I just think it's beneath the office to even comment on bullshit like this. Oblahblah did the same thing many times. You're the friggin PRESIDENT! Clowns that don't kneel shouldn't take up one second of your time. Think about the really important stuff, not this petty shit.
And these asshats just play games for a living. I'm not "mad" at them, I can't give fewer shits. Who gives a rats ass what they think? Entertain me, jester! You work to entertain me, not cure cancer or make whirled peas a reality. LOL I'm not interested in their opinions about anything, except the game....maybe.
There are lots of d-bags in the world. I try to ignore them whenever possible.
Not only is it beneath the office of president, but now people are "taking a knee" not so much to protest whatever-the-hell-it-was-that-Kaepernick-was-protesting, but rather as a way of saying 'screw you' to Trump. By inserting himself into this (because with Trump, it's always about HIM) every anti-Trump athlete can now make an anti-Trump statement by not standing during the anthem.
Martin
If you love your freedom, thank a veteran. If you love to party, thank the Beastie Boys. They fought for that right.
I agree with this, but what these player's saying "screw you Trump" fail to realize (or just don't care), is that 50% (possibly more if we are being honest) of the country voted for Trump, and that is a huge chunk of your fan base to be alienating (not saying all Trump supporters watch pro football, but the numbers would still be significant).
I think the players know exactly what they're doing. And yes, the "screw you" is not just for Trump, it's for the people who voted for him. If you have the stomach for it, go onto some lefty web pages or check your lefty family members facebook feeds - the only people they hate more than Trump are the people who voted for him.
As far as alienating the fan base, I doubt the athletes care. It's not like boycotting Chick-Fil-A and going to Wendy's instead - there's not another competing football league for people to watch. Are people really going to give up watching football altogether? A few - a very few - might, but most are so locked into the habit of watching every Sunday, Monday or Thursday that they're going to keep watching, no matter what the players do.
Martin
If you love your freedom, thank a veteran. If you love to party, thank the Beastie Boys. They fought for that right.
You're right that the athletes don't care but more people than you think are in fact giving up watching football altogether -- or at least NFL football. Some will migrate to college football. Others will watch ice hockey. I have found other things to occupy my Monday nights and Sunday days and if I really want to watch some athleticism, look online for some rugby. In fairness, I gave up football a few years ago when even the Super Bowl commercials started to suck but for others, this has been the last straw.
Agree.
I had become a huge fan of the game itself, and not so much one team in particular (although would root for Denver when they were playing), but I just loved watching good football. All of that is behind me now, and if I want football I'll watch on Saturday (college).
A buddy of mine at work is quite possibly THE biggest Bronco fan I know, and even has a Bronco tattoo covering the majority of his back, after this weekend he is done, and has even expressed getting his tattoo covered by an American flag....
I don't think the hardcore fans will turn off. And I don't even think people will turn off NFL because they disagree with the protests - instead, I think people who turn off will be the ones who are sick and tired of seeing politics pollute and defile even the simple pleasures of our lives.
If I invited someone over to a barbecue and they spent the entire time spouting off with their political beliefs, they wouldn't be invited back, even if I completely agreed with everything they said.
There ought to be some parts of our lives that are outside politics.
Martin
If you love your freedom, thank a veteran. If you love to party, thank the Beastie Boys. They fought for that right.