At first I was angry about that, but then I decided that had their right of free speech. The only people I see being harmed by the football players’ behavior are the owners. They pay these guys a lot of money to play football for them. I think they’re on the side of the players, though. What’s your view on this? Anybody have any insights?
First Amendment rights apply to all in the US, not just to those folks who one agrees with. I support the football players right to peaceful protest.
I also do not feel that “taking a knee” is in any way disrespectful to the flag. I do think that trying to squash constitutionally protected rights is disrespectful to the Constitution.
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I think we should not support them on those grounds. I don’t support them. I never watch or follow football or any sports for that matter.
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I think they have the right to do it too. I made a thread about this a couple weeks back and it got kind of heated. Let’s try to avoid that in this one.
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I consider myself just as patriotic as the next guy. I did spend four years in the army. But I don’t get as upset about flag burning as some people get. It’s just a piece of cloth. The proper response to someone desecrating the flag is to go get another flag and put it on display.
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I only care about college football. Go Oregon Ducks!
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The president and the vice president think it’s being disrespectful to America but it’s only about black people being killed by police officers…police brutality…that’s all they are doing it for…not to disrespect the flag…!!
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That’s all I watch too. I watch the Super Bowl, but that’s the only pro game I watch. I was starting to think this year was going to be Oklahoma University’s year, until they got beat by Iowa State. OU doesn’t handle it well when they get ranked high early in the season. They start struggling against bad teams, and then someone knocks them off. I like to seem them start off ranked about 13th or 14th and then work their way up. Maybe they can turn this season around.
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In the uk we only play the national anthem at international matches, not domestic
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Recently a black NHL player name JT Brown of the Tampa Bay Lightning protested during the US anthem by raising his right fist. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he expected NBA Players to stand during the National Anthem.
The majority of athletes who are kneeling during the playing of the US Anthem are African Americans and it’s only occurring in the NFL.
We don’t have the right to say anything at our jobs. I would think their boss has the right to allow or deny it. I personally think they are disrespecting a lot of people by disrespecting the flag. There are lots of ways they can protest a cause a,wrist band or whatever. Thousands of ways to say what they want. They hate this country and should be boycotted by patriotic people. But yes they have the right to hate out country that’s what thousands that proudly respect the flag have died for.
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These professional football players are getting paid millions of dollars so hating their own country would not be likely. Protesting due to the fact that black men are getting killed by white police officers is reasonable.
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They are kneeling because jackasses like this guy
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@Tyme I’m not sure that most African American NFL players have gone to prison. Their athletic skills are too much of an asset to let them be thrown in prison.
Just because you haven’t went to prison doesn’t mean you can’t have empathy for those who have.
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@Tyme Well, most prisons are filled with black men. Not sure if it’s racial discrimination but yeah I could be empathetic to those who have gone to prison.
There are better ways to protest than dragging the flag in to it. But yes I am offended by it. I’m sure they don’t hate the fact that they are making millions. But they are fueling the race problem that we already have because that’s one of the things the media and Hollywood like to promote. People die for our flag , it’s draped over our service men and women’s coffins. Why not just appease the Patriots of this country and find another way to protest. Yes I see lots of abuse of power by a few Police offices black and white. That’s a noble cause just do it a different way. So I may have been wrong about there motive I’m really not sure. But it seems to me they hate this country and are expressing it because our country is ran by mostly white men. Like some people do. Well that’s racist. So I’m not buying into the fact that they are not trying to stick it to the Man. As an ex Marine and I happen to be the same color as the man. Not by choice I might add. I really doubt that all the players that don’t Neal are for promoting police brutality, nobody likes it. They are causing problems and not resolving anything.
They are a bunch of idiots in disrespecting the flag. Where else can they get millions of dollars and live out their dreams of being some sports hero. IMO they should be fired and work at McDonalds. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
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@5713 The US was founded by Europeans and Africans were brought over to America as slaves. Kneeling during the National Anthem may be the only way for those African Americans to get the issue about “Black Lives Matter” out in the public and on TV. I don’t think these black NFL players are disrespecting those soldiers that have served and died for their country. The NFL ought to make it a rule like the NBA and NHL in which all players must stand during the National Anthem or else they get fined or some other sort of punishment.
@mmasters Only a handful of African Americans can be called “professional athletes”. They have the running speed and strength to tackle or avoid tackling, dunk a basketball or block a shot. That is given. For them to work at McDonald’s would be a waste of skills.
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