Kaepernick says he’ll stand for anthem if given chance to play in NFL again

Discussion in 'Political Discussions' started by me again, Oct 8, 2017.

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  1. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    CBS reporter Jason La Canfora said that Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who started the protest of kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games, will now stand during the anthem, IF he is given a chance to play in the NFL again.

    Click here to hear CBS reporter Jason La Canfora.
     
  2. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    It looks like fake news.

    Kaepernick's girlfriend claimed he never said it and then CBS retracted it.

    CBS Retracts Story that Kaepernick Would Stand for Anthem if Signed - Breitbart

    CBS clarifies after saying Kaepernick would stand for anthem | Pro32: Head to Head
     
  3. jhp

    jhp Member

    News reporting is dead. Long live the click-bait word salad.
     
  4. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    A real leader would have talked to the players and listened to their point of view, regardless of whether he agreed with them or not. Pence showing up knowing full well that he was planning to leave right away was just a media stunt that I would call "cheap" if it hadn't cost taxpayers a bundle in security costs.
     
  6. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Yeah, that was a huge PR stunt that was planned out already. I agree that was a costly stunt. Boy, these drain the swamp guys sure play fast and loose with other people's money.
     
  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  8. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

  9. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    There's no reason to listen to anything that pro football players have to say. If they want to say "Fuck America", the best response is probably just to tune them and their game out. We aren't obligated to watch pro football. The only reason to pay attention is if it's fun.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2017
  10. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    That "moron" is responding to threats from North Korea. It's about time that someone did.
     
  11. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    But, that's not what they're saying, and you don't know that because you're not listening. I saw a poll that showed that 82% of black Americans agree with the protest, but I guess you believe that black Americans should just be ignored by the president and vice president. Well, we're used to being ignored. If this administration actually cared about being the administration for all Americans, then they would listen to the football players because their views are in line with those of tens of millions black Americans.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2017
  12. jhp

    jhp Member

    I saw an other poll that showed that 83% of black Americans have only a vague idea what the kneeling is all about.

    So my 83 beats your 82. :D

    By setting up a response of "you're not listening" it is an immediate short circuit to no discourse.
     
  13. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Sports fan says: "If you kneel, then I walk [out]"

    The actions of Vice President Pence spoke volumes and accomplished more than what a "lecture" could ever hope to achieve. Actions speak louder than words. It's a two-way street, isn't it?

    The First Amendment prevents the government from jailing athletes who exercise their free speech rights. However, the First Amendment does not prevent the owner of a corporation from terminating the employment of an athlete who refuses to abide by company rules.

    It was a private football game (not run by the government), so a government leader does not have the authority to commandeer the privately owned microphone to "lecture" athletes (unless the owner invites him to do so).
     
  14. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    1. Athletes kneel.
    2. Vice President Pence walks.
    3. Sports fans protest by not buying tickets.

    It's the American way and it has nothing to do with "believing that Black Americans should be ignored." That's apples and oranges. What you see unfolding is a form of protest -- to include people walking out of sports events or refusing to buy tickets. It's the way the system should work.

    There is unequivocally an issue with prejudice and reverse-prejudice in the United States. Anyone who will not admit it is either sheltered, blind or is a liar. It's different for everyone. There are some rich sheltered White people who have genuinely not seen or experienced prejudice. They are genuinely blind to it because they've been sheltered from it, due to their elevated socioeconomic insulation. Conversely, there are people of color who hate Whites, simply because they are White. What is the answer?

    Communists take advantage of deep seated hatred that is rooted in culture. Communists foment cultural hatreds by trying to create uprisings (antifa), revolts and chaos. It is in and from chaos that Communists seek to bring order -- and to rise in governmental power. It's a classic demonic strategy that is as old as the ancient serpent. Divide and then conquer.
     
  15. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    I've probably been paying attention to this longer than you have, since I follow the San Francisco 49ers. Here's what Colin Kaepernick told the press then he first refused to stand for the national anthem:

    "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color"

    That's very clear, a rejection not only of the flag and the national anthem, but of the country for which they stand.

    Other players have subsequently said that the fact that they are celebrities and have the media pointed at them gives them a big stage, and they wanted to make use of the attention they receive to make a statement.

    And most recently, the standing but linking arms thing seems to symbolize that 'We are a band of brothers out there on the field, we fight and defend each other, and none of this will divide us'.

    Vice President Pence used his celebrity, the fact that media was trained on him, to make his own statement. Because of his position, he represents the United States of America.

    The difference between his statement and that of the players, is that his was made on behalf of a common identity, a common loyalty that should unite us, something that everyone (black, white, rich, poor, Republican, Democrat) supposedly share in common. Playing the national anthem at football games symbolizes that even though there's going to be a little war out there on the football field this afternoon, it's just a game and in real life we are all members of a bigger team.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2017
  16. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    If Kaepernick had something to offer NFL teams, he'd have a job by now. His talent level just isn't even close enough to offset the distractions he'd bring, and the fury from a lot of the fans.

    He made his bed, he can lie in it now.
     
  17. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    Robert Griffin ('RG3') isn't signed either. Both of them are very similar quarterbacks in football terms, even if RG3 doesn't have the political baggage.

    My belief is that Kaepernick still sees himself as a starter. He doesn't want to be a backup, he demands a big contract and at least an opportunity to compete for the starting spot on any team he signs with. So any team that signs him will be signing a quarterback controversy. As soon as their current starter struggles, the demands to 'Put in Kaepernick!' will start.

    Sure, the political angle is just piled on top of the football angle. Teams know that if they sign Kaepernick, the "news" media will be in their faces day and night, looking for any signs of racial/political tensions (real or imagined) in the locker room and between the players and the coaches.

    And players often seem to forget that directly or indirectly, it's the fans who pay their salaries. Owners do get a lot of their money from the NFL's TV contracts, but those TV contracts will only be lucrative if lots of eyeballs tune in. Football isn't just about player pride and solidarity in the locker room, it's about pleasing as many fans as possible.

    That's why politicizing the game is such a terrible move. Football needs to be fun and enjoyable for as many people as possible. People aren't obligated to tune in or buy tickets. When pro football stops being fun, people will start walking away. We might already be seeing that.
     
  18. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Sportsfan says: "If he kneels, then I walk [out]"

    Yes, sports has been hijacked by politics in a way that the United States has never seen.

    In future sports venues with other countries, the foreigners will stand for their national anthems. It will be very strange if United States athletes kneel when the U.S. national anthem is played. The world will be watching.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2017
  19. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Abner, is your comment academic or edifying or does it help anyone in a constructive way? Are you building up your countrymen or tearing them down? (Matthew 5:37)
     
  20. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter earlier today to NFL club presidents that begins with this paragraph:

    "We live in a country that can feel very divided. Sports, and especially the NFL, brings people together and lets them set aside those divisions, at least for a few hours. The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country."

    So the league is apparently recognizing that they are losing many of their fans. Further down in the letter, Goodell says:

    "Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us. We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues. The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players."

    It's pretty clear that the league office feels caught between many fans on one side and many of the black players on the other. They can't risk further alienating either side. So what do they propose to do?

    "Building on many discussions with clubs and players, we have worked to develop a plan that we will review with you at next week's League meeting. This would include such elements as an in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues, and that will help to promote positive change in our country."

    It sounds to me like they are going to try to please the players by doing something to promote football teams becoming more like political activist organizations "promoting positive change in our country" (with 'positive' defined by the Kaepernick-ists). But to avoid losing the fans, they are going to try to move the political shit off the field during games.

    It isn't clear whether any rule changes to enforce standing during the national anthem are contemplated. Goodell says that he's been in discussions during the last week with the NFLPA and these proposals presumably reflect that.

    https://www.facebook.com/AdamSchefter/posts/1646218148764153
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2017

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