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Kneeling for National Anthem


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Leave all the players, NFL, MLB, whatever, in the locker rooms until after the anthem is played.

 

(I really don't believe what I just said.  I would fire them if I had the power).  No place anywhere for that kind of look at me, I'm so special because I'm protesting mentality, etc.  Be proud of your country, work to fix what's broken or get the hell out.

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2 hours ago, catsbackr said:

Leave all the players, NFL, MLB, whatever, in the locker rooms until after the anthem is played.

 

(I really don't believe what I just said.  I would fire them if I had the power).  No place anywhere for that kind of look at me, I'm so special because I'm protesting mentality, etc.  Be proud of your country, work to fix what's broken or get the hell out.

That's what they're trying to do.  This started with Kapernick's stand against racial discrimination and police brutality.  Drawing attention to it is the first step.

I'm stealing from someone on twitter, but I want to work to make this a country where everyone will gladly stand, because they want to.  Here's the thing:  I can be proud of my country AND work to fix what's broken. 

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7 hours ago, stevis said:

That's what they're trying to do.  This started with Kapernick's stand against racial discrimination and police brutality.  Drawing attention to it is the first step.

I'm stealing from someone on twitter, but I want to work to make this a country where everyone will gladly stand, because they want to.  Here's the thing:  I can be proud of my country AND work to fix what's broken. 

Fixing what's broken has NOTHING ....and I repeat, NOTHING to do with the National Anthem.  Fight your fight someplace else, not on a field during the National Anthem.  All they're doing is drawing negative attention to themselves and it's doing NOTHING to solve what they THINK they're fighting for.  Idiots!

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By using the forum available to them, these athletes have stimulated public recognition that racism is a problem, a preliminary step towards solutions. "Doing nothing" is a matter of opinion, not of fact, and I, for one, think these athletes are courageous. Peaceful protest in the face of public opprobrium--how utterly American.

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1 minute ago, LRZ said:

By using the forum available to them, these athletes have stimulated public recognition that racism is a problem, a preliminary step towards solutions. "Doing nothing" is a matter of opinion, not of fact, and I, for one, think these athletes are courageous. Peaceful protest in the face of public opprobrium--how utterly American.

They've stimulated a lot of 'outrage' .....  These so-called 'preliminary steps' have only created frustration so far.  We may disagree that they're 'protests' are doing nothing, but what have the accomplished so far?

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It somehow seems disingenuous when millionaire athletes, somewhat like millionaire Hollywood actors, protest something.  I understand their protests.  I do not understand how our flag, the symbol of our country, got lumped into what they're protesting.  Maybe it's age, but I really don't get it.

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5 minutes ago, catsbackr said:

It somehow seems disingenuous when millionaire athletes, somewhat like millionaire Hollywood actors, protest something.  I understand their protests.  I do not understand how our flag, the symbol of our country, got lumped into what they're protesting.  Maybe it's age, but I really don't get it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS!

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2 hours ago, catsbackr said:

It somehow seems disingenuous when millionaire athletes, somewhat like millionaire Hollywood actors, protest something.  I understand their protests.  I do not understand how our flag, the symbol of our country, got lumped into what they're protesting.  Maybe it's age, but I really don't get it.

Yet the only player to kneel in major league baseball was a catcher making the league minimum with less than a year of service time... 

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I have had a conference coordinator tell us.  He has sent out an email to all of the coaches and admins in our conference.  And to remind the coaches at the plate meeting.  If someone takes a knee they will be ejected from the contest.  He sees it in the same light at the national anthem stand off.  If you want to protest then by all means do so. But just like protest around this country you can and may have consequences that you need to be ready to live with. i.e. jail time, fines, ridicule etc...

I believe that there are better ways to protest injustice in this world and athletes do have multiple avenues and media outlets to help spread the word and fight for their cause.  They also have the financial and PR resources to do it as well.  A millionaire kneeling on the ground to help build a home in the inner city when no cameras are around speaks more then anything someone can do on Sunday to me.  There are thousands of programs out there.  Each person who has taken a knee should pick one and give a games salary to that program.  And the NFL should fine the players and have 100% of the proceeds go to programs in their given city.  Lets try to work together and all stand for this country instead of bringing a new "trend" to the public.  Which can further tear into this country and make all of us go to our knees hopefully in prayer for the country in which we live.

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4 hours ago, LRZ said:

By using the forum available to them, these athletes have stimulated public recognition that racism is a problem, a preliminary step towards solutions. "Doing nothing" is a matter of opinion, not of fact, and I, for one, think these athletes are courageous. Peaceful protest in the face of public opprobrium--how utterly American.

 

(respectfully): Horse Hockey. Courage is doing something regardless of the consequences. They were risking nothing. Their paychecks will come whether they sat or stood. Had the League told them, “you sit, it’ll cost you 100K”, and they still sit, that’s courage.

How many times do we say “You want to complain about the Umpiring? Put the gear on”.

You have a problem with “Police Brutality”? Become a Police Officer.

You have a problem with Foreign Policy? Run for Office.

To whine about Umpiring and then refuse to strap on the CP isn't courageous. To complain about the country, and then climb into their Escalades to go behind their gated houses isn't either.

This by no means "stimulates public recognition that racism is a problem"; it hasn't budged my opinion a whit. It just lowers my respect for them.

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10 minutes ago, jjb said:

 

(respectfully): Horse Hockey. Courage is doing something regardless of the consequences. They were risking nothing. Their paychecks will come whether they sat or stood. Had the League told them, “you sit, it’ll cost you 100K”, and they still sit, that’s courage.

How many times do we say “You want to complain about the Umpiring? Put the gear on”.

You have a problem with “Police Brutality”? Become a Police Officer.

You have a problem with Foreign Policy? Run for Office.

To whine about Umpiring and then refuse to strap on the CP isn't courageous. To complain about the country, and then climb into their Escalades to go behind their gated houses isn't either.

This by no means "stimulates public recognition that racism is a problem"; it hasn't budged my opinion a whit. It just lowers my respect for them.

exactly my point from earlier ...........

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45 minutes ago, jjb said:

 

(respectfully): Horse Hockey. Courage is doing something regardless of the consequences. They were risking nothing. Their paychecks will come whether they sat or stood. Had the League told them, “you sit, it’ll cost you 100K”, and they still sit, that’s courage.

How many times do we say “You want to complain about the Umpiring? Put the gear on”.

You have a problem with “Police Brutality”? Become a Police Officer.

You have a problem with Foreign Policy? Run for Office.

To whine about Umpiring and then refuse to strap on the CP isn't courageous. To complain about the country, and then climb into their Escalades to go behind their gated houses isn't either.

This by no means "stimulates public recognition that racism is a problem"; it hasn't budged my opinion a whit. It just lowers my respect for them.

Mm-hmm.  And Kapernick is employed where again?

He's paying the price. 

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3 minutes ago, stevis said:

Mm-hmm.  And Kapernick is employed where again?

He's paying the price. 

you know, that's true ...and a good point that supports mine.  He started all of this 'kneeling protest stuff' and it's gotten him no where but out of a job ....so the protest isn't gaining the real issue any attention, but only bad press for him.    

p.s.  it's not working ....

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Personally, I think Kapernick isn't playing, because he doesn't fit any NFL offensive scheme. He's always been an option play quarterback. (Think Vince Young, RGIII, Tebow, even (gulp) Manziell). The option doesn't work in the NFL, and he's a terrible pocket passer. 

If he could play, someone would sign him....

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2 hours ago, hckyosgood30 said:

I have had a conference coordinator tell us.  He has sent out an email to all of the coaches and admins in our conference.  And to remind the coaches at the plate meeting.  If someone takes a knee they will be ejected from the contest.  He sees it in the same light at the national anthem stand off.  If you want to protest then by all means do so. But just like protest around this country you can and may have consequences that you need to be ready to live with. i.e. jail time, fines, ridicule etc...

I believe that there are better ways to protest injustice in this world and athletes do have multiple avenues and media outlets to help spread the word and fight for their cause.  They also have the financial and PR resources to do it as well.  A millionaire kneeling on the ground to help build a home in the inner city when no cameras are around speaks more then anything someone can do on Sunday to me.  There are thousands of programs out there.  Each person who has taken a knee should pick one and give a games salary to that program.  And the NFL should fine the players and have 100% of the proceeds go to programs in their given city.  Lets try to work together and all stand for this country instead of bringing a new "trend" to the public.  Which can further tear into this country and make all of us go to our knees hopefully in prayer for the country in which we live.

Dang, I hope all of the conferences have the balls to do this exact same thing.

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7 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

Fixing what's broken has NOTHING ....and I repeat, NOTHING to do with the National Anthem.  Fight your fight someplace else, not on a field during the National Anthem.  All they're doing is drawing negative attention to themselves and it's doing NOTHING to solve what they THINK they're fighting for.  Idiots!

Except we're sure talking about it and it is a right of theirs.

 

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I talked to someone about this and this is their opinion I agreed with...

(paraphrased) Taking a knee is just to draw attention to themselves. Some have a heartfelt sense of trying to draw attention to a message, but now they are in the smallest minority. When you stand for the National Anthem you do so out of unity and respect. You are standing for the romantic ideal of all that America is and can be. Yes there are both individuals and groups that have been wronged by national, state and local governments in the past and it will evidently happen again in the future. But The United States is better than that and each of us regardless of our background, ethnicity, etc need to STAND UP and make The United States better. 

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As for the suggestion that an umpire should eject a player who kneels for the national anthem (and, as I recall, we previously discussed in another thread last year):

If you eject a player on a public school team...there's a good chance you are going to buy yourself a lawsuit.  There have been several public schools around the country who attempted to punish players for kneeling during the anthem (including issuing a suspension from their team and/or a school suspension).  The players (or their parents) quickly got lawyers.  Each and every time the player threatened to sue, the schools quickly removed the punishment, and reinstated the player/student.  My guess as to why EVERY school district (no matter where in the country they are located) reversed course is because each district had competent legal counsel who told them that they were going to get hammered by the courts.  This issue has been well settled.  Schools may abridge a student's right to free speech when that free speech will interfere with class instruction and with the school's core function.  Kneeling during the national anthem in no way disrupts the learning process.  Each of these students had a "slam dunk" case...whether you agree with their actions or not.  If you substitute your judgment for a school district's judgment in this situation, you're going to get sued.  (My guess is that the school district will also probably blacklist you from working any of their schools' games in an attempt to head off being a defendant in any such lawsuit.)

Now, if you are working for a league/organization that is a private organization (for example we have a Christian League in my neck of the woods) and they tell you to eject any player that kneels, then have at it.  The first amendment doesn't prevent private entities from "violating" your right to free speech (it only prohibits the federal government.  State governments are prohibited from violating it through the incorporation doctrine of the 14th amendment.)  But, if you eject a player on a public school team, you are buying yourself a lawsuit.

As for the conference coordinator, he needs to talk to a lawyer.  He and the conference (and possibly the NCAA) are going to buy themselves a lawsuit if this actually happens and the kneeling kid happens to play at a public university or college (other than a military academy...which are treated differently under Court precedent.)  And legally speaking, the conference coordinator is completely and utterly wrong when he compares a national anthem stand-off to kneeling during the national anthem.  The former is a sportsmanship issue.  It is done for the sole purpose of playing a game of "chicken" ("who will blink first") against a player from another team, while the latter is protected political speech.  If his conference includes public institutions, I hope he speaks to a lawyer before he gets himself, his conference, and his conference's member institution sued.

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1 hour ago, catsbackr said:

Dang, I hope all of the conferences have the balls to do this exact same thing.

Yeah, 'cause that's what we want: a grizzly old WASP (as many (most?) of them are) conference coordinator deciding what is protected political speech and what is not protected political speech, and when it is protected and when it is not protected.  :rolleyes:

 

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6 hours ago, Gfoley4 said:

Yet the only player to kneel in major league baseball was a catcher making the league minimum with less than a year of service time... 

Poor guy..Only making 1/2 a mil this year. Pro rated to about $3100 a day while he's up. (535,00/172 day season)

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