NFL backs off anthem rule for now.

[Brian37]

To the credit of public backlash, and the players, and even a few team owners, the league has put the rule on hold. I think long term, the NFL is simply hoping 45 will stop interfering and some of the owners were simply too cowardly and scared and afraid of losing a chunk of their audience on the right.

Even though the Giants are in the same division as the team I root for, Washington, the owner has said the players WILL NOT be punished if they protest. I am also proud of the Eagles for refusing to meet with the orange fuckface as is a tradition for pro sports teams. 

There is a fallacy that those on the left are trying to dictate to the owners. No, but we are saying some values are worth far more than profits, and standing up for your fellow citizen, especially those you make money off of, is ALWAYS the right thing to do. What is sad is that it is 2018 and we are seeing the same fear mongering and xenophobia coming from our top politician that those living in the 60s used.

But, the good thing is, the more people who do what the republicans always defend in "the free market", they have no right to bitch when we appeal to the NFL and win. If we are the consumers then we have that right. 

The players are NOT spoiled. They are not saying "black lives matter more". They do not hate America. They are simply saying black lives matter as well. And on top of that, a politician insisting on forced patriotism is dangerous. 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-yo...2018-07-21

[Angrboda]

Sadly, rather than calmer sea ahead, we seem poised to enter a limbo in which nobody's sure what is and what isn't going to occur.

[Brian37]

Sadly, rather than calmer sea ahead, we seem poised to enter a limbo in which nobody's sure what is and what isn't going to occur.

Yes and no. Outside sports, President Shithole has behaved in a very bad way that we have never seen any President prior behave.

But, when you use your voice as a consumer, you can make change. It may not be an all out back off, not right now no, but the Giants and Eagles in this case have put their foot down, which means when you use your voice it can work. 

Just like black sports stars in the 60s in every sport and the Olympics used their voices to make change.

I think the key with the owners is to keep pounding the fact to them, that there are some values that are far more important than profits. Even being mostly old white guys, even they are old enough to remember the cold war and forced patriotism, even if they don't want to face the racism 45 piles on top of his vile rhetoric.

Hitler also used sports to sell his hyper nationalism and racial superiority.

[Rev. Rye]

But, the good thing is, the more people who do what the republicans always defend in "the free market", they have no right to bitch when we appeal to the NFL and win. If we are the consumers then we have that right. 

That shit is nothing new. In the days before the Civil War, Southerners crowed a lot about States' Rights. It was probably the second-biggest issue to them. However, the minute their #2 issue conflicted with their #1 issue, they completely stopped giving a shit about #2. When the Fugitive Slave Act of 1851 was passed, demanding that even free states take part in the hunt for runaway slaves, nobody batted an eyelash at the blatant violation of state's rights. When the territory of Kansas ended up being taken over by pro-slavery groups whose views were diametrically opposed to the people there, well, when someone called them out on it on the Senate floor, he was almost beaten to death with a cane. The states' righters, however, responded by sending the guy who did it new canes. The Dred Scott decision temporarily destroyed the distinction between free and slave states by ruling that Congress had no right to ban slavery. Note: I have been able to find a real-life Shigalyovist, one who one-upped Shigalyov by saying 95% of people should be slaves and the other 5% should be masters, but I have not been able to find any instances of pro-slavery, pro-States Rights, Southerners who decried the blatant contradiction between these three measures and their beloved states' rights.

[Minimalist]

Borowitz wrote a column saying that the WLB wants the players to kneel for the Russian Anthem.

[Brian37]

Borowitz wrote a column saying that the WLB wants the players to kneel for the Russian Anthem.

President Shithole has certainly been behaving like that.

[Rev. Rye]

Borowitz wrote a column saying that the WLB wants the players to kneel for the Russian Anthem.

The sad thing is the Russian anthem is probably the most rousing national anthem out there:

[Silver]

[Brian37]

If nationalism constituted morality Hitler would have been right. It isn't patriotism to vilify pluralism and equality.

[Amarok]

For people who try and use solders as props against the players