Politics and Football don't mix

Mark87

Mark87

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It's a topic... We try to never bring politics here after the disaster that was our political area. But you're a group of adults and it's bloody everywhere.

Frankly I am sick of sports and politics being joined together. I am sick and damn tired of guys like Marty Bennett using his job to polarize his views rather than focusing on the task at hand.

The NFL is becoming the WWE rather than the game we all love.

So go ahead. Post your views. Word of caution NO PERSONAL ATTACKS ALLOWED

Attack the topic not those who post their views.
 
The only thing I'll say is this...I think this might be the end of the NFL(in terms of extremely high popularity). The game was already losing luster with excessive commercials, lack of quality play, over saturation, etc. Now you throw in politics and you're going to lose a lot more fans IMO.
 
This whole thing is way overblown. Wont affect the nfl in the long run. The most recent blow up is just due to a little kid who needs attention and media coverage to distract from other things. Sponsors dont seem too worried about it.

I applaud many NFL owners and Murphy for the statements they've made. Leave it at that and play ball.
 
It's stupid. Politics in the NFL does nothing but polarize an already hurting NFL stature in this country. You're making millions of dollars and a tweet by a twit gets all this kind of excitement.
It should have been ignored and everyone move on. I saw Marty's tweet Mark87. He has a screw loose nuts((
 
I seems to me that many people enjoy the NFL as a respite from America's culture wars. If the NFL wishes to become just another battleground then be prepared to lose viewership and prestige.

I was amused during last year's Super Bowl to see commercial after commercial touting various social justice causes - all occurring, of course, during a break in a game in which men beat the crap out of other men, for the amusement of other men. It was a startling example of Madison Ave ad execs falling over each other to prove themselves the most progressive, all while entirely misjudging their audience and why people engage with the sport to begin with.

Then came the great re-set at ESPN, in which the corporate powers that be chose to purge many of the long-term sports journalists - people focused on the sports themselves - in favor of social commentators and talking heads. What are they thinking? Unless the corporate powers are just looking to pat themselves on the back.

Now we have the latest Trump s-storm. We should all be aware of the carnival barker and what his tactics are. The point of what he said is not to get NFL teams to actually fire players for kneeling for the anthem; his purpose was to rouse the passion of players and media SJWs to protest further, and thus make them look even further sundered from the viewership who are just trying to enjoy the game as entertainment. And what do the players and owners do? Do they hold their heads high, say we're professionals, we dance to our own tune? No, like the rats of the pied piper they line up to play the part of "outraged spoiled millionaire" assigned to them.

As Koopa said above, the NFL has changed, and there's no natural law saying it will always be the most popular sport or past time. If the league, advertisers and players all wish to conspire to make the game just another vehicle that adds to the bitterness of our times, they will pay the price for it.
 
rpiotr01 said:
I seems to me that many people enjoy the NFL as a respite from America's culture wars. If the NFL wishes to become just another battleground then be prepared to lose viewership and prestige.

I was amused during last year's Super Bowl to see commercial after commercial touting various social justice causes - all occurring, of course, during a break in a game in which men beat the crap out of other men, for the amusement of other men. It was a startling example of Madison Ave ad execs falling over each other to prove themselves the most progressive, all while entirely misjudging their audience and why people engage with the sport to begin with.

Then came the great re-set at ESPN, in which the corporate powers that be chose to purge many of the long-term sports journalists - people focused on the sports themselves - in favor of social commentators and talking heads. What are they thinking? Unless the corporate powers are just looking to pat themselves on the back.

Now we have the latest Trump s-storm. We should all be aware of the carnival barker and what his tactics are. The point of what he said is not to get NFL teams to actually fire players for kneeling for the anthem; his purpose was to rouse the passion of players and media SJWs to protest further, and thus make them look even further sundered from the viewership who are just trying to enjoy the game as entertainment. And what do the players and owners do? Do they hold their heads high, say we're professionals, we dance to our own tune? No, like the rats of the pied piper they line up to play the part of "outraged spoiled millionaire" assigned to them.

As Koopa said above, the NFL has changed, and there's no natural law saying it will always be the most popular sport or past time. If the league, advertisers and players all wish to conspire to make the game just another vehicle that adds to the bitterness of our times, they will pay the price for it.
Click to expand...

Beautifully said, couldn't say it any better myself. Add all this to the fact that the overall talent in the league appears to be deteriorating and the decline of the NFL is already in full swing. We've already started to see ratings dip last year and now this year too. It's no longer an anomaly but a trend.
 
Ugh . . . where to start?

I'm not a big fan of the kneel downs. I don't see it as being as disruptive as some do, but I think there would be better ways to handle this. The players have some money and some power so they feel like they have the right and the forum to render an opinion. They do right now, but it seems like "using" the game is the convenient and the easy way out. If you are smart, there are ways to render an opinion without biting the hand that feeds you.

Then you have the man-child, silver-spooner, who has always had the money and power to say what he wants and speak as disrespectfully as he likes, who feels the need to call these players "son-of-a-bitches". He and his spokespeople say employers have the power to force employees to behave a certain way when at work. Part of me agrees with that, but I think most mature, reasonable people in charge of large businesses don't call their employees "son-of-a-bitches". Now we are into the realm of insulting and demeaning people. I expect better from leaders.

Look, I get that some people are prone to say things they shouldn't, especially younger people who haven't gained enough wisdom through conflicts and confrontations. Some of them think that you can say what you want and don't think far enough to say what you mean without being demeaning. I know, I was in that place myself once but as I've gotten older I find little benefit in doing that. Treat people decent and disagree respectfully rather than like a child who immediately resorts to weak-minded insults to make a point. I'm not surprised when younger, less intelligent players speak stupidly and disrespectfully. They still have to learn to be the smarter person in a conflict. It's surprising and disappointing when the older, supposedly wiser person is the one using inciting language.
 
I think the speed and tone of the responses from NFL and owners tells you where they and the sponsors believe most of their fans stand on this. Nfl isnt going to upset the gravy train just to take a social stand.

But like many here have said, move on and play ball.
 
"The Steelers will not take the field for the national anthem today. Team is in "100% unification" on decision."

wow. just wow. i get the fact that there is a problem with the way our nation's police force treats people of color (not just blacks, by the way). sometimes i'm embarrassed to be an old white male. i also get the fact that everyone - including people who get paid millions of dollars to play a game - has a right to express an opinion. but what i do not get is how you can show absolutely zero respect for the flag of this nation based on this one unresolved aspect of our nation's evolution.

speak out about racial injustice. do what you can to effect change in a positive way. but don't spit in the face of every serviceman and woman who has sacrificed to make sure that you have the right to express your opinions. don't ignore all of the opportunities that you have been given because you live in this nation and are good at playing a game that people like to watch.

i'm sure that the steelers organization believes they are doing the right thing, but in my opinion they could not be more wrong.
 
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