't chap anybody's a$$. Colin will be backup, will get hardly any playing time (barring injury), and unless his contract is specifically written to exclude it, will be free to wreak havoc on-field and in the locker room. What was that saying about idle hands? Nah, allan, this has success written all over it.
Actually, I'm having a real hard time ginning up any angst for this issue–Julian Edelman has a torn ACL and is going to be out the whole season, and Rick Porcello laid a goose egg at Fenway last night. Getting shellaced by the Orioles at home leaves a really bad taste.
Cape Cod, extortion enters the realm of football? If it does that will be one more nail in the coffin of this sport added to head trauma and high prices.
allan, Maybe I am naive, but I think the easiest way to kill football is for parents to refuse to let their kids into the sport at the earliest ages. Just bleed it dry. Of course, parents of all stripes have to commit. It can’t just be white parents.
Good points
“he Court has recognized the constitutional right of students to refuse to recite the pledge of allegiance.”
Really JT? How is this even close to apple to apples? You are forced to go to school. You are not forced to work in the NFL.
Anabaptist sects generally have scruples about taking oaths of any kind. Jehovah’s Witnesses as well (though I thing the objection to things like the Pledge is in their case more elaborate than that).
And on this we agree. Thanks for the link, as well, mespo.
Repeating, for clarity:
mespo wrote: “You forgot to add that the NFL hid damaging information about the deleterious effects of concussions for years from the players all the while telling them the injuries were transitory and treating them as such. As a lawyer, you don’t pay tens of millions of your client’s money if you expect to win the case.”
Typical conclusion rendered on only the facts you like, patricparamedic.
You forgot to add that the NFL hid damaging information about the deleterious effects of concussions for years from the players all the while telling them the injuries were transitory and treating them as such. As a lawyer, you don’t pay tens of millions of your client’s money if you expect to win the case.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/blow-nfl-head-hiding-evidence-brain-damag-article-1.2578225
Whooops! I hadn’t thought about the deception part of it! Thank you for reminding me!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Otherwise, it’s a garden variety assumption of risk case with a likely defense verdict.
True. I am glad I keep you around as “Of Counsel.”
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
One lives to serve and the retainer is a Zero!
“I hadn’t thought about the deception part of it! ” — SF, GR
Gee, color me surprised.
I can’t color you. That would be cultural appropriation, and people would protest.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
LOL! Squeek, you are a great trash talker.
Thank you, Nicks! I tried to be nice to her earlier, and help her come across as something better than just a Link Thread Unabomber and she got sooo catty! But, she is at least better than that Max dude , who used to post here. He was like OCD with the links, the B52 of link bombers. My goodness, but he could just bury a thread! The ground would be rocking and rolling like you were on the ocean, and your eardrums would burst, and you would involuntarily poop yourself.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeek, I forgot about Mad Max. I noticed your kindness. And Desperate was kind to Natacha on this thread. I was kind and gave a sincere apology to frankly/SWM a few days ago only to have it ignored. But, these liberals are @ their core classless, angry people and they treat kindness as weakness. You, Desperate, and I were brought up right and always strive to do the right thing. We need to keep being gracious but learn to whom that should be afforded. Live and learn, my friend. Live and learn.
That is true. Natacha said something smart today (for the first time evah!), and I was even nice to her, and gave her the links to the reprints of the old Evergreen Review. I have a few of their compilations, and even though it is utterly left wing extreme stuff, I enjoy reading them. I have one review, with this pictorial thing by Salvador Dali, and it just kicks a$$!
If she continues to write smart things, I will clue her in to a really left wing band from the 90’s. But their music is great. I mean where else can you find lyrics like this:
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Nick said: “You, Desperate, and I were brought up right and always strive to do the right thing. We need to keep being gracious but learn to whom that should be afforded. Live and learn, my friend. Live and learn.”
I can’t stop laughing. Delusion. Pure delusion.
You gotta know when to scroll, Squeeks.
Don’t like the links? Then don’t click. It’s that simple.
But, you Liberals are teaching us that when a person doesn’t like something, then they can’t just ignore it. Like, say a statue of Robert E. Lee or something. No, you have taught us to NOT mind our own business, and to protest everything that peeves us constantly!
As a matter of fact, you are triggering me by telling me to just ignore it, which as a woman I find sexist, demeaning, and patronizing!
HELP! I need a safe space!!! I need some muscle over here!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter