National Fascism League

[Brian]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23582533/nfl-owners-approve-new-national-anthem-policy

[Brian707]

Well the next CBA should be a doozy. Is it 2021?

[soccer10k]

I might be out on the NFL next year.

[Derwood]

I hope the players STILL kneel during the anthem. Let the teams rack up fines, who cares? And if the stupid owners who voted for this rule don't like it, they can explain to the fans why they're cutting good players

[CyHawk_Cub]

I essentially stopped watching the NFL on the regular well before the Kaepernick stuff happened. Now I'll be actively avoiding it & talking horsefeathers on it as often as I can.

 

This over the top, faux patriotism & fetishization of the military has gotten so gross.

[The_Achiever]

I've never really boycotted anything before but I am tempted here.

 

And not necessarily for the fine. It's against the rules in the NBA to kneel, etc. But Snowflake Pence just tweeted out #winning in response to this, and I think that might be enough for me.

[MWV]

I might be out on the NFL next year.

Between the ongoing concussion crisis (plus the League's response to it), the willful misrepresentation of player's exercising their first amendment rights as disrespect to the country, and the use of the players as props for military recruitment, it is hard to justify being a fan of the NFL. I understand that the league's primary interest is making money, but the extent to which the NFL treats its athletes like fungible assets has become impossible to support. The debate surrounding last season's player protests presented another opportunity for the NFL and its owners to listen to players concerns and treat them like humans, and they fucked it up again.

 

I hope the players STILL kneel during the anthem. Let the teams rack up fines, who cares? And if the stupid owners who voted for this rule don't like it, they can explain to the fans why they're cutting good players

Those same owners already successfully colluded against Kaepernick. Their likely to succeed against Eric Reid, as well. Players who run afoul of these rules will be effectively black balled from the NFL. That they can now point to monetary penalties as the rationale for cutting players who exercise their first amendment rights will only make this easier for owners. It's now a business decision, not a personal/political one.

[Derwood]

I essentially stopped watching the NFL on the regular well before the Kaepernick stuff happened. Now I'll be actively avoiding it & talking horsefeathers on it as often as I can.

 

This over the top, faux patriotism & fetishization of the military has gotten so gross.

 

The fetishization is just business. When the US Military is one of your chief corporate sponsors, you make rules to appease them

[CyHawk_Cub]

I essentially stopped watching the NFL on the regular well before the Kaepernick stuff happened. Now I'll be actively avoiding it & talking horsefeathers on it as often as I can.

 

This over the top, faux patriotism & fetishization of the military has gotten so gross.

 

The fetishization is just business. When the US Military is one of your chief corporate sponsors, you make rules to appease them

 

[ConstableRabbit]

Irrespective of their thoughts on the protest vehicle, whether it's disrespectful, etc., how can the owners invest *this* much time to crafting a document that looks like a god damned legal memo and not realize how tone deaf it is. Spend the time addressing some of the stuff these guys are protesting, FFS.

[Derwood]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[UK]

Obviously it's an idiotic rule. If a player faces the other way or holds up a USA flag upside down, can there be a fine?

[squally1313]

I hope the players STILL kneel during the anthem. Let the teams rack up fines, who cares? And if the stupid owners who voted for this rule don't like it, they can explain to the fans why they're cutting good players

 

This. I'm not sure how this announcement did anything to make this better. The players didn't want this, and they aren't getting fined directly and there's no way on-field penalties. Make the NFL fine their shitty owner and then it'll just be more of a controversy when the owner calls out individual players.

[Brian]

respect to the Jets

 

“I do not like imposing any club-specific rules,” Johnson said. “If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.”

[Derwood]

respect to the Jets

 

“I do not like imposing any club-specific rules,” Johnson said. “If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.”

 

But did the Jets vote to implement the rule?

[bcl412]

I feel the players will be more inclined to kneel. Next season could be interesting.

[NOLA]

This is exactly the appropriate time to peacefully protest by burning the flag.

[soccer10k]

I feel the players will be more inclined to kneel. Next season could be interesting.

 

I’d really like to see them come out Week 1 and do a mass kneel like they did the one week last year after Trump ranted about them. I mean, I hope they do it every week but even doing it once right off the bat would be a big Eff You to the league.

[CyHawk_Cub]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Sage Rosenfels is on a roll...

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[MWV]

Obviously it's an idiotic rule. If a player faces the other way or holds up a USA flag upside down, can there be a fine?

The rule states that players are required not only to stand, but also to "show respect" during the anthem. The language is purposefully vague. The whole thing is such a shameful, needless capitulation to Trumpists. Would they really abandon the NFL? Where would they go? CFL?

?

[WrigleyField 22]

Obviously it's an idiotic rule. If a player faces the other way or holds up a USA flag upside down, can there be a fine?

The rule states that players are required not only to stand, but also to "show respect" during the anthem. The language is purposefully vague. The whole thing is such a shameful, needless capitulation to Trumpists. Would they really abandon the NFL? Where would they go? CFL?

?

NFL doesnt just compete against football leagues for viewers eyes.

[Banedon]

Should be fun to see how the NFL likes it when only a couple of the most hick players from each team are present for the anthem.

[Derwood]

respect to the Jets

 

“I do not like imposing any club-specific rules,” Johnson said. “If somebody [on the Jets] takes a knee, that fine will be borne by the organization, by me, not the players. I never want to put restrictions on the speech of our players. Do I prefer that they stand? Of course. But I understand if they felt the need to protest. There are some big, complicated issues that we’re all struggling with, and our players are on the front lines. I don’t want to come down on them like a ton of bricks, and I won’t. There will be no club fines or suspensions or any sort of repercussions. If the team gets fined, that’s just something I’ll have to bear.”

 

But did the Jets vote to implement the rule?

 

He did vote for it, so this is a weird mixed message.

[Banedon]

[tweet]

[/tweet]