OT. John Adams and Football

[Dean Hoffman]

Commentary about Americans playing some version of football long ago.

I guess the NFL is finally getting around to playing its last game of the 2022 season tomorrow.

[Wade Garrett]

I don't care.

I quit following the NFL after they let the ninnies kneel during the National Anthem to "protest." This against their country where each of them are paid millions of dollars to run, block, throw, kick or catch a funny-shaped inflatable instead of doing something useful, helpful or productive with their lives.

[invalid unparseable]

I quit following NFL with their commercialization where a two minute warning might take a half hour to complete. Politicization drove us further away.

[Cindy Hamilton]

So we should put you down in the "against free speech" column, then?

[Wade Garrett]

Do you have a job? Would your company allow you to start off Monday mornings with a disruptive, disrespectful display like that in front of customers, vendors and suppliers, community members?

I am very much for the first amendment. I regularly exercise it in my home, on the street corner, in the town square, in letters to the editor, and on Instagram Twitter and even usenet.

If I pulled a stunt at my workplace like those NFL thugs, I'd be down at the unemployment office in a heartbeat Your employer expects you to behave reflecting decorum, respect, good manners....

[Scott Lurndal]

While it is your _opinion_ that the display was disruptive and disrepectful, that's not actually fact. Others (many, many, even most) disagree with your perspective on this issue.

Analogies are slippery and often bogus.

[invalid unparseable]

Cindy and commie Bob are clueless with their free speech comments.

[Ed Pawlowski]

You should change jobs. My boss (the owner) expected and respected my honest opinion. Honesty is good manners.

[Dean Hoffman]

The NFL isn't as much to watch since John Madden and his turducken are gone. I know he didn't create it. The referees do a pretty good job overall. Slow motion replays show them right a lot of times.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Not anymore, and no. Did the NFL do anything? It was such a non-event to me, that I simply don't recall. I just can't get worked up about what transpires when grown men are playing a game for a living.

And what did Kaepernick's team management expect (and that of the other players)? They let it go on for some time.

I see that Russian internet bots and trolls amplified what was essentially a tempest in a teapot.

[Wade Garrett]

Why should I change jobs? I like what I do and my boss expects honesty too-- and I give it to her...politely and like a gentleman.

At work, I don't rant my political or religious beliefs, opinions about various racial and ethnic groups, what is and isn't mental illness, what sexual practices are deviant, or whether abortion should be legal or not.

I just do my job to the best of my ability...without drama and not throwing a big wake while still in the harbor or channel.

Guess that's how I made it to the C-suite ;-)

[hubops]

I have no idea what the C-suite is .. sorry.

But sometimes - with the big social issues - a group of people must assert their rights -

- in order to be heard - as a gesture of revolt - rather than disrespect. America is very familar with revolt - why is it so difficult to understand it - in this era .. ? John T.

[Ed Pawlowski]

So you repress your opinion. Got it.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Fancy titles, like Chief Cook and Bottle washer.

Sometimes you have to express your opinions.

[Scott Lurndal]

And easy for someone with a sole proprietership to claim.

[micky]

That will teach the NFL.

I don't know why you say it's against the country. It's against something bad that some people in the country are doing. If they didn't think the country could rectify this, they would bother to complain. This implies support for the country.

Don't many of the people you admire, many of those in Congress, for example, also complain about bad things that some people in the country are doing?

If the guys who fixed cars or mowed lawns protested, no one would know or care.

To whom much is given, much will be required.

Do we know what they do with the rest of their lives, or what they do with their money?

[invalid unparseable]

Our first amendment rights do not extend to the workplace and the employer can fire you for voicing opinions that are detrimental to his business.

This same enlargement has been used by our left to justify censorship imposed by Twitter and Facebook on Republicans as these are private businesses. Gets messy as both have become public platforms and collusion with government on censorship has been proven.

This is not the case with professional sports. Football suffered from players positions and they could have been fired.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Evidently the owners were feelings were not hurt enough to fire them and chose to keep making money from them instead.

[micky]

But the NFL players weren't ranting. They were aiui not saying a word, just quietly kneeling while everyone else continued on with the pledge.

None of that happened at the NFL games. they wouuldn't have even been noticed by tv watchers if the camera hadn't gone there, and I'm not sure even the people in the stands would have noticed. Some might have been looking at the flag, and some might have thought they were praying.

[invalid unparseable]

Their choice but it was not their feelings hurt but their income and they could have nipped it in the bud by a couple of firings. But, they are rich and it is just a hobby so they don't care.