[Bucco]

Originally Posted by Nucky

I am happy to see that your view has evolved since the first day this issue was HOT last year.

People are going to feel and believe and speak and act and type whatever they wish about this issue. More power to them.

I wish the Political Forum was open so these subjects could be fully explored without tiptoeing around the Forum Rules.

I remember being taught to STAND AND SALUTE THE FLAG in kindergarten. No one would have dared to take a knee in class then or at a professional sporting event. No Way. The question is what changed and what gives a Professional Athlete the option of deciding which way to go in public? When they are on the clock they are not paid to think about anything except the sport they are paid to entertain us playing in.

Riddle me this???? Why no display's of disrespect (My Opinion) No Link. For Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Field Hockey, The Olympic's etc? Makes you wonder why just Football doesn't it??

I wish one of the Yankees tried this when George Steinbrenner was alive. Think there was a reason he was called "The Boss"?

If you do not get the intent of the standing and why in football, then you just flat out do not understand what the issue is, and it is NOT about disrespect. It was made political and there it remains, while we seem to ignore snubbing our noses at the systems, beliefs, morals and all the goodness that flag was meant to represent.

Nobody who demeans EVER these players, comments on what the flag represents or understands that these players KNOW what it stands for.

These players, nor most Americans have a chance to demonstrate or show how they feel about the abuse of war heroes, the first ammendment, or the values that are the TRUE meaning of our flag.

I do not like the demonstration either, but I know why they demonstrate....I do not know how those who oppose this kneeling can possibly justify the standards that the flag actually represents and then stand by while those virtues being trod on and that is not a political statement as the opposition to this demonstration is and has always been, the political statement.

As those who attend church on Sunday then sin all week are looked upon as phony and false christians, I still maintain that standing for the anthem and then turning your back on all that it actually means makes anyone who does that a phony patriot bound by politics.

When I attended kindergarten I learned history, and the values that made this country great. That I still hold in my heart. Those folks who in recent times buried and burnt the flag...I didn't like that either, but I listened and investigated their reasons and the message. Most of what they were upset about was financial but they used the flag to show their disapproval.

We seem to be now a country who instead of values worship people, and since we demean war heroes if not in agreement politically, then perhaps we just do not understand the true meaning of the flag or patriotism. And lets be clear......disagreeing with someone politically is not wrong, but disagreeing and mocking service of heroes is much worse than what these players are doing.

The National Anthem does not need to be played before every single sporting event. It is forced patriotism that has diluted the power of the message of standing at attention before the flag.

A sporting event is a glorified movie, and no movie theater plays the National Anthem before the next showing of “Jason Bourne.”

We are numb to the song, the music and the message. There should be an impact to the message when we stand at attention. And the message is standing for the ideal and what we aspire for America, not always what it is. Some stand at sporting events with tears in their eyes.....some share a hot dog at that time....others use it as time to visit the rest room.

Lets begin to respect the ideals furled with the flag and instead of political toys with forced patriotism, lets try the real thing and criticize the ongoing war on all our foundations.

[Moderator]

The topic is the new NFL "kneeling" policy and a poll on whether you agree or disagree. If the discussion continues to veer away from the topic, the thread/poll will be closed.

Thanks for you cooperation.

Moderator

[Nucky]

I Agree with the Policy with all My Heart. It is a Policy to Stand. Making it about kneeling makes it sound like it is an possible option.

[C4Boston]

When you are an employee of a company or organization you become a representative of that employer and are there to perform a task and present the employer in the best light possible. What you do away from the job on your own time is your business but certainly not on company time or property.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by C4Boston

When you are an employee of a company or organization you become a representative of that employer and are there to perform a task and present the employer in the best light possible. What you do away from the job on your own time is your business but certainly not on company time or property.

Just out of curiosity, did you feel the same way when Tim Tebow...publicly interjected his religion into the NFL?


And for the record, I supported Tebow's right to kneel/pray...as well as support those now kneeling for other reasons.


I would even support a Muslim who chose to publicly pray toward Mecca, but I'm betting there would be a whole lotta folks...that would go ballistic if that were to happen.


Oh the hypocrisy.

[rivaridger1]

I apologize up front, but I am an old dude who long ago after military service renounced what is called " racism ". I can not help but feel it is being perpetuated but those that profit by doing so. White activists, black activists and particularly " the media ". That's were the money goes. Let's just take a look around and acknowledge our society is a lot different then it was in the 1950s. There are an awful lot of people being enriched by constantly stirring things up. They deserve to get their " pink notices ".

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

I can not agree or disagree. I think these players who are paid enormous sums of money, should shows leadership. So I do not want them to kneel during our national anthem. I don't think they should be allowed to skip it by staying in the locker room. They get the privilege to play and get paid the way they do because of those who gave so much to this country. And by kneeling they show disrespect to those who gave.

On the other hand they deserve to have free speech just like everyone else.

I don't support what they do and believe they should find a different venue and time to express their views.

There is a time and place for everything. Protesting as they do is the wrong time and the wrong place.

The new policy is all about money and nothing else. The owners are alarmed at declining revenues, period.

[TomOB]

You don't watch the NFL for the anthem, so if you don't like the kneeling, ignore it like you do racism and police brutality.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by TomOB

You don't watch the NFL for the anthem, so if you don't like the kneeling, ignore it like you do racism and police brutality.

Very succinct!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by TomOB

You don't watch the NFL for the anthem, so if you don't like the kneeling, ignore it like you do racism and police brutality.

Excellent idea. Especially since before the protests started, the networks never showed the national anthem before football games. They sold that time to advertising. Makes you wonder what their motivation was.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by TomOB

You don't watch the NFL for the anthem, so if you don't like the kneeling, ignore it like you do racism and police brutality.

I sure do wish for the talent to be so brief but yet capture the thought that needs captured..

WELL done

[fishon]

I used to enjoy football.
Then, I stopped caring.
Now, I hope that the NFL goes out of business.
College football is also no good.
Thank you Joe Paterno for showing us what a lovely bunch the NCAA can be. Football ueber alles!

[tomwed]

"The quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is questioning whether he should continue to play football and a Baltimore Ravens lineman has already quit after the publication of a new study that showed brain damage in 110 out of 111 deceased NFL players.

The study, published July 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has been construed by some analysts as the death rattle of football. "Could football ever end?" a columnist in The Wall Street Journal asked, while Forbes headlined an article on the research "The CTE study that could kill football."

110 out of 111

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by TomOB

You don't watch the NFL for the anthem, so if you don't like the kneeling, ignore it like you do racism and police brutality.

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

Very succinct!

Originally Posted by CFrance

Excellent idea. Especially since before the protests started, the networks never showed the national anthem before football games. They sold that time to advertising. Makes you wonder what their motivation was.

Yep!

[retiredguy123]

The policy stinks. When players knelt for the anthem, they were revealing themselves as being unpatriotic. Now, there is no way to tell who is patriotic and who is not, because you are forcing people to act patriotic even if they are not. It's kind of like when you force someone to apoligize for something. The apology is worthless because you never know if it is genuine.