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Title: NFL Anthem Protests Continue As Owners Dither, Trump Agitates, Fans React
Source:
Deadline
URL Source: http://deadline.com/2017/10/nfl-ant ... -agitates-fans-act-1202192702/
Published: Oct 22, 2017
Author: Bruce Haring
Post Date: 2017-10-23 13:49:34 by nolu chan
Keywords: None
Views: 2719
Comments: 14
NFL Anthem Protests Continue As Owners Dither, Trump Agitates, Fans React by Bruce Haring National anthem protests continued during Week 7 in the National Football League, although the headcount of those kneeling or otherwise acting out during the song has greatly diminished, mirroring media coverage of the actions. Both protesting players and those opposed to their tactics now seem locked-in on their respective stances on the righteousness of the protests. The same players who protested in previous weeks either stayed in the locker room, kneeled or sat, while many teams stood and locked arms in a compromise maneuver. On the other side, President Donald Trump keeps trying to stir the pot against their actions, this week by calling on Americans to sign a petition asking the NFL to make it mandatory to stand. The league has merely said players “should” stand, but has, so far, refused to order them to do so. Fans also register disapproval in various ways, some through stated boycotts, others by turning off their television or not attending games. One fan even hired a plane to fly over the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium during its game with a banner reading, “Be American. Boycott the Jags and the NFL.” Meanwhile, most team owners seemingly wring their hands and hope it all goes away, with a few outspoken exceptions. Commissioner Roger Goodell, owners, player representatives and others met in New York for two days this week, with declining TV ratings and other signs of diminishing fan interest the main topics. Little to nothing was publicly resolved at the meetings, as players’ right to free speech and the desire by owners to have the football business prosper seem on separate planets. There has been some vague talk of providing a platform for player social activism outside of the games, but those plans seem to have little appeal on either side. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the anthem protests last year, added to the NFL woes this week. He filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association over his seeming banishment from the league. Kaepernick, a free agent, has not been signed by any team, even as some quarterbacks viewed as lesser-talents in some quarters have been enlisted by teams. He has hired high-profile attorney Mark Geragos to represent him. In this week’s Sunday games, all members of the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars stood for the anthem. However, one of the biggest protests was again registered by the San Francisco 49ers. For the second week in a row, the 49ers had seven players kneel. Safety Eric Reid, linebacker Reuben Foster, linebacker Eli Harold, safety Adrian Colbert, cornerback K’Wann Williams and receiver Marquise Goodwin all took a knee during the anthem. The rest of the 49ers locked arms and stood. Dallas Cowboy David Irving held a fist over his heart during the national anthem and then briefly raised it after the song’s conclusion. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews remained in the locker room during the national anthem before the team’s game with the Cleveland Browns, as he has for four consecutive weeks. His teammates stood, but linebacker Wesley Woodyard and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey raised a right fist after the anthem. All members of the Browns stood. At Miami, receiver Kenny Stills, tight end Julius Thomas and safety Michael Thomas continued their weeks-long protest, remaining in the tunnel during the national anthem. The Dolphins have instituted a team rule that all players must stand if they are on the sidelines, but gave them the option to remain in the tunnel. The three players were loudly booed by the crowd when they emerged. The three players previously have taken a knee, most prominently in the Dolphins game in London against the New Orleans Saints in week four. Their opponents today, the New York Jets, stood as a team with arms locked, joined by owner Christopher Johnson. Speaking of the Saints, most of that team knelt in unity before the national anthem in their game against Green Bay, then rose to stand during the actual song. Several players and coaches locked arms. The Indianapolis Colts continued wearing their black t-shirts during warm-ups. The shirts say “We Will” on the front and “Stand for equality, justice, unity, respect, dialogue, opportunity” on the back. However, all players on the Colts stood with arms locked during the anthem for the third week in a row. The sound of the national anthem prompted about 50 people to kneel outside of the Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in protest of police violence. They drew stares, boos and some limited support from passing fans, according to a news report. The protesters organized chants and held up cardboard signs that read “Got privilege?” and “Stop pretending your racism is patriotism.” Inside the stadium, the Vikings had several team members link arms during the anthem, but otherwise stood. In Buffalo, no members of the Buffalo Bills kneeled. However, four players stood behind their teammates’ line, including Mike Tolbert, Kaelin Clay, Shareece Wright and Jerel Worthy. In the late afternoon games, outspoken Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett and several teammates sat on the bench before their game against the New York Giants at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Bennett was joined by injured player Cliff Avril, Sheldon Richardson, Frank Clark, Marcus Smith, Quinton Jefferson, Branden Jackson and Nazair Jones. Linebacker Michael Wilhoite took a knee, while center Justin Britt stood with his hand on Bennett’s shoulder and guard Oday Aboushi did the same with Jones. New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon again knelt during the anthem. He was not in uniform and inactive. Vernon, one of the highest-paid Giants, has knelt for the previous three games, the only Giants players to have protested so extensively. In Los Angeles, left tackle Russell Okung, who has been outspoken that the players should continue their protests, stood with his teammates during the national anthem, but raised his right fist. Okung attended the New York meetings with owners to discuss how protests would be handled moving forward. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, some team members took a knee in the end zone prior to the national anthem before their game with the Cincinnati Bengals, then joined their teammates to stand on the sidelines. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Comment: Or as NFL Commissioner Goodell puts it to the American people, the NFL still has about 6 or 7 players protesting.
Deadline
October 22, 2017 11:19am
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#1. To: All (#0)
October 22, 2017 Several NFL stadiums are nearly empty post kick-off as the National Anthem controversy rolls into week 7. - - - - - - - - - - https://patriot.report/just-in-nfl-humiliated-after-half-empty-stadium-pictures-go-viral/ Pictures from around the league at link. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Week 7 - NFL Claimed Attendance This first section shows what NFL 100% attendance means. 100% – Jax @ Ind [lots of empty seats] 100% – Carolina @ Chicago (61,256/61500, 100%??) [lots of empty seats.] 100% – NYJ @ Miami (65,025/65326 100% ??) [Pix don't lie.] 100% – Dallas @ SF Officially, there were 70,233 in a stadium with max capacity of 68,500. Pix don't lie. http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/22/dwight-clark-day-san-francisco-49ers-dallas-cowboys/ By Dieter Kurtenbach | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com SANTA CLARA — 49ers fans didn’t live up to their “Faithful” billing on Sunday. When the whistle blew to signal the end of the first half of Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, I saw a torrent of fans at the not-even-close-to-full Levi’s Stadium — many wearing Cowboys blue, but just as many in red and gold — head to the concourse. I’m not sure if they could see the well-deserved and heartwrenching halftime ceremony for 49ers’ great Dwight Clark, who is battling ALS and wanted to see his teammates — flown in for the occasion — “one last time”, but I do know that Clark couldn’t see them, because they weren’t in their seats. Clark deserved better. [...] 100% — NO @ Green Bay = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 81% — Tenn @ Cleve 87% — KC @ LA Raiders (Thur night) 89% — AZ @ LA Rams 94% — Tampa Bay @ Buffalo 95% — Seattle @ NYG 96% — Atlanta @ New England (Sunday Night) 25,388 – Denver @ LA Chargers) ------- — Wash @ Phila (Monday night) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NFL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 1. 1,044,412 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Green Bay numerology. Capacity is listed every week as 72,298. Attendance is listed at 100% every week. Week 1 — 78,381 With NFL arithmetic, GB could report 6,000 less in attendance and still report 100% attendance. - - - - - - - - - -
http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2017/10/22/nfl-teams-play-before-empty-stadiums-as-fan-backlash-spreads/ by Dylan Gwinn It’s not necessarily news, that no one watches the Cleveland Browns. After all, Cleveland has lost 22 of their last 23 games and seems determined to set new marks for organizational futility. So the fact that the Browns can’t draw flies, shouldn’t necessarily cause alarm bells to go off. However, because emptying stadiums seems to be the one thing the Browns do well, let’s give them their due by showing the “crowd” that assembled in Cleveland for the Browns-Titans game this Sunday: [image omitted] Okay, now that we’ve paid homage to the team that wrote the book on sports futility. Let’s show some teams that are slightly less familiar with fan alienation. Here’s Soldier Field on Sunday, as the Bears took on the Panthers: [images omitted] Granted, the Bears came into this game with a 2-4 mark, and were by no means lighting the world on fire. However, they have a 1st round draft pick making his second start, in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and the Panthers coming in with a 4-2 record. To be clear, no way would this game ever get America’s Game of the Week treatment, but that’s a better game than the crowd size would suggest. [image omitted] Both the Jets and the Dolphins came into this game with records of .500 or over. Both teams are also in the same division, making it a rivalry game as well. Yet, look at the vast emptiness of that stadium. There’s no way that stadium should be so empty: [images omitted] Normally, the Cowboys coming to town means you pack your stadium. Well, not in 2017: [image omitted] Here’s another glimpse from an unsurprising, yet severe example of the fan backlash against the NFL: [Jacksonville @ Indianapolis] [Image omitted] The NFL has a serious attendance problem, one with no end in sight. The Cowboys @ SF 49ers was reported at 100% attendance, as was the Jax and Indy game.
After 8 years of 0dinga as prez and Holder/Lynch as AG, exactly where were these protests when they had other blacks holding high office that could have done more? They hate the GOP and must know they won't get much out of them. So this seems entirely fruitless, a way for the SJWs to trick them into damaging their own sport and their own earnings, all for nothing.
Dear NFL:
October 22, 2017 The NFL is experiencing an unprecedented backlash as players kneel during the National Anthem. The boycott is so bad that the Cleveland Browns, which gives away prizes to fans during games, selected an empty seat for a giveaway. It is not known what the prize was, but whatever it was, it’s quite sad the team has resorted to keeping fans happy at FirstEnergy stadium with giveaways. What’s even more sad is that the seat was empty. Several NFL stadiums are nearly empty post kick-off as the National Anthem controversy rolls into week 7. The Cleveland Browns are playing at home against the Tennessee Titans. Plenty of seats went unfilled.
By William Sullivan What we are witnessing in the media narrative around the NFL protests is the prevailing modus operandi of contemporary leftists seeking to introduce their identity politics into all aspects of American life, even where those politics are unwelcome for most Americans. In fact, we actually saw the left orchestrate something quite similar just a few years ago. Consider the words of an article from 2014 by Neal Gabler, in which he argued that the NFL is the “Last sports bastion of white, male conservatives.” In it, the author cites an Experian Simmons study, noting, in clearly accusatory terms, that 83% of NFL fans were found to be white (sin of sins!), “64% were male, 51 percent were 45 years or older, only 32% made less than $60K per year,” along with the fact that “registered Republicans were 21% more likely to be NFL fans,” and finally, that “NFL fans were 59% more likely than the average American to have played a round of golf in the last year.” The NFL, Gabler offers, is “just a place where rich old angry white men can enjoy their world on Sunday – even if that world may be crumbling around them.” The author doesn’t hide his disdain for the NFL and its fans, whom he believed to be the political villains of the day. But why were they villains? Well, his most prominent argument centered on the “Michael Sam draft saga,” which was proof that they were all homophobes. You see, the media had constructed a narrative that Michael Sam’s draft position, and his subsequent success or failure in the NFL, represented a referendum on NFL fans’ opinion on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. If Sam was drafted low or unsuccessful, it could only be the homophobia of these villains that was to blame. [snip]
By Jason Howerton Before leading the New England Patriots to a 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, star quarterback Tom Brady put his pregame routine on hold to recognize the men and women of the U.S. military. [snip]
Unfortunately that also illustrates the status of the Bread and Circus culture the Idols serve their purpose in.
cornerback K’Wann Williams and receiver Marquise Goodwin all took a knee during the anthem. Well,to be fair to K'Wann,he is from another planet,but I'm a little shocked that Mark Queesy. Who knows,maybe they were just proposing to other players,or just hoping to get a whiff of jock strap from other players walking by? In the entire history of the world,the only nations that had to build walls to keep their own citizens from leaving were those with leftist governments.
The author doesn’t hide his disdain for the NFL and its fans, whom he believed to be the political villains of the day. But why were they villains? Well, his most prominent argument centered on the “Michael Sam draft saga,” which was proof that they were all homophobes. Interesting snip. It and Gabler reveal the self-loathing, homofascist agenda behind the NFL mask.
I regard the NFL-BLM stunt as a VERY "fortunate" quirk of Unintended Consequences by our overlords. They had invented a Cult, an NFL Altar and now the Cult and its Leaders have lost their mojo, their hypnotic control over The Pods. MOREOVER, the overlords have now inadvertently eliminated a yuge part of the Bread & Circus manipulation/diversion while awakening the Sleeping Giant demo out of their stupor: Straight, White, Common-Sense America. This demo now realizes they've been manipulated and fooled. The arrogant Elites have blown this one. BIGLY. We are seeing a simultaneous contempt and suspicion for the PTB with respect to the Vegas Charade. Trump is literally shaking Americans out of their complacent ignorance and coma. No wonder the Elites hate him.
It's not just fans who are missing from the stadiums. I've half-expected this to happen. TheRightScoop: Miami COPS STOP providing security for protesting Dolphins players!!! And now the cops are striking back against the players who foolishly protest during the singing of the national anthem. Here’s what Miami cops did: Florida police officers upset by NFL players kneeling during the national anthem responded by reducing the amount of security Sunday at a Miami Dolphins game. The number of off-duty officers working the event was about a third less than usual, Dade County Police Benevolent Association President John Rivera told the Miami Herald. Rather than 400 officers, just 270 were expected to help maintain order as the New York Jets played the home team. As of Friday, only 175 officers had volunteered to work the game, requiring some officers to be forced into working. Those who worked will be paid overtime. “This whole movement started against police officers,” Rivera told CBS News. “And now it’s morphed into disrespecting the flag and the country.” Good for them. If the NFL wants to allow these goofy protests, then they can pay for their own security. Frankly, I despise how the NFL takes advantage of local governments and screws over the taxpayer anyway. That’s likely the only good result from the protests…
Yep. Completely different culture compared to back when my Dad was on the job and NFL "Bad Boy" Lyle Alzado & Co. used to occasionally visit the cop shop. Never heard anything but positives about that interaction. Can't imagine him or any of the Orange Crush "Kneeling".
NFL HELL: Several Stadiums Nearly Empty As Anthem Protest Backlash Rolls Into Week 7 (PHOTOS)
by Joshua Caplan JUST IN: NFL Humiliated After Half-Empty Stadium Pictures Go Viral
Kurtenbach: 49ers fans didn’t show up for Dwight Clark and that is shameful
Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: October 22, 2017 at 3:39 pm
UPDATED: October 22, 2017 at 7:08 pm
2. 1,023,465
3. 1,079,660
4. 1,120,237
5. 929,839
6. 973,011
7. 896,253 (Monday night game remaining)
Week 2 — away
Week 3 — 78,323
Week 4 — 78,362
Week 5 — 78,928
Week 6 — away
Week 7 — 78,380
#2. To: All (#0)
NFL Teams Play Before Empty Stadiums As Fan Backlash Spreads
Breitbart
22 Oct 2017
#3. To: nolu chan (#0)
#4. To: nolu chan (#0)
#WE_STAND
#5. To: All (#0)
Hah! NFL Backlash So Bad “Empty Seat” Wins Giveaway Prize at Browns Game
The Gateway Pundit
by Joshua Caplan
#6. To: All (#0)
The Regrettable Marriage of the NFL and Left-Wing Identity Politics
The American Thinker
October 20, 2017
#7. To: All (#0)
While NFL Players Continue to Kneel, Check Out What Tom Brady Did Before His Game Instead
The Declaration
October 23, 2017 
#8. To: VxH (#4)
Dear NFL:
#9. To: nolu chan (#8)
#10. To: nolu chan (#0)
However, one of the biggest protests was again registered by the San Francisco 49ers. For the second week in a row, the 49ers had seven players kneel. Safety Eric Reid, linebacker Reuben Foster, linebacker Eli Harold, safety Adrian Colbert, cornerback K’Wann Williams and receiver Marquise Goodwin all took a knee during the anthem. The rest of the 49ers locked arms and stood.
#11. To: nolu chan (#6)
The NFL, Gabler offers, is “just a place where rich old angry white men can enjoy their world on Sunday – even if that world may be crumbling around them.”
#12. To: VxH, nolu chan, Deckard (#9)
(Edited)
Unfortunately that also illustrates the status of the Bread and Circus culture the Idols serve their purpose in.
#13. To: nolu chan, Liberator, sneakypete, VxH (#0)
#14. To: Tooconservative (#13)
Miami COPS STOP providing security
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