— Mark
Twain
Transgender
Woman, Who Remains A Biological Male, Wins NCAA Women's Track Championship. A biological male won the first
Women's Track and Field NCAA title, even though she was previously competing as a man named Craig as recently as 2018.
CeCe Telfer, a transgender woman from New Hampshire attending Franklin Pierce University, won the first ever NCAA title for
the sport, and also made history as the first biologically male competing on a woman's team to do so.
The Editor says...
EVERY "transgender woman" remains a biological male. You can make drastic surgical alterations to your body,
but you cannot change your chromosomes.
Liberals
Are At War With Science In The Transgender Athlete Controversy. [Scroll down] Nowhere is this disconnect
between science and modern liberal ideology (and its harm to those the party claims to champion) so evident as in the dispute
over transgender athletes who demand to compete in women's sports. On one side of the debate you have people like
Jaycee Cooper, a transgender woman who is in a dispute with USA Powerlifting because the federation doesn't allow biological
men to compete with women. USA Powerlifting says Cooper has an unfair advantage over them as a biological male, but
Cooper says it's discriminatory to ban transgender people from competing with the sex they identify with. "I really do
love this sport, and it's not fair to genetically eliminate an entire group of people," Cooper told NBC News.
The federation rules do allow transgender athletes to compete freely in competition with people of their biological sex,
with the exception of biological women who use testosterone. But more importantly, Cooper's discrimination argument
disregards the fact that women's sports are designed to exclude an entire group of people — men — from
the competition in order to level the playing field.
Trans
Powerlifter Stripped Of Titles In Women's Championships. This is the latest in our apparently endless series of
stories covering the destruction of competitive women's sports by the introduction of "transgender women" into the
events. This time we're back to the sport of weightlifting. A transgender powerlifter named Mary Gregory recently
"dominated" the field at a Powerlifting Federation competition last month, smashing four world records for that weight class
in the process. This had the actual women competing in the event understandably upset and protests were lodged.
But after an investigation was conducted, the federation chairman posted an announcement saying that the record lifts were
being taken off the books.
Sports
League Rejects Transgender Athlete's Claim to Female Weightlifting Records. A weightlifting league has revoked
awards to a transgender weightlifter who claimed to have broken several women's weightlifting records. "Our rules, and
the basis of separating genders for competition, are based on physiological classification rather thana identification," said
a statement from Paul Bossi, president of 100% RAW Powerlifting Federation.
8th
Place: A High School Girl's Life After Transgender Students Join Her Sport. When two high school athletes
who were born male but identify as female took first and second place at Connecticut's girls indoor track championship this
year, it wasn't just a local news story. To some, it was a story of triumph and courage. The winner, a junior from
Bloomfield High School, set a girls state indoor record of 6.95 seconds in the 55-meter dash, and went on to win the New
England titles in both the 55-meter dash and the 300-meter dash. To others, it was a story of shock and disappointment:
Is this the end of women's sports?
Girls
and Women Deserve Single-Sex Sports. Our culture is so steeped in the idea of equality (in most ways, a very
good and noble commitment) that we lose sight of obvious but important facts that we must acknowledge if we are to create a
truly level playing field and make functioning equality possible. Take sports. Today, most people recognize that
participating in athletics is associated with positive benefits for both males and females. It's just as important to
encourage our daughters to join a team as it is to encourage our sons. Individuals of both sexes have the capacity to
be great athletes.
Man
Competes In Women's Powerlifting, Sets Four World Records. Do people no longer realize the extreme difference
between XX and XY muscle? Reality keeps rearing its ugly head in sports, as a liberal position eliminates women from
competition like Dolly Parton crashing a Men's Largest Chest championship. Case in point: Mary Gregory. On
Sunday [4/28/2019], Mary — who's a man — shattered four women's division powerlifting world
records. Due to his dominance in girls' deadlift, squat, and bench press, he set a Masters total record.
Transgender
Athletes Dominate at Connecticut Girls' Track State Meet. According to FairPlayForWomen.com, a nonpartisan
grassroots campaign based in the UK dedicated to fighting for the sex-base rights of women and girls, there are a number of
skeletal and muscular differences between men and women. Women are, on average, 9 percent shorter than men, and have
shorter and weaker bones. Women also have shorter arms and legs relative to body size — one can easily see
where longer legs might benefit males in track sports. As for muscles, women "are around 30-35% muscle by weight, while
men are 40-50% muscle." Women's ligaments are also thinner and softer than men's. The impact these biological
differences have when it comes to competitive sports is undeniable — and there are victims whose concerns are not
being heard.
Every
House Democrat But One: 234 Elected Officials Demand The Extermination Of Women's Sports. Sarah Warbelow of the
left-wing Human Rights Campaign testified before a House subcommittee Tuesday [4/9/2019] that the notion of men having an
athletic advantage over women is not "rooted in fact." Here's a secret: The very much "rooted in fact" fact
that men have an advantage is the very reason there's such a thing as women's sports in the first place. If
there's no advantage, then just eliminate women's sports. Which, effectively, they're doing.
All
but one Democrat in the House co-sponsors a bill to allow males to compete on female athletic teams. It may be
counterintuitive to rationally examine an irrational proposal, but it's the only way to defeat it. Not all male
athletes will be able to beat all female athletes. This is especially true at the highest levels of competition.
But it is also true that the best male athletes will defeat the best female athletes every time. And in some sports — field
events in track — even average male athletes will have a competitive advantage over females. This hardly matters to female
athletes who train for years, bringing their bodies to peak conditioning, only to find that their best wasn't good enough because a
biological male who might be an average or above average male athlete was allowed to compete against her.
Former
Olympic medalist: Female athletes afraid to speak out about males competing as women. British former
Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies said Monday that she knows of "quite a lot" of female athletes who are afraid to publicly
share their concerns about biological males who identify as transgender women competing in women's sports. Davies told
Sky News that she's had "many" conversations with female athletes who are afraid to speak out, especially "people who are
competing at the moment." "They're worried that their governing bodies will frown on it, they're worried that their
sponsors will think it's not PC and that they're not allowed to do this," said Davies, who won a silver medal at the 1980
Summer Olympics.
First
They Came for the Catholics, Then for the Christians, and Then for the High School Kids. [Scroll down] Meanwhile, in Colorado,
they now have disqualied Brendan Johnston from the state's high-school wrestling championships. Johnston is a Christian teen boy
who politely, as a matter of religious principle and personal conscience, refused to wrestle a girl. As he explained, "There is
something that I really do find problematic about the idea of wrestling with a girl, and a part of that does come from my faith and my
belief. And a part of that does come from how I was raised to treat women. I don't think that I am looking at them as not
equal. I am saying that they are women, and that is dierent than being men, because I do believe that men and women are
different, and we are made differently. But I still believe that women are of equal value to men. I don't think that
seeing men and women as different... [opposes] the idea of equality."
Girls'
sports being decimated by biological males claiming to be females. There are only two genders in this world of
ours, male and female, and it doesn't matter how someone "identifies," that biological fact is established and unalterable.
[...] With that being said, the Left is nevertheless hard at work trying to convince us that gender is a 'fluid' thing and in
some cases, an outright choice, so old societal constructs like "male" and "female" sports are no longer necessary or
relevant. That's why they go along with allowing biological males to participate in (and dominate) all-female events
simply because they 'identify' as a girl, claiming — remarkably and unbelievably — that there are no
physical differences between the sexes.
If
You're A Biological Man Competing In A Women's Sport, You're A Cheater. It's one thing to have someone shout
that they are female when they're really male. If they just kept it to that, then that's not something I particularly
care about. You do you, just don't force everyone else to pretend along with you and we're good. However, it's
another to not only force everyone else to agree with you but then applaud you as you put women down. That's exactly
what's going on in the sports community, as headline after headline comes out detailing victories by transgendered "women" in
women's sports as highlighted by my colleague Elizabeth Vaughn on Tuesday [2/26/2019]. These are only being celebrated
today as triumphs because the current trend says people not only should cheer it on, but they have to. Any talk to the
contrary evokes the wrath of the mob, and God have mercy on your soul if you become their target.
The Testosterone-Fueled
He-Men of Women's Sports. Female sprinters (good ones) tend to have broader shoulders and narrower hips, but
still cannot match the anatomical advantages that a biological male does. In addition, all females, even masculine
ones, have a wider Q-angle. That's the hip to knee ratio. And here, that difference is again obvious. Finally,
look at the muscle density. The biological girls could work out their whole lives and not build that muscle naturally.
Boys
Will Be Boys, Except When They Are Girls. In the recent Connecticut girls' state indoor track championships,
two men calling themselves women finished first and second place in the 55-meter sprint, one of them setting a state
record. Connecticut is one of 17 states allowing high school athletes to compete without restriction with members of
the opposite sex. States, in an effort to be diverse, tolerant, and woke, have passed anti-discrimination laws requiring
students who so desire to be treated in school as members of the opposite sex. Interestingly, the sporting competitions
are binary: male or female. If these school administrators were true to their intentions, they would have separate
sporting events for each of the 60 genders in order to make things fair.
Trump-Hating
Lesbian Tennis Champ Destroyed for Saying Men and Women Are Different. Navratilova defected from communist
Czechoslovakia in 1975 and became a U.S. citizen in 1981. That same year, when there was still a price to be paid for doing
so, she came out as a lesbian and has since engaged in a long career of LGBT activism. She lent her name and support to
ballot initiatives, spoke at LGBT marches, and in 2000 was the recipient of the National Equality Award from the Human Rights
Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT lobbying group. She is active on Twitter and firmly in the Orange Man Bad
camp. No one could ever accuse Martina of not being down for the cause. All this was not enough to protect
Navratilova from ostracization and accusations of bigotry last week when she questioned the wisdom of allowing men pretending
to be women to compete in women's sports.
Martina
Navratiola Removed From Board of LGBTQ Organization. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova was officially removed
Wednesday from the advisory board of a prominent LBGTQ organization after making comments about transgender athletes.
Navratilova released an op-ed in The Sunday Times on Feb. 17 discussing her opinion on why transgender athletes should not be able
to compete against female athletes. She wrote that having men compete as women is unfair because of the physical advantage.
Political Correctness
Is Ruining Sports. For the second consecutive year, Mack Beggs, an 18-year-old transgender wrestler, has won
the Texas girls' Class 6A 110-pound division. Born a female, Beggs is in the process of transitioning to a male, or so
she thinks. Beggs, who takes a low dose of testosterone, had wanted to compete against boys, but Texas public high
schools, which have yet to get with the progressive times, require athletes to compete under the gender on their birth
certificate. Last year two girls, not wanting to risk being injured by her, forfeited against Beggs. So did a
girl this year. Whether they were compelled to undergo empathy training I don't know. [...] Transgenderism is a problem
in the Olympics, too. Per the latest rules, transgender "women" must test below a specified level of testosterone for
more than one year in order to compete. But while this is doubtless somewhat effective, aren't these athletes, with
their still bigger, still stronger, and still more durable bodies, out of place even so?
Man
"Identifying" As Woman Wins Women's World Cycling Championship. Having covered the topic of transgender
athletes extensively here, this is a story I've been expecting to cross our path for quite a while now. At the 2018 UCI
Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles this weekend, the winner of the women's 35-39 age bracket was
Canadian competitor Rachel McKinnon. McKinnon is a male who identifies as a female.
The Editor says...
If a heavyweight boxer "identified" as a middleweight, and then beat his opponent to a pulp, would that be unfair? Yes,
because there are pragmatic ways (involving a calibrated scale) to determine (before the contest begins) who's a heavyweight
and who's not. Similarly, there are ways to determine if one has XX chromosomes or XY chromosomes; and indeed, there are
no others.
World
cycling bronze medalist cries foul after transgender woman wins gold. The American bronze medalist who lost a
world-championship cycling race to a transgender woman from Canada has criticized the results as unfair. "First transgender
woman world champion...ever," Rachel McKinnon, an assistant professor of philosophy at the College of Charleston in South
Carolina, bragged Sunday in a tweet that set off a massive debate.
Biological
Male Wins World Championship In Women's Cycling. A biological male who identifies as a transgender woman won a
women's world championship cycling event on Sunday [10/14/2018]. Rachel McKinnon, a professor at the College of
Charleston, won the women's sprint 35-39 age bracket at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los
Angeles. McKinnon, representing Canada, bested Carolien Van Herrikhuyzen of the Netherlands and American cyclist
Jennifer Wagner to take home the gold.
It's
time to end women's sports. It's time to end women's sports — especially since they're not just
"women's" sports anymore. A case in point is "Rachel" McKinnon, Ph.D., a man masquerading as a woman (MMW), or a
"transgender," as the enlighteners say, who just won a women's masters cycling event. As The Gateway Pundit's Jim Hoft
(almost) put it, he "whooped them little girls." McKinnon isn't alone, as many MMW have won women's sporting events
during the last decade. To name just a few, a 55-year-old MMW won a women's long-drive competition (golf) in 2008.
Last year, a 39-year-old MMW won a women's weightlifting event. Then there were the Connecticut's State Open track and
field championships in June; the top two finishers in the 100-meter dash were both MMW (okay, being boys, they were BMG),
with one of them setting the girls' state record in both the 100- and 200-meter runs. Hey, you go...uh...girl.
State
of Modern Sports: Boy Identifies as Girl, Boy Competes as Girl, Boy Wins Everything. A high school in
Connecticut has accepted a new boy on their track team. Except, he won't be going to the boys track team, he'll be
going to the girls team. Andraya Yearwood, a freshman and biological male from Cromwell High School in Connecticut,
identifies as a girl and recently received permission to join the girls track team after competing as a boy in middle
school. Not surprisingly, Yearwood has been extremely successful as a male competing against females.
NFL:
Hey, you know what would really improve our ratings? A transgender bathroom bill fight. You may have
missed it in the rush of "other news" last month, but Texas is considering implementing their own transgender bathroom bill
similar to the one in North Carolina which we spent most of 2016 fighting over. [...] One unexpected entrant into this
particular field of battle seems to be the National Football League. For reasons which currently baffle me, the NFL
decided to weigh in on the subject this week and issue what sounds something like a warning to the Lone Star State, hinting
that Texas may not be hosting any more Super Bowl events if they follow such a path.
NFL
more forceful on Texas 'bathroom bill' after Super Bowl. The NFL sharpened its warning to Texas on Friday [2/10/2017] about
a "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people, suggesting for the first time that the football-crazed state could miss out
on hosting another Super Bowl if the proposal is enacted.
NFL
Warns Texas There Could Be Consequences for 'Bathroom Bill'. Days after the Super Bowl in Houston, the NFL is
warning Texas that legislation requiring individuals to use public bathrooms in accordance with their biological sex could
cost the state future opportunities to host the big game.
Seattle
Mariners apologize after lesbian couple are told to stop kissing at the baseball team's first ever gay pride night because it
was against their 'family-friendly' policy. The Seattle Mariners had to make a groveling apology after a
lesbian couple were told off for kissing at the team's first ever Pride night. Mary McHale and her partner Sara Hinton
had enjoyed the game against the Milwaukee Brewers — which the Mariners won 7-6 — and were waiting for
a ride afterwards when a steward told them to stop smooching because it was a 'family-friendly' event.
Trans-thinking:
When 98 Percent of Students Would Let Men in Women's Sports. Imagine a fairly muscular, athletic young man,
acting like a man and dressed as a man, tells you he identifies as a woman and asks you to sign a petition supporting his
effort to play on his college's women's basketball team. Your response? If you're like 49 out of 50 students
approached at the University of Maryland recently, you may sign and say "You go, (girl?)!" And, no, according to Campus
Reform's Cabot Phillips, who masqueraded as the aspiring woman, he didn't show just the eyebrow-raising responses. He
says that he asked only 50 students for support, and 49 offered it.
Wrestler forfeits rather than fight a girl.
Iowa's
girl wrestlers: Some drama, some sport. The crowd cheered as Cassy Herkelman's hand was
raised, but the historic moment of the first girl to win a match at the traditional state wrestling
meet comes with an asterisk. Her opponent, Joel Northrup of Linn-Mar of Marion, forfeited.
Not Wrestling Girls.
It's so easy to look at teenagers in general today and sigh. They're more than a bit lazy, a bit
spoiled and more than a bit morally compromised. Two teenagers made national news. One showed
common decency and sportsmanship, two virtues seemingly uncommon in that generation. Hope is restored.
Should Boys
Be Wrestling Girls? This year's Iowa state championships attracted attention nationwide when
the promising high school sophomore Joel Northrup (the fifth-ranked wrestler in the state) defaulted on his
first match. He had drawn Cassy Herkelman, a female freshman, as his opponent, and he could not, in
good conscience, wrestle a girl. ... Had he not declined to wrestle Herkelman, he might have won it all.
The New York Times, the AP, and other national news organizations noted that Northrup's father is a minister —
the suggestion being that such peculiar and backward views as the young man expressed must be chalked up to a
religious sensibility. Most of the coverage stressed the "girl against the old boys network" angle.
7 Reasons Why the
Equality Act Is Anything But. [#4] It would allow more biological males to defeat girls in sports. Two biological males
who identify and compete as women easily defeated all of their female competitors in an event at the Connecticut State Track Championships.
Transgender athlete Terry Miller broke the state record in the girls'100-meter dash. Andraya Yearwood, also transgender, took second place.
Selina Soule, a female runner, not only lost to the biological males in the championships but also lost out on valuable opportunities to be seen by
college coaches and chosen for scholarships. Soule said about the 100-meter event: "We all know the outcome of the race before it
even starts; it's demoralizing."
Transgender
Prof Claims Excluding Men from Women's Sports is Like Excluding Black Women. This comparison seems awfully
unfair to black women, but what do I know? I'm not a professor.
Opera
singer becomes first transgender woman to sing national anthem at professional sporting event. History was made
at the Oakland Athletics stadium this week when a transgender woman sang the national anthem at a professional sporting event
for the first time ever in the country. Classically-trained opera singer Breanna Sinclaire took the mic at the O.co Coliseum
for a sold out game between the A's and the San Diego Padres on Wednesday [6/17/2015]. Sinclaire had a 30,000 audience at
the A's LGBT Pride Night as she belted out the Star-Spangled Banner, and that wasn't counting the people who were watching the
game on television.
Transgender
Woman Sings National Anthem at Pro Sports Event for First Time. Transgender woman Breanna Sinclairé made history
Wednesday night [6/17/2015] by becoming the first transgender person to sing the National Anthem at a professional sporting event.
The Editor says...
I'd be at the ticket counter demanding a refund before the first batter took a swing.
Men will now compete against women:
Olympics
Loosen Rules to Allow Pre-Op M-to-F Transsexuals to Compete with Women. There's great news for adventurous male Olympic
hopefuls: if they declare themselves women and reduce their testosterone below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to
competition, they can compete against ladies. There's even better news for these men; according to transgender guidelines approved
by the International Olympic Committee, genitalia does not serve as a prerequisite. The guidelines state: "To require surgical
anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing
legislation and notions of human rights."
Activist athletes (and teams) inject politics into sports
Because the game is more important to them than their country:
U.S.
soccer will now allow players to kneel for national anthem. The U.S. Soccer Federation will no longer require
players to stand for the national anthem, voting to repeal a 2017 policy that called on national team players to "stand
respectfully" during the Star Spangled Banner before national team games. During a virtual conference of the group's
annual general meeting on Saturday, 71.34 percent of National Council members voted to repeal the policy which had already
been nixed by the USSF board of directors last summer. Hundreds of voters make up the National Council, including
representatives for youth, adult amateur and professional populations, in addition to the athletes' council.
If
College Basketball Players Don't Want to Stand for the National Anthem, Yank Their Scholarships. The men's
basketball team at East Tennessee State University disrespected the national anthem by dropping to a knee on Feb. 16th.
That act of defiance led state lawmakers to fire off a letter to every public university in the state. "We expect all
those who walk onto the field of play representing our universities to also walk onto the field of play to show respect for
our National Anthem," read a letter written and signed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally along with 26 Republican state
senators. [...] Unfortunately, many student athletes cannot be persuaded to do the right thing because of patriotism or human
decency. It's all about dollars and cents. So lawmakers should present the basketball players an offer they
cannot refuse.
No
Kneeling: Scotland And Wales Players All Remain Standing Before Rugby Game. Players for Scotland and
Wales all remained standing ahead of their Six Nations rugby match on Saturday, defying uproar over many players not kneeling
to Black Lives Matter at the earlier Scotland vs England fixture. While players for England — with some
notable exceptions — decided to "take a knee" for Black Lives Matter before facing off against the Scots team in
their home stadium, only a handful of Scottish players followed suit.
Virginia
College Forfeits Basketball Game After Suspending Players For Kneeling During Anthem. Bluefield College, a
small Baptist liberal arts school nestled in the Appalachian mountains in Bluefield, Virginia doesn't seem to be a likely
place to make national news. But when players on the men's basketball team took a knee during the playing of the
national anthem — after being warned several times it was against school policy — the school president
promptly suspended the players and forfeited a game. The players had knelt several times before games in January and
February, at both home and away contests. After being warned about the practice, the players decided to stay in the
locker room during the playing of the national anthem before an away game.
College
suspends basketball players for kneeling during anthem because of how 'it's perceived by some'. The dean of a
small Baptist liberal arts college in western Virginia suspended basketball players after they repeatedly knelt before games
during the playing of the National Anthem in violation of the institution's rules. The suspension of several Bluefield
College players by President David Olive led to a forfeit against NAIA rival Reinhardt on Thursday [2/11/2021], the New York
Post reported. Olive, who is white, said in a statement he made the decision to suspend all the team's players after
discovering that they had knelt prior to several games this season.
The Editor says...
If Mr. Olive were a man of some ethnicity other than white, would that have been mentioned in this article? Of course not!
Minnesota
colleges adapt as 'Star Spangled Banner' stirs dissimilar emotions. When it comes to the national anthem and
sports, Americans remain divided. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reignited the issue last week when he said he had
stopped playing the anthem at games. The mention of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who last played in the league
three years ago, still angers people upset by his choice to kneel during the anthem. But some schools, including
St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota, are incorporating social justice messages into their pregame anthem
presentations. The Tommies' statement is one of several new anthem introductions developed by the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for use by its teams. The Gophers are playing "Lift Every Voice and Sing," often
called the Black national anthem, before "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Mark
Cuban Insists The Dallas Mavericks Won't Play National Anthem Anymore. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said
Tuesday [2/9/2021] that his franchise would no longer play the national anthem prior to his team's NBA home games. It's
a long-standing tradition to play the anthem before home games in all major professional sports, and even all the way down to
high school athletics. Cuban said that will come to an end with the Mavericks. The national anthem hasn't been
played at any Mavericks games so far at the American Airlines Center this season — preseason or regular-season
games. Cuban told ESPN that he consulted with NBA commissioner Adam Silver before letting the rest of the world know
about his decision, ESPN reported. A team source told ESPN that no players, coaches or referees have mentioned the
anthem's absence so far.
The Editor says...
If you hate America, don't play the National Anthem before the game. Your customers will let you know if they concur.
Jen
Psaki: Mark Cuban's attempt to ditch national anthem educates people on U.S. failures. White House press
secretary Jen Psaki says Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's attempt to ditch the national anthem was an acknowledgment of
U.S. shortcomings. The White House spokeswoman was asked about the billionaire's move, which was quickly torpedoed by
the league as the news went viral. "I haven't spoken with the president about the decision by Mark Cuban or the Dallas
Mavericks," Ms. Psaki said of the plan to omit the national anthem from the Mavericks' first 13 home games. "I
know he's incredibly proud to be an American, and has great respect for the anthem, and all that represents, especially for
our men and women serving in uniform around the world."
The Editor says...
Now you know where Psaki stands — as an official representative of the President.
White
House Supports Mavericks Scrapping The National Anthem Because America Fails 'Often'. White House press
secretary Jen Psaki expressed support for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's decision to remove the national anthem from the
team's home games because they "feel [the anthem] doesn't represent them." During the Wednesday [2/10/2021] press
briefing, Fox News's Peter Doocy asked Psaki about the Biden administration's stance on Cuban's decision. While the
press secretary acknowledged that President Joe Biden is "proud to be an American and has great respect for the anthem," she
also said he would support the Mavericks for calling out the frequent times when "we as a country haven't lived up to our
highest ideals."
The Editor says...
Cuban, Psaki, and Biden have made it clear: They are annoyed by the National Anthem, apparently because they hate America.
Update:
NBA
Responds after Mark Cuban Skips National Anthem for Home Games. The National Basketball Association announced
on Wednesday [2/10/2021] that all teams would play the national anthem before games. The announcement marks an apparent
rebuke of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who decided he would not mandate the playing of the anthem before the team's
home games. The Mavericks have already played their first home games without the anthem, including their first home
game with fans in the audience.
But at least now you know where Mark Cuban stands.
Dallas
Mavericks PLAY national anthem before home game against the Hawks - just hours after owner Mark Cuban relented.
The Dallas Mavericks have played the national anthem before a home game against the Atlanta Hawks, just hours after
billionaire team owner Mark Cuban relented to the NBA's demand that the song be played at all games. A recorded version
of the Star-Spangled Banner was played before Wednesday night's game at American Airlines Center, while Mavericks and Hawks
players and staff stood lined up on the court. As the anthem concluded, the smattering of fans in attendance broke out
in applause and cheers. The Mavericks are currently allowing 1,500 fans at home games, with tickets available to
vaccinated healthcare and essential workers.
Did
Biden Get Booed? Bidens Make Creepy Video Appearance at Super Bowl, Tell Americans to Wear Masks and Get Vaccinated.
Super Bowl LV: Kansas City Chiefs v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off Sunday [2/7/2021] at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa,
Florida. According to reports, 22,000 fans attended the Super Bowl on Sunday. The Bidens barged in and made a creepy
video appearance before kickoff to lecture Americans about "social distancing." Americans just can't get on with their
lives because the Democrats have to drone on and on about Covid every second of every day. Joe Biden and his
handler wife Jill made a video message from their Delaware basement bunker that played on the
jumbotron — as if people watching football and drinking beer want to hear from Dementia Joe.
The Editor says...
The attendance at the big game might have been 24,835, which is less than 40 percent of
the previous year's attendance.
Super
Bowl LV Kicks Off with' Black National Anthem'. Super Bowl 55 kicked off Sunday with recording artist Alicia
Keys singing the so-called black national anthem, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," along with a poem. Hitmaker Alicia Keys
was tasked with a virtual performance of the 121-year-old spiritual song that has come to be known alternately as the "black
national anthem" after being introduced in 1899 for Abraham Lincoln's birthday. The poem read in 1899 was set to music
in 1900.
Roger
Goodell Praises Colin Kaepernick — Says He Deserves 'Our Recognition And Admiration'. NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell praised former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during his annual state of the
league address. Fox News reported that Goodell said that Kaepernick deserves "our recognition ... and our appreciation"
for talking about systemic racism in 2016, when he began taking a knee during the national anthem before his games in
protest. "I said very clearly back in June that we wish we had listened to our players earlier, and we had a lot of
players that were coming and bringing these issues to us," Goodell told reporters. "It didn't start last summer; it
started over two years ago and we've been working with the Players Coalition over that period of time."
The Thirty Tyrants.
A decade ago, no one would've put NBA superstar LeBron James and Apple CEO Tim Cook in the same family album, but here they
are now, linked by their fantastic wealth owing to cheap Chinese manufacturing (Nike sneakers, iPhones, etc.) and a growing
Chinese consumer market. The NBA's $1.5 billion contract with digital service provider Tencent made the Chinese firm
the league's biggest partner outside America. In gratitude, these two-way ambassadors shared the wisdom of the Chinese
Communist Party with their ignorant countrymen. After an an NBA executive tweeted in defense of Hong Kong dissidents,
social justice activist King LeBron told Americans to watch their tongues. "Even though yes, we do have freedom of
speech," said James, "it can be a lot of negative that comes with it."
Megan
Rapinoe rips woman wearing USWNT hoodie and Trump mask: 'That is not the kind of fan we will welcome'. Megan
Rapinoe had a clear message for any so-called fans of the U.S. women's national soccer team who support the Trump
administration: "Don't bring that [...] here." Rapinoe, 35, the national team's outspoken leader and social
justice activist, watched in horror from the team's January training camp in Orlando as white supremacist and domestic
terrorists wreaked havoc on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Their purpose? Trying to undermine democracy and overthrow
a government at the behest of President Trump, who was unhappy he lost re-election to Joe Biden. A photo was snapped
and shared of someone trying to return home after the insurrection wearing a USWNT sweatshirt while also dawning a TRUMP 2020
face mask, which of course caught the attention of the team and Rapinoe, who stand against the man who has continued to lie
and spew hatred about non-white, BIPOC.
The Editor says...
[#1] I really doubt if there were any "white supremacist(s)" in the DC crowd last week, and the only "domestic
terrorists" were from the political left. [#2] At least 9,999 out of every 10,000 people in the crowd
were assembling peacefully, which the Constitution guarantees their right to do. [#3] Nobody was "trying to
undermine democracy [or] overthrow a government at the behest of President Trump." That is a vicious canard. Trump
never asked encouraged anyone to engage in violence. [#4] President Trump is not just "unhappy he lost re-election to Joe
Biden." He is justifiably indignant because his re-election was stolen, and the counterfeit victory given to Biden, by
means of wholesale voter fraud. Joe Biden is one of the few people who is corrupt and venal enough to accept such a
gift. [#5] One can easily imagine that the rest of the article above — and the entire web site —
is replete with further lies and disinformation.
Confessions of a
Sports Dropout. [Scroll down] Common sense still mostly prevails at the amateur level. I've not
seen a Black Lives Matter banner at a Little League game yet. But it's early days, and we all know what rolls
downhill. The NFL, MLB, and NBA are now adjuncts of Black Lives Matter, complete with banners, sweatshirts, and sappy
and misleading television commercials. League executives have given no indication whether their loyalty is to the
sentiment — which is unassailable but irrelevant, as no one ever said black lives don't matter — or to
the Marxist organization, which has a much more toxic agenda than racial peace and equity. In fact, racial peace is the
last thing BLM wants. It would put them out of business. The price of attending or viewing one of these
now-political leagues' games, in addition to the usurious ticket or cable package tariff, is to see America insulted by
kneeling athletes, indulged young prats whom America has made rich and privileged beyond their wildest dreams.
NBA coach Stan
Van Gundy calls white people 'racist,' says he's a 'poster boy for white privilege'. New Orleans Pelicans head
coach Stan Van Gundy said white people are "racist" and need to change to help African Americans. "We're the ones that
are racist," Van Gundy told ESPN's The Undefeated in an interview. "It's a white person's problem that affects people
of color, and so we're the ones who have to change. ... Certainly you want to promote Black voices, right? But if
they're the only ones speaking out, a lot of people just push it aside. There needs to be people saying, 'No, wait a
minute. This is wrong, and we need to correct these things.'" Van Gundy said that he is part of the problem,
calling himself a "poster boy for white privilege."
Soccer
Team Bans Fans From Booing Team Members Taking A Knee. Cambridge United have handed a stadium ban to fans who
booed players taking a knee before their home game against Colchester. Other fans have been asked to undertake
education around discrimination and equality before they are allowed back into the Abbey Stadium. A handful of fans
could be heard booing ahead of kick-off in the League Two fixture on December 15, even though it was quickly drowned
out by applause. [Video clip]
BLM
Leader Who The Red Sox Honored On The Field Is Arrested For Punching An 80 Year Old Woman On Video. A
32-year-old Black Lives Matter leader who was honored by the Boston Red Sox during an August "Hats off to Heroes" ceremony,
normally used to honor members of the military, was arrested Saturday in Swampscott, Massachusetts for punching an
80-year-old female Trump supporter in the chest. Jacques Jr., who was released on $550 bail, can be seen in a video
posted by Trump supporter Dianna Ploss unloading a right to the 80-year-old woman. According to his Facebook page,
Jacques Jr. was approached by the Red Sox back in August. The team planned to honor the BLM leader on a night normally
reserved to honor members of the military. [Video clip]
NFL
Honors Gunman Killed While Trying To Murder Cops. The National Football League (NFL) has chosen to honor a
gunman who was killed while shooting at police by allowing players to wear his name on their helmets. Protesters have
demanded that Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Dejoure Mercer be sent to prison for murder for
returning fire after 21-year-old Dreasjon Reed shot at him on May 6, The Indianapolis Star reported at the time.
Special Prosecutor Rosemary Khoury announced in November that a grand jury determined the shooting was justified, according
to The Indianapolis Star. The Indiana State Police (ISP) said evidence in Reed's phone indicated he was involved in two
drive-by shootings prior to livestreaming the police chase and gun battle with Officer Mercer, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Thanks for representing our country so well.
U.S.
Olympic Committee Will Allow Athletes To Kneel In Protest, Raise Fists. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
Committee (USOPC) announced Thursday that it won't sanction athletes who raise a fist or take a knee on the medal stand at
the Tokyo Games in 2021. USOPC said on Dec. 10 that it agreed with the calls from American athletes that asked the
committee to change the rule prohibiting inside-the-lines protests at the Olympic Games, according to ESPN. The provision
known as Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter has been under scrutiny and International Olympic Committee (IOC) has told its
athlete commission to explore other options, according to The Washington Post.
Social
Justice Bowl?: Ad Agency Predicts 'Black Lives Matter' Theme for Super Bowl LV. TV advertisers may be preparing
to turn the NFL's biggest game into the "Social Justice Bowl" with hours of woke commercials and messaging. If reports
on the ads coming for Super Bowl LV are to be believed, the funny and heartwarming ads, the cute kids and heroic animals will
be running alongside Black Lives Matter themes. Along with social justice activism, advertisers may be preparing
commercials filled with coronavirus messaging as well, according to Front Office Sports.
U.S.
Women's Soccer Team Wears Black Lives Matter Jackets to International Match. The U.S. Women's National Team
(USWNT) wore Black Lives Matter Jackets to their international friendly match against the Netherlands on Friday. In a
message posted before the game, USWNT star Alex Morgan said the team chose to wear the jackets as a way to "affirm human
decency," and as a stand against "racial injustice and police brutality."
The
Colin Kaepernick spectacle needs to end now. Last week, the man who has made millions stirring racial anxieties
and allying himself with massive corporations that profit mightily from slave labor, decided to use his voice not to promote
harmony and unity, but to once again stoke discord. One would think that a man who has profited so handsomely by
turning a blind eye towards the human rights abuses that fund his underwriters would experience at least a modicum of shame
before attempting to lecture humanity on matters of "justice." But Colin Kaepernick has proven he is nothing if not
shameless. So at a virtual conference last Monday [11/23/2020], the Nike millionaire zoomed in to lend his voice to the
cause of freeing Wesley Cook, the former Black Panther who, after shooting white police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981 for
daring to pull his brother over for a routine traffic stop, changed his name to Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Detroit
Lions and Houston Texans Quarterbacks Kneel During Anthem to Show Their Disgust for America on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the blessings of the past year. But not everyone is grateful to be from
the United States of America. Professional athletes in the US are now cheerleaders in anti-American hate.
Colin
Kaepernick goes full radical with call to free cop killer. It had to happen. This day had to come.
For an attention-seeking activist, the worst scenario is to lose the limelight. It means the death of influence.
So [Colin] Kaepernick — who's already run the course on calling for police reform, who's already spent his media
capital on aligning with Black Lives Matter and crying racism when NFL teams, surprise, surprise, failed to rush to extend
lucrative offers — Kaepernick had to ratchet the cries. He had to find a new rally call. He had to
grab a hold of a new campaign. From police reform to "let my cop-killing people go" — it's the predictable
next step.
Colin Kaepernick
calls for release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, former Black Panther convicted of killing police officer. Activist and
free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick called for the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther who was
convicted of killing a White Philadelphia police officer in 1981. He made the comments during a virtual conference with
supporters fighting for his release on Monday [11/16/2020]. "We're in the midst of a movement that says 'Black Lives
Matter.' And if that's truly the case, then it means that Mumia's life and legacy must matter," Kaepernick said in a video
statement.
NFL releases
National Coming Out Day PSA. In honor of National Coming Out Day, the National Football League (NFL) released a
video celebrating former LGBTQ+ players and encouraging those still in the closet to come out. The heartwarming clip
features former out gay and bisexual athletes Wade Davis, R.K. Russell, Jeff Rohrer, and Ryan O'Callaghan encouraging current
athletes to live freely and speak their truth. They collectively announce: "To all current players who are
thinking of coming out, when you are ready, so are we."
NFL
to Air 'National Coming Out Day' PSA During Sunday Night Football. The NFL is set to celebrate the LGBTQ
community's "National Coming Out Day" during its Sunday Night Football broadcast this weekend. The campaign,
labeled "It Takes All Of Us," will feature a 30-second video starring openly gay or bisexual NFL players including Ryan
O'Callaghan, Jeff Rohrer, R.K. Russell, and Wade Davis. The ad encourages gays to come out and be proud of their
sexual proclivities, according to CNN.
NBA
caves! No 'Black Lives Matter' on courts and jerseys next year. NBA commissioner Adam Silver casually let
drop the bombshell news that the NBA will remove the name of the Marxist revolutionary organization Black Lives Matter from
its basketball courts and player jerseys next season. This comes following catastrophic ratings declines to all-time
lows for the league's playoff games.
The Progressive Medusa.
Sports was once a place to escape work, politics, and family tensions — a unifying experience where grudges,
feuds, and vendettas disappeared for a few hours. Not now. Franchises became self-acclaimed woke ministries, in
which poorly educated athletes — almost exclusively multimillionaires and without much knowledge or appreciation
of where their seemingly limitless salaries derive — have become preachers. And they are poor preachers at
that. The more a LeBron James remonstrates with America, the more NFL athletes refuse to honor the national anthem, the
more all professional sports display glitzy politicalized logos, so all the more fans who pay their salaries tune out.
The problem is not just that half the country is at odds with the politics of professional sports, but also that it watches
them to see athletic excellence and root for favored teams — not to hear adolescent rants about their own moral
shortcomings from supposedly victimized elites, some of whom have less than sterling characters. Worse still, the
monotonous anti-American fantasies of half-educated players are cynically predicated on their own careerist realities —
and more than just constructed to appeal to woke 20-something consumers with cash for sneakers and downloads.
Utah
Company Gives Up Suite at Jazz Games Over Anthem Kneeling, BLM Promotion. A Utah company is giving up its suite
at Jazz games, citing the players' decision to kneel during the national anthem. The company, Salt Lake County-based
SME Steel Contractors, is asking the NBA franchise to "put a stop to all disrespectful actions during the anthem and remove
the Black Lives Matter logo from the arena." "The recent actions of the NBA — including the owners, coaches
and players of the Utah Jazz — have converted a beloved entertainment venue into a forum for dissemination of
political propaganda which is divisive and completely out of step with our company and its values," a Sept. 9 letter
sent from Salt Lake County-based SME Steel Contractors to Jazz owner Gail Miller states.
Company
Gives Up Its NBA Suite, Fires Off Letter to Franchise Owner Over the Ruining of Sports. If you've paid much
attention to NBA games as of late, you know one thing for sure: Black Lives Matter. With large letters labeling
the court, it's hard to miss the message. [...] Unsurprisingly, not everyone's on board, and you can count SME Steel
Contractors among them. In a September 9th letter to Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller, the Salt Lake County-based company
made that clear. In fact, SME's giving up its suite at the arena. And it's asking the NBA franchise to "put a
stop to all disrespectful actions during the Anthem and remove the Black Lives Matter logo from the arena."
The
NFL gets woke and goes broke. The woke crowd is putting pressure on us to believe we are a racist
country. From 2016 to 2019, a few NFL players took a knee during the Star-Spangled Banner to say this country is
racist. The pressure became so intense that the NFL now accommodates them. This year, the Black National Anthem
is played before games. Most players either kneel or stay in the locker room during the real National Anthem.
These players must believe that this country is racist. Since we are citizens, they must believe we are racist.
Almost all of them are millionaires. They worked hard at their profession and rose to the top. They are a typical
American success story. They now get money and fame. We enjoy watching them play and contributing to their
wealth. They should be grateful that they live in this country. Instead of gratitude, the players are using their
fame to call attention to their low opinion of the fans, their customers. The natural fan response is to boycott the games.
Steelers'
Star: I should have done more research before honoring drive-by shooter. I wrote [elsew]here about how
the Pittsburgh Steelers will be honoring Antwon Rose, a drive-by shooting participant and probable shooter, by wearing his
name on their helmets this season. Only one player — Afghan war vet Alejandro Villanueva —
refused to go along with this nauseating decision. He will wear the name of a fallen warrior, Alwyn Cashe, an
African-American who was killed in Iraq. Now, however, another player, star center Maurkice Pouncey, has balked at the
Steelers' decision. Pouncey, who has worked with the police in Pittsburgh and Florida, says he was given "limited
information" about the circumstances concerning Rose. I "should have done more research to fully understand what
occurred in its entirety," he admitted.
Why
We Stand for the American Flag. Now that the political left has decided to strain our few remaining bonds of
national unity by encouraging disrespect for the American flag and the National Anthem, will there ever be a day in the
future when Americans can pause from political division and join together as one nation to remember all we've
accomplished? Can the athletes who have decided to kneel in protest of America imagine that future? Won't there
always be some injustice, somewhere, that forces athletes to their knees? Won't there always be some kneeler who feels
compelled to judge the actions of another American, even if those actions occurred decades or centuries ago? Do
athletes who take a knee plan to stay on the ground for decades to come? Will they teach the lesson to their children
and their children's children that disrespecting the flag is the noble thing to do? Just how many generations of
kneeling will it take before America is properly punished?
How
the Underground Press Will Thwart the Media and Re-Elect Donald Trump. To understand the samizdat's effect,
consider a recent Gallup poll on the U.S. sports industry. A year ago, by a 45-25 margin, most Americans had a
favorable view of professional sports. Today, by a 40-30 margin, most have an unfavorable view. These numbers had
to shock the more woke among NFL and NBA execs. All summer, these execs have been reading about the largely peaceful
protests against the systemic racism responsible for the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks among
others and the crippling of Jacob Blake. How, they wondered, could sports fans not embrace those athletes who stood (or
knelt) in support of social justice? The players all endorsed the BLM movement or appeared to. So did the
sportscasters, the advertisers, the TV networks, Hollywood, Big Tech, the New York Times, the major magazines, and just about
everyone with a prominent soapbox except for Fox News — and even Fox waffled.
Racial Justice Agitators Are Killing Sports.
The NFL is starting to kill American football fans' interest in football with their endless politicization of the
sport. This is the first year my husband refused to join fantasy football leagues because he's had enough of the NFL
forgetting why they exist. Ratings are way down. Football fans in Kansas City didn't boo the players because they
were showing "unity" (whatever that means), they did it because they don't want any politics in sports. None.
It doesn't matter what side it's on, sports fans don't want to hear about real-world problems when they are escaping the
real world full of violence, sadness, war, despair, cities on fire, for a few hours of sports when the only battle that
matters is the one on the field.
Roger
Goodell and Wokeness Have Ensured the Decline of the NFL. Until Roger Goodell and the NFL recently signified
their devotion to the anti-American mythology promoted by Black Lives Matter and prostrated themselves before its pantheon of
privileged heroes such as Colin Kaepernick, football had for decades been something that made us all incredibly happy and was
a central feature of our lives each fall. Now it will not be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future, and I
seriously doubt that we're unique. That should strike fear into the hearts of NFL executives. There is a seismic
shift beneath our feet in the world of sports today, and I think most sports fans of a certain age see it clearly, even if
the top brass of the NFL cannot.
NFL
kneeling, fists in air, hiding in locker except during black national anthem. The all-black Howard University
choir sang the Black national anthem before the Washington — Eagles Football game and it will be played before
every game. The players and coaches, everyone tied to the teams, stood respectfully for this fake and divisive
anthem. Reportedly, for the real national anthem, Washington stood and the Eagles hid in the locker room. This is
blatant racism, divisiveness, and segregation. They are honoring the Marxist hate group, Black Lives Matter.
Diversity is not our strength, unity is!
Racial injustice themes fill empty
NFL stadiums. Jason Myers kicked off to start the Seahawks' season-opener against the Falcons, and the ball
sailed through the end zone for a touchback. No one moved a step. Instead, the players all dropped to one
knee. After years of pleading with the NFL to act against systemic racism, they were willing to wait another 10 seconds
to make their point.
The Editor says...
Anyone foolish enough to pay the high price of admission to an NFL game is paying to see the players play football, not to engage in some
rehearsed and choreographed ritual about what victims the players perceive themselves to be.
Conservatives'
Crushing Counterattack In the Culture War. We're all supposed to applaud the kneeling zillionaires of the
NFL — the most spoiled bunch of jerks on planet earth — and yet when they came out and tried to rub
their cultural power in our faces, when they tried to make us just sit there and silently be insulted presented by the
felons, losers, and accused sex offenders whose names were emblazoned on their helmets, tons of us refused to tune in and
those who showed up live booed these pretentious twits. How dare those peasants refuse to submit to the cultural
commandments of their betters!
NFL
Releases List of Approved Names for Helmet Padding, Including Jacob Blake. The NFL has disclosed their list of
approved names that they will allow players to wear on their helmet bumpers for social justice messaging. Among the
names are Jacob Blake, who is accused of sexual assault. The list is apparently fluid, in the sense that new names are
being added all the time. Also among the names is that of slain retired St. Louis police officer David
Dorn. Dorn was killed in early June by rioters while checking on a friend's store in St. Louis. The listing
of Blake's name, given his alleged violent history of sexual assault, stands in stark contrast to the league's recent efforts
to improve the game's appeal to women through cracking down on domestic violence and promoting breast cancer awareness.
Political
expression at the NFL opener, by players and fans. I didn't watch the NFL's opening game last night between
Kansas City and Houston. However, I've read several accounts about the players' approach to the National Anthem and
related activity. Apparently, the NFL decided to play both the National Anthem and a song called "Lift Every Voice and
Sing," which is sometimes referred to as the black national anthem. The idea of a black national anthem should be
offensive to all but racial separatists. As long as we're one country, we should have just one anthem, and it should be
the only one played at sports events.
The
NFL returns with 17,000 socially distanced fans, kneeling players and anthem walkouts. Kansas City Chiefs fans
booed a moment of silence aimed at promoting racial justice, the Houston Texans remained in the locker room during the
Star-Spangled Banner, and the reigning Super Bowl champions lined up for a singing of 'the black national anthem' on Thursday
night [9/10/2020] as the NFL opened its 2020 campaign under dramatically different circumstances than any other season in league
history. 'With everything going on in this country, we wanted to show that we're unified as a league,' Chiefs quarterback
Patrick Mahomes told NBC after throwing three touchdowns in a 34-20 win. 'We are not going to let football distract us from
making a change in the world.'
The Editor says...
The few remaining football fans are only interested in seeing how well you can play football.
They aren't tuning in, or attending in person, to see how much you can "change the world."
On
Covid and Race, Sports Suddenly Ignore Analytics. What has happened with big time sports' fascination with
crunching all kinds of numbers and statistics? Has this fascination with stats vanished in lieu of a political agenda
with respect to the Covid and the BLM protests? Is getting rid of Donald Trump worth obliterating multi-billion-dollar
operations? Do they have any idea what they are doing to themselves? These are open questions, and the answers
carry monstrous cultural, political and economic ramifications.
Why
I'm Voting for Trump, Even Though I Don't Want To. I stopped watching the NFL four years ago, and now I've
stopped watching all pro sports because of the disrespect. The Democrats do not condemn flag-burners.
Primetime
Ratings Crash for Woke MLB. Major League Baseball opened this year by kneeling for the anthem and standing for
Black Lives Matter. Though, despite the apparent belief that our sports-starved nation's hunger for baseball would
outweigh the league's social justice activism, the ratings have been in the basement. According to the numbers,
baseball has joined the NBA in struggling to get sports fans to tune in and watch games.
NFL
Player: We Have 'Green Light' to 'Do Something That Makes a Boom' During Protests. Apparently, simply
kneeling and disrespecting the American flag and national anthem during NFL pregames every week doesn't quite deliver the
virtue-signaling "social justice" high to players it once did. So, as is the case with all addictions, players are
looking for a new twist to pregame protests. You, know, something with a few more bells and whistles; just to make sure
non-woke fans who have gotten used to the same old kneeling routine are still paying attention to the "social injustice" and
"white privilege" that permeates their every pore. If Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford has anything to
say about it, players are going to do just that. Dallas Cowboys players, at least. Moreover, Crawford suggested
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already given players the go-ahead.
NBA viewers
flee as the league turns "too political," poll finds. A recent Harris poll has revealed that 39% of self-identified
sports fans have chosen to watch fewer NBA games this season, largely because the league has become overly politicized.
NBA
ratings continue to drop as fans abandon the league that's abandoned them. The NBA is facing continuing drops
to their ratings, probably as a result of the polarizing political stances they have been taking recently, according to
City Journal. The latest sharp drop in ratings for the NBA appears to be directly related to their recent round of
support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which many people see as corrupted by outside influences, and conflated with
totalitarian socialist ideals. Fans have also been voicing discontent over the continued postponing of key playoff
games. They feel they have had to wait a long time for basketball to come back already, and further delays are not
acceptable to many of them.The NBA had postponed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday NBA playoff games last week as a sign of protest.
NFL
Announces Social Justice Slogans Will Be Inscribed on Every Field. NFL end zones will be inscribed this season
with two slogans: "It Takes All Of Us" on one end line, "End Racism" on the other. As part of its social justice
awareness initiatives, the NFL also will allow similar visuals on helmets and caps. Previously announced were decals on
the back of helmets, or patches on team caps, displaying names or phrases to honor victims of racism and/or police brutality.
The Editor says...
When major sports team stop glorifying victims, fewer people will see victimhood as a goal.
When
NBA, MLB And NHL Players Picked Jacob Blake To Be Their Saint, They Chose Poorly. The officer who shot Jacob
Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has been tried and convicted by Democrats, the media, and truth-[averse] activists before the
case is resolved. It's a mirror image of the Michael Brown shooting (the officer was cleared) in Ferguson, Missouri,
and the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd (the officer has yet to go to trial). The difference is this time, pro
athletes, pampered and well-paid, joined the mob. They should be ashamed of their behavior. [...] As sports journalist
Clay Travis tweeted when the players quit on their fans and employers, "the NBA never said no to the players," when they
returned to play after the pandemic shutdown. "They okayed everything — political messages on jerseys,
kneeling for the national anthem, political messages on the court itself — and it still wasn't enough. And
now their business doesn't exist. Lesson: you can't ever be woke enough."
MLB
fans' reaction to Jacob Blake boycotts says it all. Whatever the issue or cause, it's a lot easier to be
righteous when there are no paying customers to send home. Timing was everything. This season, with no tickets,
tack-on fees, parking, hideously marked-up eats and drinks to sell, Thursday [8/27/2020] there was no one to rip off except
cable and satellite TV subscribers, who have been conditioned to bait-and-switch abuses. For better, worse and all that
lies between, here's the problem: Fans don't care nearly as much as they did. They've learned to live without
sports, especially in their current diminished condition. They've learned that they're taken for granted. And
more and more they've determined that they won't pay another dime to attend games or to watch them on TV.
NHL players
group demands league pay $100 million and change blue line to 'black line' for racial equality. On top of their
formal request for the National Hockey League to suspend all playoff games last night, Rick Westhead, a senior correspondent
for TSN, reports the HDA (Hockey Diversity Alliance) has a number of other demands. Hockey Diversity Alliance, an
association made up of seven players whose stated purpose is to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey, have
also revealed these demands:
• Team owners offer NHL rinks to be used as polling stations for the upcoming US election
• NHL should be fully transparent about "all information related to the policies, targets and commitments" related to the hiring of employees who are visible minorities.
• NHL to commit to funding $100 million dollars over 10 years to battle "systemic racism."
• NHL make a statement by temporarily changing the blue line to black.
• NHL to run PSAs for the HDA during the playoffs this summer.
• NHL to have on-ice presence of the HDA logo.
Advice
to woke pro sports: Try doing just sports again. Here's a tip for you. Go to YouTube and watch
Harry Caray broadcasting an old White Sox game. At times he was clearly drunk on air, butchered the players' names,
talked about their ethnicities as well as good-looking women in the stands. Everyone loved Harry Caray because he was
entertaining and fun to listen to. There is nothing fun about the new generation of sports broadcasters, who sound like
an old Pravda TV announcer telling us the virtues of Leonid Brezhnev. American sports fans are being pushed
around. If they are pushed any farther, we will have an Atlas Shrugged moment on our hands.
An
NBA so woke it cancels itself. Deciding to go Colin Kaepernick one better, the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks players
decided to cancel their playoff game to protest the Kenosha, Wisconsin police shooting of Jacob Blake, a career criminal with
a warrant out for 3rd degree sexual assault, who was resisting arrest. That act triggered racial grievance riots, along
with lootings, destruction, and a likely permanent decline for Kenosha, as usually happens in riot-torn cities. But the
NBA didn't want to leave it alone and let justice take its course. Someone in the locker room of the Bucks suggested a
game strike, and then the rest of them, lemmings-like, jumped onboard. The act was followed with at least five teams
calling off their games, too, and two teams — the Clippers and Lakers of Los Angeles pulling out of the season
entirely. Meanwhile, Kenny Smith a longtime TNT sports commentator walked off, and LeBron James, who plays for some
other team, jumped in, too, effectively calling the walkout a political protest to Get Trump, declaring: "Change
starts in November."
Mark
Cuban says he'd support Dallas Mavericks players boycotting games. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he'd
support his players if they seek to boycott games. Cuban's comments to FOX 4 came after three NBA playoff games on
Wednesday were postponed following player boycotts in the wake of the shooting of a Black man by police in Wisconsin.
Report:
NFL Dropping Military Honor Guards for National Anthem. The NFL is preparing to end the use of military honor
guards to present the American flag ahead of the national anthem, according to reports. A league source claims that the
policy benching military, federal, and police guards is part of its COVID-19 response, according to Front Office
Sports. "They won't be on the field," a source told the site. "That could change as the season progresses.
But that's the plan at the beginning."
Twenty (Uncomfortable)
Questions. [#3] Why does the NBA have "Black Lives Matter" painted on the court? If black lives didn't
matter, would there be any players on the court? It reminds me of the old joke: "I went to a fight and a hockey
game broke out." Now it's, "I went to a protest and a sporting event broke out." [#4] How does kneeling during the
national anthem help fight "perceived" racism or inequality in any way? It's incredibly annoying to try to enjoy a game
or a television show and have to sit through a lecture or a sermon.
Players
Kneeling for Anthem Met with Boos Before MLS Game. There was a smattering of boos when players from FC Dallas
and Nashville SC collectively took a knee during the national anthem before their MLS game on Wednesday night [8/12/2020] in
Frisco, Texas. Dallas defender Reggie Cannon said he was disgusted by the boos at Toyota Stadium when players and
officials knelt to call attention to racial injustice. He said teammate Ryan Hollingshead turned to him afterward and
said he was sorry.
Dallas
Soccer Star Reggie Cannon Calls Fans "Disgusting" for Booing and Chanting "USA!" as Players Knelt for National
Anthem. Several soccer fans out of a crowd of about 3,000 in attendance booed and chanted "USA!" at an MLS game
Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas between FC Dallas and Nashville SC as players and refs knelt in unison for
the playing of the national anthem before the game. In a post-game press conference, Dallas star Reggie Cannon went off
on fans for chanting "USA!" and booing the players, calling the fans "disgusting" and whining that his team has been through
"absolute hell" the past six months because of the pandemic. Cannon ranted for over two minutes about the booing of the
players for kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Woke
Mobs Demand You Must Now Explain Why You Stand For The Anthem. Kneeling for the national anthem at sporting
events used to be the occasional episode of player activism protesting the United States as an evil racist empire. Amid
the new 21st century woke revolution however, kneeling has become a key signifier for players and teams to declare which side
of the culture wars one sits on. It's those who love America versus those who hate it, the latter of which despises the
American flag and all that it represents as a relic of white supremacy that must be condemned. Those who still stand
out of respect for the nation's ideals and the uniformed men and women who protect it are now the outliers forced to defend
themselves in a new age of no dissent, because dissent is racist, racism is oppression, oppression is violence, and violence
is not to be tolerated, even if it isn't real.
Key Fans [are]
Unhappy With Sports Leagues Kowtowing to Black Lives Matter. If anyone was hoping that the return of the
long-awaited Major League season would lift our spirits and bring us together, they had to be disappointed to learn that we
are more divided than ever over the National Anthem kneeling debate. And although President Trump has not chosen to
join the burgeoning #BoycottMLB movement on Twitter, the president has joined a growing number of disheartened baseball fans
who are unhappy that their favorite teams are taking the knee. Even before the start of the season, President Trump
tweeted that he was "looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a
sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!" This is not a small issue.
Rasmussen released a new poll of 1,000 Americans which indicates that "Americans are sending more negative signals than
positive ones over the decision by many professional sports organizations to promote the controversial Black Lives Matter
movement."
NFL:
Now the No Freedom League. I grew up in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before they had satellite TV. As such, on the
Monday after the Super Bowl, everyone on the entire base would try to get through the day without knowing who had won the
game. That night, after a tape of the game had been flown down from the U.S., we'd watch the game and be riveted to our
TVs. [...] Today, however, I doubt I'll watch another NFL game, and I most certainly won't spend a penny on NFL
merchandise. Why? It's simple. The NFL, helmed by men who are ostensibly some of the smartest businessmen
in America, literally helped bring America to the brink of revolution, maybe even led the way. We're talking about
Kaepernick and Black Lives Matter. The NFL, and to a lesser degree MLB and the NBA, used to be oases from which all
Americans could seek refuge from the slings and arrows of daily life. [...] Since Kaepernick started his grandstanding,
however, the conversations became more about who was kneeling, what star was lecturing America about this grievance or that,
and ceased to be about the excitement or pain or joy of the actual games.
The Sickening Hypocrisy of the
NBA. I am not speaking about individual NBA players or their motivations (although some players, to be sure,
could be called out). I'm speaking of the league as a whole, of the organization. Its hypocrisy is absolutely
sickening. In October, 2019, I stated that the NBA was a spineless little bully, noting that "this multi-billion dollar
organization, which spans the globe, was happy to bully North Carolina in 2016 when the state had the audacity to declare
that men's bathrooms were for men and women's bathrooms were for women." Yet, I wrote, the "NBA has had no problem
getting in bed with an oppressive country like China, which imprisons and tortures Christians and Muslims and others who do
not toe the party line. "Tens of millions of people experience severe daily restrictions under the tyrannical policies
of President Xi, with countless tens of thousands suffering right now in 'reeducation camps' and jails."
"Woke"
Sports Bombing With Fans. I never understood why pro sports leagues thought that buying into a far-left,
anti-American narrative would ingratiate them with their fans. At the moment, it looks like my skepticism (shared by
many, of course) was justified. Breitbart reports: "Ratings crash for NBA, MLB after protest-filled debuts."
[...] Why would anyone think that America's sports fans yearn for far-left "social justice" messages as part of their sports
programming?
Report:
Group of Pac-12 Players Threatens to Boycott Season over Virus, Social Justice Concerns. While professional
football, baseball, and basketball players have been opting out of their upcoming seasons by the dozens, less has been heard
from the nation's collegiate athletes. Well, that's beginning to change. According to a report obtained by ESPN,
a group of players from several different Pac-12 schools have threatened to sit out preseason and regular season games unless
the Pac-12 makes certain concessions.
Ratings
Crash for NBA, MLB After Protest-Filled Debuts. As the NBA and MLB return from their coronavirus-imposed
hiatus, it appears TV viewers are not interested in what the increasingly woke leagues have to offer. With both
baseball and basketball draped in all sorts of Black Lives Matter and social justice symbolism for their opening games, a
substantially smaller number of fans tuned-in to the rest of the week's games.
Every
NHL Player Stands For The National Anthem During First Game Back. Every single player on the Carolina
Hurricanes and the New York Rangers stood during the national anthem Saturday afternoon [8/1/2020]. In the first game
of the NHL's 24-team postseason return during the coronavirus pandemic, not a single player on either team took a knee.
Protesting during the national anthem is front and center again in the world of sports, and virtually the entire NBA has done it.
Strike
Three: Major League Baseball's Sordid Romance with Race-Baiting Politics. For 65 years, I was a major
league fan of major league baseball. But as of last week, that all changed, and I will never again follow the
sport. MLB's woke owners drove me away. I don't watch baseball — or any sport — to have
moralizing political lectures rammed down my throat. Yet that is now the order of the day, not only in the NFL and the
NBA, but in major league baseball as well, where filthy rich franchise owners are falling all over themselves kowtowing to
Black Lives Matter, a Marxist political organization that hijacked the noble cause of racial justice as a fig leaf to
disguise its profoundly un-American ideology. At the 2020 Season Opener between the Washington Nationals and the New
York Yankees, every player and every coach was told to kneel prior to the National Anthem.
Every
Player and Coach Takes a Knee During National Anthem Before NBA Restart. The NBA promised a social justice
message when they restarted their season, and they delivered. On Thursday night, every player and coach for the Jazz
and Pelicans took a knee during the national anthem. In addition, every player wore a Black Lives Matter shirt.
Every
Player On The Jazz And Pelicans Kneels During The National Anthem. Every single member of the Utah Jazz and New
Orleans Pelicans took a knee during the national anthem Thursday [7/30/2020]. While the anthem played before the first
game of the NBA's return, all coaches, players and a ref took a knee.
Our
Summer of Cultural Suicide. Over the last century, professional football, basketball and baseball were racially
integrated and adopted a uniform code of patriotic observance. The three leagues offered fans a pleasant respite from
daily barroom politics. As a result, by the 21st century, the NFL, NBA and MLB had become global multibillion-dollar
enterprises. Then hubris ensued. The owners, coaches and players weren't always racially diverse. But that
inconvenient truth did not stop the leagues from hectoring their fans about social activism — even as they no
longer honored common patriotic rituals. All three leagues have suffered terribly during the viral lockdown, as
American life mysteriously went on without them. And they have almost ensured that they won't fully recover when the
quarantine ends. Many of their often-pampered multimillionaire players refuse to honor the national anthem. In
the NFL they now will broadcast their politics on their helmets. They will virtue-signal their moral superiority to
increasingly turned-off fans, as if to ensure that their sources of support flee.
Pittsburgh
Steelers Player Stephon Tuitt Says He's Not Kneeling During The National Anthem. Pittsburgh Steelers star
Stephon Tuitt won't take a knee during the national anthem. There are going to be gigantic national anthem protests all
over the NFL during the 2020 season, but Tuitt won't be joining. He tweeted Monday [7/27/2020] that he's not taking a
knee and added, "screw anybody who have a problem with that." He cited his grandmother being an immigrant as a major reason
why he won't take a knee.
Spurs'
Gregg Popovich: People who don't understand BLM movement 'just ignorant'. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich, one of the NBA's most outspoken voices on social justice issues, took to task people who he said still did not
understand the Black Lives Matter movement. In a video conference call with reporters,
Popovich, who is preparing for the league's upcoming restarted season, was asked what the social justice movement means to him[.]
"It's no different for me than it is to anybody else who cares about justice
and who can be empathetic to the fact that justice has been denied to a group of people for far too long. And enough is enough,"
he said, according to the Dallas Morning-News.
Mike
Ditka tells kneeling athletes to 'get [...] out of the country'. Former Chicago Bears coach and noted
commercial pitchman Mike Ditka shared his thoughts on the growing wave of anti-racist athlete demonstrations occurring during
the pregame national anthems at sporting events. For anyone who has ever listened to Ditka talk politics before, his
beliefs on the matter were unsurprising.
Former
Chicago Bears Coach Has a Message for Kneeling Athletes. During an interview with TMZ, Former Chicago Bears
Coach Mike Ditka shredded National Football League players that decide to kneel during the national them. According to
Ditka, it's disrespectful to "protest" against the flag and the country that has provided opportunities to professional
athletes. "The whole kneeling thing in the NFL, you've got guys saying they're gonna do it. You know, baseball
players, different teams, last night I watched baseball, you got the Red Sox and the As and the Giants, a lot of teams are
kneeling, athletes are kneeling. In your league here, you're the chairman of this league, is that going to be allowed
if the women want to take a knee during the anthem?" TMZ asked. "What's the policy on that from you guys?"
WNBA
players WALK OUT during national anthem and wear Black Lives Matter jerseys. The WNBA's Seattle Storm and New
York Liberty teams walked off the court during the playing of the national anthem before the season-opening game on Saturday
afternoon [7/25/2020]. The two teams' planned walk-off was part of the league's season-long Justice Movement initiative — designed
to fight systemic racism and violence — which the WNBA and Women's National Basketball Players Association announced earlier
in July. On Saturday, players from the Storm and the Liberty headed for their locker rooms while the national anthem
played at the WNBA bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The
Week in Pictures: Play (Protest) Ball! Edition. So we have sports back, starting with major league
baseball in empty stadiums, but with artificial crowd noise piped into TV broadcasts as if the game is an unfunny sitcom or
something. And in one sense it is an unfunny sitcom, since so many players seem intimidated into the political
exhibitionism of kneeling for the national anthem. Here's a thought: if we want to get real crowds into stadiums,
let's label the games as "BLM protests" instead, since they are exempt from the social distancing rules. The crowd can
sing the Black national anthem during the 7th inning stretch, or perhaps a new tune — "Take Me Out to the
Riot" — can be specially composed. The kneeling players are already doing their part.
Americans
Should Tell the NBA 'Not In My House'. Once upon a time, basketball had nothing to do with politics and
everything to do with showcasing American athletic prowess. [...] The NBA bent over backward for China the minute it
retaliated in response to Morey's statement. In stark contrast, the league continues to trample over America and its patriotic
citizens, meaning money talks. So, let's stop watching their games and buying their products — until the NBA
cuts all ties with China and players begin standing during the national anthem — in respect for this extraordinary
country which turned them into heroes. Or, let them spend the rest of their careers as pathetic zeroes in the eyes of Americans.
Baseball
Returns With Less Games, More Preaching. After so many months with zero professional sports, the atmosphere
should be one of anticipation and excitement. Yet, this entire moment just feels like we might be watching the swan
song of professional sports. Baseball could have really seized the moment when the pandemic started, and made plans to
strategize, to reach out to fans, to make every effort to get back on the field. Instead, we got a labor dispute with
fingers pointed at both sides, some big name players who are declining to play this season for a myriad of reasons, and fans
submitting cardboard cutouts of themselves to sit in empty stadium seats. Nothing feels right, and yet baseball should
feel familiar and comforting. But it doesn't, because first we have to sit through another lecture and demonstration on
the social justice cause du jour.
Yankees
and Nationals kneel in unison before the first game of season just days after Trump said the game was 'over' for him when
players took a knee. The Yankees and Nationals knelt in unison before the first game of the season just days
after Donald Trump said the game was 'over' for him when players took a knee. Players from both clubs knelt during the
opening day ceremony Thursday night, which featured several references to the ongoing civil rights movement that was
triggered by the Memorial Day 'murder' of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The symbol of protest has divided opinion of
late, with the president tweeting Tuesday that kneeling during the national anthem is a 'sign of great disrespect' and the
game is 'over' for him when players do it.
San
Francisco Giants Pitcher Sam Coonrod Refuses To Kneel During The National Anthem, Cites His Christian faith.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod refused to kneel during the national anthem Thursday night against the
Dodgers. According to NBC Sports, members of the Giants took a knee during the national anthem, and Coonrod didn't join
them. Every member of both teams also kneeled before the anthem. The pitcher also didn't participate in that
action. The reason why? His Christian faith.
Red
Sox Raise Large Black Lives Matter Sign at Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox made a very visible statement of
anti-racism Wednesday as they put up a huge Black Lives Matter sign on an exterior wall of Fenway Park. The sign, which
says "Black Lives Matter" in large letters followed by the Sox' logo, faces the Massachusetts Turnpike and directs viewers to
the Red Sox Foundation website for more information. On the website is a statement on "Social Justice, Equity and
Inclusion" from team President and CEO Sam Kennedy posted last month in the wake of the major protests over the deaths of
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others.
MLB
Allows Black Lives Matter, Social Justice Jersey Patches. Major League Baseball players have the option of
having a patch with "Black Lives Matter" or "United For Change" on a jersey sleeve on opening day of the pandemic-delayed
season, and Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle says his team may is considering whether to take a knee in support
Thursday night [7/23/2020].
Anthony
Fauci to Throw First Pitch for Washington Nationals' Season Opener. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will throw out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals on opening
day on Thursday, the Major League Baseball team announced Monday [7/20/2020]. "The Washington Nationals are thrilled to
announce that Nats super-fan, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
has accepted our invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, July 23," the team said in a
statement. "Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his
distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series
Championship title."
Under
China's thumb: So you can buy a KillCops t-shirt from the NBA but not a FreeHongKong one. When China is
your master, nobody cares if you stand or kneel or thumb your nose at the U.S. flag, but you'd better not cross the Chinese
one. Tha't's [sic] the ugly picture regarding the China-coopted National Basketball Association (NBA) and its
personalized t-shirt sales operation, where Chicom censorship is alive and well. Turns out you can personalize your
t-shirt to say all kinds of ugly things — but not FreeHongKong. Someone programmed that if/else exception in,
preventing any freedom lover from printing that reminder of China's broken treaty destruction of Hong Kong onto their
personalized t-shirt.
NFL
Again Fumbles Opportunity to Unite America. The National Football League once again is fumbling away an
opportunity to unite America. This is the result we could have expected, given the NFL's playbook over the past few
years. The NFL's decision to play what is known as the black national anthem — "Lift Every Voice and
Sing" — before every Week 1 game seems poised to divide, not unite, our country. But a secondary, more
certain outcome of this decision is that the NFL will lose its luster at a greater pace than it achieved its dominant allure.
It's
Not Trump vs. Biden. It's Trump vs. Losing Your Country. Just Look at the NFL! [Scroll
down] Look at the NFL. The NFL is literally afraid of a Marxist, communist organization, literally afraid of it,
literally doing anything it can not to make that bunch of people mad at them. The NFL has made it clear that they are
no longer the institution and value set that we always thought they were. You got Drew Brees, quarterback of the New
Orleans Saints who tweets his support and love for the American flag and the fact that he will never do anything to
disrespect it, and he's practically drummed out of the league, he's practically destroyed. He had to apologize four
times, his wife had to apologize two times, had to give a bunch of people a bunch of money. All he did was stand up for
the flag. The Philadelphia Eagles have an abject idiot wide receiver named DeSean Jackson, who just tweeted a bunch of
things he thought Hitler said, and he said the Jews are gonna come for the blacks, the Jews are gonna wipe out the blacks,
the Jews are gonna do this, he thought Hitler said it. He tweeted it. Nobody's upset. Nobody's insisting
DeSean Jackson be sent someplace to get his mind right.
How
Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson's Anti-Semitic Fiasco Just Got Worse. The Philadelphia Eagles' wide
receiver DeSean Jackson is causing problems in the locker room again. I guess in some odd way, he thought sharing
anti-Semitic posts, Louis Farrakhan videos, and fake Hitler quotes wouldn't be an issue, not least of the reasons being that
Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, and its executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman, are Jewish.
So, Kaepernick Lied. [Scroll down] No
one buys Kaepernick's love of country any more. But that works out fine because he's no longer selling it. In
2016, you still had to dilute your anti-Americanism with a drop of patriotism to get the really good press. That's over
with. Today, the American media market rewards the pure stuff, the straight-up hatred of the United States. Which
is why on July 6, Kaepernick announced his new partnership with The Walt Disney Co. to produce scripted and unscripted
content about, presumably, the country that has been so terrible to Kaepernick (and Disney). Of course, all those 2016
Kaepernick defenders really believed and approved of his claims to patriotism. Just as today, they believe and
undoubtedly approve of his undiluted anti-Americanism. You'd think that they feel duped, but you'd be wrong; they're
appreciative. No one on the left is dropping Kaepernick. In coming out as a full-throated anti-American, he
helped his woke supporters shed their habit of white supremacy. He once had to play the game of good citizenship, but
his liberation from those restraints is their liberation, too. Where he leads, they'll follow. What he rejects,
they'll reject. And whatever cognitive dissonance arises will be chalked up to past ignorance. This holds true
not just for Kaepernick but for all social-justice celebrities. Indeed, it applies to social justice generally.
Whatever is done or said in the name of the cause is good and just. Fool them once, fool them forever.
NFL Embracing
BLM Ideals Highlights Its Leadership Void. Four years ago, the NFL forbade Jason Witten and the Dallas Cowboys
from placing "Arm in Arm" stickers on the back of their helmets that would honor five slain Dallas police officers.
This year, according to a Thursday report by ESPN The Undefeated's Jason Reid, the NFL Players Association and the NFL are
collaborating on an idea to list the names of black people killed by police on jerseys. The absurdity of this pivot
could only be topped by the folly of DeMaurice Smith's and Roger Goodell's other proposed pivot. According to Reid, in
Week 1 the NFL will play the "black national anthem," Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing, before playing The Star-Spangled
Banner. So the NFL is going to start its season with all of its employees standing for the "black national anthem" and
a majority of its on-field employees immediately taking a knee for the American national anthem? That's the game plan
Smith and Goodell cooked up?
NBA
releases list of 29 pre-approved social justice messages for players' shirts, unfazed by hilarious irony. The
virtual-signaling, very woke National Basketball Association has reportedly settled on a list of social justice messages that
can be displayed on the back of player jerseys for the first four days of the restarted season. The suspended NBA
season is scheduled to restart on July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., at the Walt Disney World
Resort. The NBA has reportedly already agreed to paint the words Black Lives Matter inside the sidelines on all three
arenas that will be in use when the games begin. Given massive guaranteed salaries and other forms of leverage, the
players pretty much run the NBA, even though there is no constitutional guarantee of free speech in the private sector workplace.
Roger
Goodell's National Anthem Gambit. It is now being reported that the NFL will be playing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and
Sing," a song that has been called the "Black national anthem," before all NFL games in Week 1. This is a high-risk,
low-reward move by the NFL. There are countless problems with this strategy to appease the woke mobs, and it would be
difficult to overstate just how foolish and dangerous it is. First of all, a "Black national anthem" can only exist if
there is a broad acceptance of the notion that black people, as a racial category, share a common identity with other
sovereign nations. Additionally, defining a separate "Black national anthem" to be played alongside the America's
National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," presupposes that the latter is insufficient to alone represent black Americans
as it represents all others. These are insane propositions that would, until recently, have been unthinkable at any
moment of my life.
Sports
Commentator Rips NBA Painting 'Black Lives Matter' On Courts. This week, former NFL defensive end Marcellus
Wiley, who attended Columbia University and now co-hosts Fox Sports' "Speak for Yourself," slammed the idea that the NBA will
paint "Black Lives Matter" on courts where their games are played, asserting, "The road to hell is paved with good
intentions." Wiley began, "It's not a good idea. I do want to give the players credit for their flex to even get this
to be more than just an idea, but something that's gonna be, in reality, I give the players that. But there's a problem
with — when you start to go down this road of 'freedom of expression,' 'freedom of speech,' and how much social
space is allowed for those who don't support in that same place. And that's where I wonder where this is going to go in
terms of identity politics."
Ted
Cruz blasts NFL's reported plans to play 'Black national anthem'. Calls to boycott the NFL trended Friday on
social media following reports that the league plans to play the song known as the Black national anthem before all Week 1
regular season games. Multiple media outlets, including The Associated Press and the Undefeated, cited sources saying
that "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," known as the Black national anthem, would be played or performed before the first week's
games, immediately before "The Star-Spangled Banner." The hashtag #BoycottNFL trended on Friday morning as some
Republican lawmakers and others condemned the idea, saying it promoted the concept of a nation divided by race.
Former
NFL Player Burgess Owens Rips League Over 'Black National Anthem' Playing Before NFL Games. On Thursday [7/3/2020], former
NFL star Burgess Owens ripped into the football league over reports that the NFL will play "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," dubbed the
"Black national anthem," before all Week 1 games this season. The retired safety suggested the move was in line with "trying"
to "segregate" the nation "again." "There is no 'black national anthem,'" Owens posted via Twitter. "Why does it feel like
the country is trying to segregate again sometimes?"
NFL
all in with toxic identity politics, will play separate 'black national anthem' before Week 1 games. The NFL
will play the "black national anthem" before all Week 1 games of the 2020-2021 season as the National Football League
continues caving to race-baiting, leftist mobs. Most Americans never even knew that a "black national anthem" existed
since black and white civil-rights activists fought for decades to end racial segregation. However, since segregation
is a goal of the Marxist Black Lives Matter movement, the "black national anthem" will be played before the Star-Spangled
Banner at all Week 1 NFL games.
Source:
NFL plans to play Black national anthem before Week 1 games. "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," traditionally known
as the Black national anthem, is expected to be performed live or played before every Week 1 NFL game, and the league is
considering a variety of other measures during the upcoming season to recognize victims of police brutality, a source
familiar with the league's discussions told The Undefeated on Thursday [7/2/2020].
Report:
NFL Expected to Play Black National Anthem Before Season Opening Games. The NFL reportedly plans to play a
song titled, Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem, prior to every season opening game
this year. The song, according to a source to ESPN, will be played prior to the Star-Spangled-Banner.
NBA
Will Let Players Replace Name on Jersey With "Social Justice Statement". Some may wonder if the NBA now stands
for No Brains Anymore or, perhaps, if the NBA has become an NPC. Whatever the quip, what sounds like a joke but isn't is the
latest National Basketball Association news: When the league launches its abbreviated 2020 season July 30 in Orlando,
it will allow players to replace their names on their jerseys with a "social justice statement." [...] ESPN, which itself has
become the Entwining Sports with Politics Network, provides more detail, writing that "Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris
Paul, president of the National Basketball Players Association, told ESPN's The Undefeated on Saturday that the players'
union and the league are collaborating to allow players to wear jerseys with personalized social justice, social cause or
charity messages on the backs instead of their last names during the upcoming restart of the NBA season." Reacting to this,
Red State's Mike Miller wrote, "I'll go out on a limb and predict that there will be exactly zero 'charity messages' on the
backs of those Jerseys, come July 30."
The
Hour of Heroes Is Nigh. To be honest, I actually lost some sleep over the Mike Gundy video earlier last
week. Maybe you've seen it — the video where the Oklahoma State University football coach is seen
apologizing for the offense of wearing a shirt bearing the logo of the conservative news company OANN. It was a
disturbing scene with the coach robotically parroting the talking points of the delicate running back who originally took
issue with the offending piece of apparel. It's reminiscent of a hostage video of a captured US soldier. Either
that or something out of a cartoon villain's mind control experiment. You can practically see the spirals in his
eyes. Beyond the bizarre visuals, the most disturbing thing about this was the fact that an ostensible adult and leader
could be brought to heel by his subordinate — an early adult many years his junior — by something as
meaningless and inconsequential as the running back's tender feelings.
Why
Are We Letting Democrats Steal from Us? [Scroll down] Frighteningly, the fascists are now stealing
patriotism, and the woke leftists are joining forces. In the sports world, team owners, players, and spectators who
used to believe that standing for the National Anthem was the traditionally respectful, patriotic thing to do, now condone
and even encourage taking a knee as a symbol of Lord knows what. Colin Kaepernick was elevated to heroic stature by
Nike even as he wore socks portraying police officers as pigs. Now he is the darling of the American media and the NFL
as owners and managers climb over each other to prove who's the most woke. [...] As the Atlanta Braves pivot away from the
famous Tomahawk Chop chant, the University of Florida outlawed its "Gator Bait" cheer. The University of Virginia
followed suit by reworking its logo. The craziness began before the recent riots, with liberals wishing to change the
name of the Washington Redskins, something we'll likely see in the near future as a statue of the former owner was removed
last week.
Report:
Ratings for Woke ESPYs Crash by 81 Percent. Ratings for last weekend's woke ESPY Awards crashed to the lowest
numbers the show has ever recorded. The ESPYs only earned 482,000 viewers over both ESPN and ESPN2 combined, making it
the smallest audience the show has ever reached dating back to its inaugural awards in 1993. The previous low occurred in
2011 when 1.98 million viewers tuned in, according to Sports Media Watch. "This year's ESPYs was tape-delayed, lacked
its usual live audience, took place a month earlier on the calendar," Sports Media Watch explained, "and occurred more than
three months into a historic drought of live sporting events. With no live sports to focus on, this year's ESPYs was
largely devoted to humanitarian and social issues."
Bubba Smollett, Jussie
Wallace. [Scroll down] Wallace is not a natural prodigy, but instead is a product of the Tiger Woods era
of child competitors given every advantage by their parents. Wallace's father, a wealthy white business owner, paid for
his son to compete in youth motorsports from age 9 onward. Soon he was the star of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity
program. [...] He now drives the most legendary number in stock cars, Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43. Unfortunately,
Wallace hasn't yet proven more than mediocre at the highest level, finishing 28th among drivers in each of the past two
seasons. [...] It's not just the ensuing safety reforms that have eroded stock car racing's 1990s popularity. NASCAR is
basically an ethnic pride parade for the people who aren't allowed to hold ethnic pride parades, and the 21st century has
been a bad one for the white working class. This year, Wallace jumped on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon, which is,
perhaps not coincidentally, much beloved by corporate America's deep-pocketed sponsors, with the support of NASCAR. He had
his car painted with the BLM slogan for the Talladega race.
'The
Masters' Golf Tournament Should Change 'Racist' Name, Writer Says. One of golf's four "major" tournaments every
year is called "The Masters." The field of golfers is the smallest of all the majors — only the best
allowed — and the winner can be deemed "The Master" (plus, he gets a cool green jacket that every pro golfer
covets). But one writer at Deadspin has decided that the tournament's name is racist and should be changed.
Will
Americans choose the USA, or will they choose the NFL? NFL owners who support their players kneeling during the
National Anthem are routinely heard saying they feel that the act of kneeling shows respect for the hardships minorities have
endured and that it exhibits inclusivity and brings the country together. At the risk of sounding overly disdainful
regarding such deceptive drivel, those owners, pretending to be "woke," are fully aware that kneeling during the National
Anthem has historically been viewed as a sign of protest against the country. Beyond disrespectful, kneeling is
divisive unless, in unison, the entire stadium decides to kneel. Getting down to brass tacks, those NFL owners who
support their players kneeling during the National Anthem do so to protect their investment. That's right. It
comes down to the almighty dollar, as it always does. The NFL has taken sides, and it's not with Old Glory.
What Happens
When the Madness Ends? In a few weeks, we are promised that multimillionaire NFL players and coaches in unison
will not deign to stand up for the National Anthem. Promises, promises. TV play-by-play announcers will praise
them — or else likely lose their jobs. But millions of Americans simply will decouple from the NFL. Their
silent disappearance will make the prior Kaepernick drop-off in attendance and viewership seem like child's play. The
same will be true perhaps of the more canny NBA, if they foolishly emulate the NFL. Millions will surmise that billionaire
basketball players can far better make their billions in China and should — an NBA deity whose dictatorship
players and coaches fear and worship while criticizing their own democracy.
NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell: I Want Colin Kaepernick To 'Help Us, Guide Us' On Social Issues. NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell said during an interview on Tuesday that he wants a team to sign former NFL quarterback Colin
Kaepernick and that if Kaepernick does not make it back on the field then he is invited to the "table" to "help" and "guide"
the NFL on social issues. [...] Kaepernick has been widely criticized for some of his actions, including kneeling during the
national anthem, donating money to a group honoring convicted cop killer and wanted terrorist Assata Shakur, wearing socks
portraying police officers as pigs, and wearing shirts of brutal Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Univ.
of Texas football players refuse to participate in donor, recruiting events until 'woke' demands met. Members
of the University of Texas football team say they'll refuse to participate in donor and recruiting events on behalf of the
school until a list of demands is met to address alleged racial injustices. The players will, however, continue to
practice and play in games. That said, participation in donor and recruiting events are a very important function for
college athletes and the universities they attend and play for. The list of demands was posted to Twitter by at least
two Texas football players, but according to reports, they were submitted on behalf of the entire squad. However, as
The Blaze noted, thus far there is no real indication that all team members are in agreement with the demands or if anyone on
the team has dissented.
San
Antonio Spurs Coach, Gregg Popovich Calls America A Lie, Racist, Ashamed To Be White. San Antonio Spurs coach
Gregg Popovich, who is a long-time critic of Donald Trump, blasted the history of America as racist and declared his shame in
being white after the death of George Floyd. [Video clip]
Denver
Broncos Declare If You Are Not Virtuous Enough To Support Their Antifa Politics Then Get Lost. The NFL has been
moving further and further toward the political left for several years. Many NFL players and teams openly castigate
their fans and denigrate anyone who doesn't conform to their political correctness. Overall, the NFL has become a toxic
stew of identity politics and divisive intollerance. However, the Denver Broncos are taking division up a notch today
by declaring if their fans do not stand with their brand of virtue signaling politics, then you stand against them.
NFL
decision to permit kneeling protest by players enrages Donald Trump. The US National Football League is
embroiled in a standoff with President Donald Trump after it said players would be allowed to "take the knee" during the
American national anthem in protest against racism. After the NFL announced its U-turn, Trump tweeted late on Friday
night: "We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other
things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag — NO KNEELING!" Support among sports personalities
and organisations for the Black Lives Matter movement was also bolstered by an announcement from basketball star Michael
Jordan that he was donating $100 [million] to organisations promoting racial equality. The move was a significant
departure from the former Chicago Bulls player's previous reluctance to be drawn into politics.
Denver
Broncos Declare If You Are Not Virtuous Enough To Support Their Antifa Politics Then Get Lost. The NFL has been
moving further and further toward the political left for several years. Many NFL players and teams openly castigate
their fans and denigrate anyone who doesn't conform to their political correctness. Overall, the NFL has become a toxic
stew of identity politics and divisive intollerance. However, the Denver Broncos are taking division up a notch today
by declaring if their fans do not stand with their brand of virtue signaling politics, then you stand against them.
NFL
commissioner: We were wrong to silence our players in the past and now encourage them to speak out and protest
peacefully. I can't believe that kneeling during the anthem is going to be in the mix as an issue during the
home stretch of the campaign this fall in a year when we're coping with a pandemic, an economic collapse, and widespread
looting. But it will. First Trump and then the NFL made that clear enough yesterday [6/5/2020].
NFL:
'We were wrong' to oppose players kneeling during national anthem. National Football League Commissioner Roger
Goodell apologized for the league's position opposing players kneeling during the national anthem. The NFL walked back
the league's position in a video statement Friday [6/5/2020] after expressing condolences to the families of George Floyd,
Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, later issuing a strong condemnation of racism.
NFL
pledges allegiance to BLM. Like most of America's broken corporations and institutions, the National Football
League has completely bent the knee to the radical Black Lives Matter lobby, thus potentially guaranteeing its own demise as
fed-up former fans flee in search of sanity. After years of pushing back against disgraced former NFL star Colin
Kaepernick's widely disliked national anthem protests, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued an apologetic video statement
Friday reversing course on everything. [Video clip]
Obnoxious
liberal soccer champ Rapinoe determined to make Olympics about politics. Megan Rapinoe's roaring again.
The International Olympic Committee published new rules that prohibit "political, religious or racial propaganda" "at medal
ceremonies and Olympic venues," and Rapinoe says she "will not be silenced." She later added that she will kneel anyway,
which would force the IOC to enforce its rules or back down. Not one for fine distinctions, Megan understands the world
only in relation to herself and, as usual, completely misses the point. The IOC said nothing about silence. They
said she couldn't use the Olympic stage to push politics. You can noisily talk about anything else — your
girlfriend, the state of soccer, the game you just played, your house, your car, your dog. Just don't use the Olympics
to push politics. That would include kneeling. If you get to do it, then everybody gets to do it, and in short
order, WWIII would erupt. But that's okay, Megan — keep running your face. It would give many of us
satisfaction to see this woman barred from play at Tokyo in 2020 because of her obnoxiousness.
'We
will not be silenced' — Megan Rapinoe says of new rules on political protests at Olympics. U.S.
Women's National Team and Seattle Reign FC star Megan Rapinoe responded Friday to the new guidelines from the International
Olympic Committee on political protests at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
No
anthem kneeling at the Olympics: IOC announces political protest rules. The International Olympic
Committee announced its rules for political protest for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and some popular forms of
athlete protest have been banned, according to The Hill. While athletes will be allowed to say what they want during
interview and news conferences outside the Olympic Village, and on social media, they won't be able to protest in the
village, on the field of play, or during medal ceremonies.
Kaepernick's
disgraceful, ridiculous 'racial' lens on Soleimani slay. In the torrent of idiotic commentary unleashed by the
killing of Qassem Soleimani, Colin Kaepernick's deserves a place of honor. The NFL washout and Nike persona who makes
sure the company doesn't produce any overly patriotic sneakers tweeted: "There is nothing new about American terrorist
attacks against black and brown people for the expansion of American imperialism." For Kaepernick, Soleimani is just
another dark-skinned man brutalized by America. The Iranian terror master was, in effect, driving while non-white and
paid the ultimate price.
Nike,
an Anti-American Company. After the U.S. killed arch-terrorist Qasem Soleimani, ex-quarterback Colin Kaepernick
took to Twitter to express his opinions: [Tweets] This is the kind of ignorant twaddle you expect from a radical
teenager. Kaepernick has never grown up. What is significant, though, is that Kaepernick is one of the primary
spokesmen for Nike, a $34 billion a year international marketing powerhouse. Nike signed Kaepernick to a multimillion
dollar deal after Kaepernick's mediocre athletic career had ended, precisely because Nike wanted its brand to be associated
with Kaepernick's anti-American stance.
Nike's
new Colin Kaepernick sneakers sell out in one day. Nike's new sneaker collaboration with NFL quarterback-turned-activist
Colin Kaepernick sold out on Tuesday [12/24/2019], just one day after its release. The "Nike Air Force 1 '07 x Colin
Kaepernick" was unavailable in both adult and children's sizes as of Tuesday morning, the footwear titan's website shows.
AOC
reveals new level of hypocrisy after praising Harvard-Yale climate activists. The annual Harvard-Yale football
game was interrupted by climate change activists shortly after halftime on Saturday [11/23/2019], which is a pretty good idea
inasmuch as there's no group more amenable to guerilla activism on the environment than sports fans from two universities
where anyone who doesn't believe in the tenets of the climate science movement would quickly find themselves out in
intellectual Siberia. According to The Harvard Crimson, the incident occurred just before halftime at the annual game
between the two Ivy League giants.
Environmentalist
Killjoys Are Coming for Your Football. Some of the nation's supposedly best and brightest college students are
employing theatrical protest tactics similar to [Greta] Thunberg's, with the message that ordinary life must be disrupted if
we are to save the planet. At the Yale Bowl, the goal was to pressure the two universities to divest themselves of
investments in fossil fuels. [...] The students made it clear that their political agenda is more important than allowing
people to enjoy an annual entertainment. [...] The Harvard-Yale protest was very much in line with the Thunberg-style
politics of angry and intolerant children. Such demonstrators pay little heed to democratic processes or any
counterarguments to their climate catechism.
Climate
Change Protesters Storm Field at Halftime of Harvard-Yale Football Game. The 136th edition of The Game between
Harvard and Yale has been delayed at halftime after protesters took over the field. Students from both schools occupied
midfield after the Yale band had finished performing. Some held banners asking their colleges to act on climate change
and Puerto Rican debt relief.
Debunking
the Sports Media's Excuses for the Browns' Myles Garrett and the Helmet-Swinging Incident. Last week, there was
quite a bit of confusion and outrage about an incident on Thursday Night Football when Myles Garrett got into an altercation
with Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, where the Browns' defensive end ripped the helmet from his opponent's head in the
game's meaningless final seconds, and then proceeded to ferociously swing it at Rudolph's exposed skull. Action from
the League was swift, and Garrett was suspended indefinitely, with no established timeframe regarding his potential return.
It wouldn't have been hard to predict, however, that the fans' attention and furor around the incident would be short-lived,
despite the act being tantamount to assault with a deadly weapon.
Does the Left Hate America?
Leftists have contempt for the American flag. I am unaware of a single left-wing individual or organization that has
condemned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand for the flag during the playing or singing of the national
anthem that precedes NFL games. To the contrary, on the Left, he is universally regarded as a hero. Indeed, Nike
anointed him as one, making him its brand model. Leftists might respond that Kaepernick's public refusal to stand for
the flag and national anthem says nothing about his love for America, as it is only a form of protest against racial
injustice. But that is nonsense. Would leftists argue that anyone who publicly refuses to celebrate Martin Luther
King Jr. Day really loves Dr. King?
Everyone
Hates Kaepernick Now. In the three years since Colin Kaepernick knelt his way off of the San Francisco 49ers
and out of the National Football League, the one thing the drama has lacked is ambivalence. People either hated him or
viewed him as a social hero who was being mistreated and prevented from playing the game he loves. Now everybody just
hates him.
Leftists
Vow to Cancel Nats' Kurt Suzuki for Donning MAGA Hat: He 'Should Be Banned from Baseball'. Leftists on
social media blew a collective fuse after Washington Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki donned a MAGA hat during the White House's
welcoming ceremony for the World Series champions.
Trumpenfreude
hits NHL boycotter. When the Washington Capitals visited the White House in March for winning the 2018 Stanley
Cup Championship in, it was without Devante Smith-Pelly, the star of that championship series. He was very vocal about
not attending when the team won the championship as he trashed the president. But by the time the team visited the
White House, he wasn't part of the team. His game had fallen apart. He was a fourth string winger that season
until the team demoted him to the minor league Hershey Bears. This season, the Capitals dumped him. He tried out
with the Calgary Flames but he quickly extinguished his hope of returning to the NHL.
Muslim
cross-country runner demands rules be changed after she was disqualified for wearing hijab in a competition.
She thinks because of all the alleged messages of support she got from doing this video, that the rules of the sport will
have to be changed to accommodate her Muslim supremacist beliefs. I expect BNI readers will tell her otherwise.
Fans,
Media Erupt After LeBron James' Outburst During National Anthem. The NBA was understandably excited to start
its season and get away from the China controversy that had embroiled the league over the past couple weeks. However,
even more controversy ensued on Tuesday night and on into Wednesday as video surfaced showing LeBron James walking off the
court and screaming while the national anthem played.
Moral
Relativism Taking Over Everything: Sports, Politics, Libraries. Since so many of us pay little to no attention to the
NBA, you may have forgotten their "principled" stand on the North Carolina "bathroom bill." In late February of 2016, ignoring science
and sound morality, liberals on the Charlotte City Council passed an ordinance that would allow men into women's restrooms, locker rooms,
and so on. As is typical with the Left, the ordinance applied not only to city-owned property, but to private businesses as
well. In other words, Charlotte liberals "legislated morality," and they did so to the point of forcing all of the city's citizens
to adhere to perverse liberal dogma. To correct this gross injustice, the North Carolina Legislature passed a commonsense law (H.B. 2)
that reversed the foolish Charlotte city ordinance. In opposition to H.B. 2, later in 2016, ignoring the long understood truths
on sex and sexuality, and goose-stepping along with the rest of the liberal elite, the NBA decided to pull its all-star game from the city
of Charlotte.
NBA
losing money — and well it should. The NBA's commissioner, Adam Silver, acknowledged in recent
remarks that China had pressed for the firing of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey — for the crime of publicly
supporting freedom-fighting protesters in Hong Kong — and that the league, as part of the fallout from its seeming
siding with the reds, rather than with the red, white and blues, has been losing money.
Defense
of free speech [is] no longer a slam dunk in America. When Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey issued a
tweet in support of Hong Kong's freedom protestors, it caused outrage among China's totalitarian oligarchs. A contract
signed last June between the NBA and China's Tencent streaming television service, worth a cool $500 million, is in
jeopardy. In total, the NBA garners more than $4 billion in revenue from China.
The Woke Sports Fraud.
The controversies the NBA saw this week serve as reminders that it would be wise for professional athletes and those
associated with professional sports to avoid opining on politics, because while making their righteous pronouncements, these
persons, who nowadays are overwhelmingly left-wing, sometimes show themselves to be inconsistent takers of positions; or at
their worst, sheer hypocrites willing to overlook an ostensible evil for lucre's sake. What is more, their opinions,
which are often ignorant, may well alienate fans, who don't, after all, follow professional sports in order to learn jocks'
and coaches' views on human rights and transgender bathrooms. The first controversy concerned Houston Rockets general
manager Daryl Morey, the man having tweeted his support — "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong" —
for the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong. Now, the NBA is hugely popular in China, where the league generates
millions in revenue each year, and in response to the Chinese backlash (and to pressure from within the Rockets organization,
one imagines), Morey quickly deleted his tweet and issued an unmanly apology.
Trump-hating
NBA millionaire LeBron James stands up for China. I guess this is getting to be a pattern now: if you've made
your pile and you've made a lot of it from China, to heck with the Hong Kongers and their protests for freedom. You'll
be sticking up for their oppressor, communist red China, home of sweatshops, intellectual property theft, attacks on Southeast Asia,
the laogai, the enslavement of the Uighurs, the social credit system, Venezuela's money, the supposedly lightened one-child policy,
and Mao's many murder revolutions. Because for such lefties, the only thing that matters is money. We saw it with
billionaire tycoon Michael Bloomberg. Now we are seeing it with NBA big LeBron James, a millionaire athlete who was last seen
in the non-sports news calling President Trump "a bum." Asked if Texas basketball team owner Daryl Morey, who set off a
firestorm by tweeting support for the Hong Kongers, ought to be punished, the famous social justice warrior went into hypocrite
mode, sticking up for the ChiComs.
LeBron Jame$ Is A Coward.
NBA superstar LeBron James says Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey was "misinformed" and "wasn't educated on the
situation at hand" when he tweeted in support of Hong Kong's freedom demonstrations. Morey's sin was sharing an image
of a slogan that read, "Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." Even though the GM, regrettably, deleted his tweet,
one strongly suspects his grasp of China — where the state is running "re-education" camps filled with Uyghurs —
is considerably stronger than any of the NBA's leading apologists. Only last year, James, a purported champion of social
justice, came out in support of former quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the vacuous platitude, "I stand with anyone who believes
in change." Anyone? Of course, LeBron's stand, as with most acts of pretend celebrity bravery, resulted in hosannas
being thrown at him by the press, and, more importantly, never costing him a penny.
Thanks,
Houston Rockets, you've done us all a favor (and so has the NBA). Everyone has been outraged at the recent
spectacle of the NBA seeming to steer clear of fans supporting democracy on American soil, cutting off questions from
reporters, and watching Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey delete his tweet supporting the pro-democracy protesters
in Hong Kong. It's not enough for the NBA to kowtow to China's authoritarian regime, it seems, it also has to appear to
act like that regime, as well. But in fact, I think we all owe the NBA a vote of thanks. They've helped to draw
attention to a long history of American appeasement of the Communist regime in Beijing, including by successive
presidents. Our collective refusal to call China to account for their human rights abuses and violations of
international law have done decades of damage to our economy, national security, and moral standing.
The Editor says...
What is the point of the NBA, anyway? Throw the ball. Bounce the ball. Catch the ball. How are you
better off after watching an NBA game?
Pop Goes
the Weasel. "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong," read the tweet from Houston Rockets general
manager Daryl Morey. The Chinese Communists didn't like it. As CNBC reported, the Chinese Consulate-General in
Houston attacked the tweet and urged the Rockets to "correct the error." The tweet promptly disappeared, then came a
statement from NBA boss Adam Silver. "We have great respect for the history and culture of China," Silver said, "and
hope sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together." And
so on, but nothing about fighting for freedom and standing with Hong Kong. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg
Popovich said Silver's speech "helps you understand what direction you need to go in." It was a curious statement
for someone with experience in dealing with totalitarian governments.
Hill
editor-in-chief: NBA is 'bending down' to 'almighty dollar'. The Hill's editor-in-chief Bob Cusack said
the NBA has a "disaster" on its hands following the league's response to a tweet by a Houston Rockets executive supporting
pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. "This is a disaster for the NBA," Cusack told Hill.TV on Friday [10/11/2019],
noting how the league is shutting down questions from journalists and not allowing players to respond to the controversy.
NBA
takes a stand against freedom. Last Friday [10/4/2019], Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets
basketball team, tweeted what seemed like a noncontroversial statement. He wrote: "Fight for Freedom. Stand
with Hong Kong." Now, China, as you may have seen, is trying to crush Hong Kong, and it's not hard to pick a side.
China is a racist Communist ethnostate that bans dissent and murders its political opponents. They have Muslims
interned in forced reeducation camps at this very moment. They viciously suppress the freedoms that we Americans take
for granted. You'd think every American would stand with Hong Kong without even thinking about it. But not the
NBA. The NBA is on China's side. So, Morey was forced to delete his tweet. The NBA issued a statement making it
clear that under no circumstances do they support Hong Kong or human freedom.
China's
Ultimate Goal Is To Control American Culture, And Companies Should Resist It. If ESPN thought shutting down
on-air discussion about China and Hong Kong would please its Chinese master and protect the commercial interests of itself
and its corporate parent Disney, it's dead wrong. What China wants is not simply to police a few words on social media
or on air. It wants to control American culture, period. [...] Chinese leaders closely studied America's ascent to a
global superpower, and they believe America's cultural influence is a key ingredient to the country's success. China
wants to emulate America's success, albeit with Chinese characteristics. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao said, "The
great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will definitely be accompanied by the thriving of Chinese culture."
Portland
Trail Blazers Join Boycott Against Israel. The Portland Trail Blazers announced that they have severed
relations with a company that does business with Israel following a pressure campaign by activists tied to the anti-Semitic
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. As the NBA is facing outrage after the general manager of the Houston
Rockets capitulated to censorship by the Chinese communist government, the Trail Blazers quietly severed ties with the
manufacturer Leupold, which has a contract to produce accessories for the Israeli Defense Forces.
If
Woke Corporations Had Police Power, They Would Act Exactly Like Communist China. Since the NBA-China affair
blew up last weekend, a number of commentators have lambasted the NBA for its craven response to China, noting the hypocrisy
of a league that publicly prides itself on being the social vanguard in America but has no problem kowtowing to Chinese
autocrats to maintain access to their lucrative markets. The argument goes like this: there's a massive disconnect
between the values the NBA espouses and its willingness, say, to look the other way in China, where the league runs a training
program not far from where Uighur Muslims are forcibly sent to reeducation camps. The NBA's pursuit of filthy lucre, in
this view, undermines its carefully crafted public image.
Nearly
all of the NBA's Chinese partners have cut ties with the league. Out of the 25 official partners listed on the
NBA China website, 13 are Chinese businesses. So far, 11 of those companies have distanced themselves from the sports
league amid escalating tensions between China and the NBA. Ctrip.com, Anta Sports, Changhong, Meiling, Dicos, EHi Car Rental,
Master Kong, China Mengniu Dairy, Migu Video, WuZun and Xiaoyin Technology are among the Chinese companies that have ended or
suspended their cooperation with the NBA, according to Chinese public statements translated by CNBC. The remaining two
Chinese partners are joint-venture brands that have not issued any statements yet.
Pro-Hong
Kong Sixers Fan Booted From Philadelphia NBA Game. A Philadelphia 76ers fan says he was tossed out of a
preseason game after showing their support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Sam Wachs and his wife brought signs which read "Free Hong Kong" and "Free HK" to Tuesday night's game between the Sixers and
the Guangzhou Loong-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. According to Wachs, he lived in Hong Kong for two
years and supports the anti-government movement. "We were just sitting in our seats near the Chinese bench," said Wachs.
Fans
With 'Free Hong Kong' Sign Kicked Out Of NBA Game. On Tuesday night [10/8/2019], a husband and wife holding
"Free Hong Kong" signs at a preseason NBA game in Philadelphia were kicked out of the stadium. The man, identified as
Sam Wachs, and his wife had their pro-Hong Kong signs confiscated by NBA employees and were escorted out of the Wells Fargo
Center arena after Mr. Wachs shouted "Free Hong Kong," a statement in support of the ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations.
NBA,
Houston Rockets Cower To Communist China, Get Blasted Online. The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the
Houston Rockets cowered to communist China on Sunday after Rocket's General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted out support for Hong
Kong which sparked an immediate backlash from Chinese businesses and the Chinese government.
Nike
Commercial Starring Colin Kaepernick Wins Emmy Award. Nike's controversial Dream Crazy ad, narrated by
and starring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, won an Emmy Award for best commercial at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
on Sunday [9/15/2019]. The commercial, which first aired in September, features Kaepernick waxing philosophical about
the nature of sports, human achievement, and social justice.
Major
League Soccer Team Bans Betsy Ross Flag, Calls it a 'Symbol for Hate Groups'. America's premier soccer league,
Major League Soccer, has declared the red, white, and blue Betsy Ross flag a "symbol for hate groups" and banned a couple in
Utah from waving it at games. A Utah couple who were in attendance at a Major League Soccer Real Salt Lake game says
they were told by stadium officials to put away their Betsy Ross flag because the original flag of the American Revolution is
a "symbol for hate groups."
Major
League Soccer club bans 'controversial' Betsy Ross flag at games. Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake has
banned people from waving the Betsy Ross flag at games, claiming that the Colonial-era flag design has been "adopted as a
symbol for hate groups" and doesn't fit with the team's mission of inclusiveness. The controversy started last month
after season-ticket-holders Randolf and Diana Scott started bringing their giant Betsy Ross flag to games at Rio Tinto
Stadium, which "ignited a firestorm" against the couple on social media, the local Fox News affiliate reported. Last
weekend, stadium staff asked the couple to put the flag away.
NASCAR
Begins To Inject Left-Wing Politics Into Racing. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, otherwise
known as NASCAR, has reportedly started to take a "gradual shift" on its stances surrounding the Second Amendment. The
revelation comes after multiple gun companies have said that NASCAR, which has a primarily Republican base, banned them from
running advertisements that feature guns. [...] The Free Beacon added that the reaction to NASCAR adopting left-wing
politics, specifically the demonization of the Second Amendment, has generated a significant amount of backlash. One
specific example came in an article written by radio host Mark Walters, who wrote: "Go ahead NASCAR, try to fill the
stands with a bunch of David Hogg, Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, urban, progressive, skinny jean wearing, soy
sipping, man-bun wearing, Antifa loving, gun-hating socialists. I won't be around to see how that turns out for you."
US
fencer punished for kneeling on podium at Pan Am Games, other athletes warned. Two U.S. athletes were given a
year of probation by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for staging protests while on the podium at the Pan
American Games earlier this month, letters sent Tuesday revealed. Hammer thrower Gwen Berry raised her fist and fencer
Race Imboden took a knee while on the medal stand last week in Lima, Peru. All athletes at the Pan American Games and
the Olympics agree to rules forbidding political protest. The committee also warned other athletes that future protests
could face more serious consequences.
It's Time for
Colin Kaepernick to Move On. Colin Kaepernick. Remember him? Below-average quarterback. Above-average
poseur. Not "activist," not really. Activists actually say stuff. Kaepernick almost never says anything.
Another
athletic egomaniac looking for some extra spotlight by dissing the U.S. flag. By now, the routine of athletes
calling attention to themselves by dissing the U.S. flag at some athletic event has become so de rigueur you
could write the script before it happens. Lose the big prize. Take a knee to the flag. Make a raving or two
to the press about the awfulness of the U.S. And reap lots of media attention your athletic performance wouldn't otherwise
merit. Instant fame. Endorsement deals. Money. Profit big from insulting the very flag of the country
that made your performance possible.
U.S.
athletes protest Trump on medals stand at Pan Am Games. Two Americans used their medal-winning moments at the
Pan American Games to draw attention to social issues back home that they feel are spiraling out of control.
Hegseth,
Rep. Crenshaw slam anthem protest by U.S. fencer: 'Delusional' if you think that's sacrifice. "Fox &
Friends" host Pete Hegseth and Rep. Dan Crenshaw, both U.S. military veterans, blasted a member of the U.S. fencing team
who kneeled for the national anthem after winning the gold medal. Hegseth emphasized Monday [8/12/2019] that Team USA
won 293 medals at the competition and there only two protests.
Poll:
Megan Rapinoe Beats Trump in Hypothetical Presidential Race. A recent poll from Public Policy Polling, showed
U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) co-captain Megan Rapinoe defeating President Trump in a hypothetical 2020 presidential
matchup.
The Editor says...
Being a troublemaker is never a resumé enhancement, except in politics.
Inslee
says he'll ask soccer player Megan Rapinoe to be secretary of State. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said
Saturday that if he is elected president, he will ask soccer player Megan Rapinoe to be his secretary of state. He said
at the progressive Netroots Nation conference that one of his first acts as president would be to get a secretary of State
who embraces world unity and "love rather than hate" as he rebuked President Trump's foreign policy. "My first act will
be to ask Megan Rapinoe to be my secretary of State," he said. "I haven't asked her yet, so this could be a surprise to her."
Black
Pastors Call on Nike to Sever Relationship with Colin Kaepernick. The Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP)
called on Nike Thursday [7/12/2019] to end its relationship with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has a prominent
endorsement deal with the athletic company. Rev. William Owens, president of CAAP, said his organization is responding
to Nike's decision to pull an athletic shoe celebrating the Betsy Ross flag after Kaepernick expressed objections to it.
US
Soccer Final Viewership Down by Almost Half Thanks to Trump-Bashing, Far Left National Team. They cursed the US
President and disrespected their Country — What did they expect? The US Women's Soccer Final viewership was
down by ALMOST HALF this year thanks to the Trump-bashing, anthem protesting US national team. You insult half your
audience — you lose half your audience! Great job, ladies!
U.S.
Women's Soccer Team Cut Star Player For Christian Views. Christian views may have kept star player Jaelene
Hinkle off the US women's soccer team. Back in 2015, Hinkle had objected publicly to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling
that legalized same-sex marriage.
U.S.
Women's Soccer Team Accused Of Snubbing Star Player For Christian Views. The absence of one of the best women's
soccer players in the nation from the national squad that just won the World Cup has prompted questions as to whether she
didn't make the team because of her openly professed Christian faith. [...] The Irish Times, which called Hinkle "the finest
left-back in the NWSL," wrote in June, "Hinkle likely would have been a fish out of water on the uber-woke women's national
team, some of whose biggest stars are openly lesbian, raising questions about whether she would have thrown off the squad's
chemistry."
Megan
Rapinoe Is No Leader. Appearing on multiple news outlets, Megan Rapinoe appeared self-centered and
divisive. She criticized President Donald Trump, as expected. She made accusations of homophobia, as
expected. And an adoring Rachel Maddow called for Rapinoe to run for president, as expected. After famously
scoffing at the very notion of interacting with people who hold different opinions, Megan Rapinoe took to the stage during
the World Cup victory parade in New York City to call for unity: "This is my charge to everyone: We have to be
better, we have to love more and hate less. Listen more and talk less." Speaking with CNN's Anderson Cooper,
Megan Rapinoe said that she would be willing to have a "substantive conversation" with "anyone" ... who "believes the same
things" as she does.
Guess I'm a Female Chauvinist.
I don't particularly care for soccer anyway but it was the purple-haired star player Megan Rapinoe who turned me off by
spouting her disdain for any White House visit before she was even asked. Did she do that for publicity or was her
Trump derangement too deeply entrenched? Stomping on the American flag even accidentally during the World Cup
celebration was more proof of her unworthiness to represent our great country.
We
hate Trump, we hate you. But buy our soccer jerseys. The leftist women's World Cup team has made a lot of
noise about wanting more pay, or pay that's equal to the men's teams, yet already the economics of the picture shows that they're
actually overpaid. This isn't something unfixable — more ticket sales, more team memorabilia revenue, more television
watchers, more public interest would correct that easily, and it's clear that star players such as Megan Rapinoe know it.
The
ladies won and let's salute them. The TV ratings were great and everyone is happy. [...] Actually, not everyone
is happy. I am not happy and lots of people I've heard from are not happy. First, the tournament showed that
international women's soccer is a total mismatch. [...] The U.S. is obviously "the queen" of soccer and will only get better
because our young women have more resources. On that point, it did not help that some of the ladies showed so little
class, as when they pounded Thailand 13-0! Second, someone should remind the ladies that they are wearing the U.S.
uniform not "blue states." They should show respect for U.S. fans who don't like to see flag disrespected.
Megan
Rapinoe rips Trump WH visit, says she'd accept invites from Pelosi, AOC. U.S. Women's Soccer superstar Megan
Rapinoe doubled down in her opposition to visit the Trump White House on Tuesday but expressed that she was open to accept
invitations from anyone who "believes the same things we believe in" like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, and
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY.
U.S.
Women's Soccer Team Won't Go To White House, So Pelosi Makes Announcement. With U.S. Women's Soccer star and
outspoken Trump critic Megan Rapinoe having preemptively rejected any invite to go to the "[...] White House," House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi made a big announcement on Monday: Congress is formally inviting the Wold Cup-winning team to be honored
on Capitol Hill.
The Woke World of Sports.
[Scroll down] In the woke world of sports, [the history of the US flag] carries less weight than what a millionaire
retired athlete with weird hair thinks constitutes "social justice," and the billion-dollar company caved when Kaepernick
vetoed their design. In real fact, the most socially useful thing the fellow could do would be to tell kids in the
inner cities to spend their money more wisely than on Nike sneakers, which, by the way, are made by slave laborers under any
other name in countries characterized by the late Karl Wittfogel as "Oriental Despotisms."
USA
Women Win Soccer World Cup, Then Toss USA Flag on Ground & Dance On It. The video says it all. No
exaggeration required. Members of the US Women's Soccer team won the World Cup on Sunday then while celebrating, tossed
the US flag to the ground like a rag doll and danced around it while posing for the cameras. Trump-hater Megan Rapinoe
was front and center of course. She's the all star who has trashed President Trump and who was criticized for taking a
knee during the national anthem before matches.
Allie
Long, Megan Rapinoe Drop American Flag During World Cup Celebration. U.S. women's national soccer team members
Allie Long and Megan Rapinoe stepped on an American flag after Long dropped on the ground as they posed for post-game photos
Sunday [7/7/2019]. Following their repeat World Cup win in Lyon, France, the team was celebrating on the field and
posing for photos when Long dropped the flag she was holding. She and Rapinoe then stepped forward, leaving the flag
underfoot.
U.S.
soccer fans chant 'F--- Trump' on live TV. After the United States won the Women's World Cup by beating
Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final match, a group of American soccer fans in France chanted an expletive about President Trump
on a live television broadcast. Fox News prepared to do a live TV shot from a sports bar in Lyon, France —
the site of the final — that was populated with American fans. Fans in the background began to chant shortly
after reporter Greg Palkot began to speak.
USWNT
fans chant 'F--- Trump' on live TV after World Cup title. The U.S. women are World Cup champions.
Millions of fans across America are celebrating. In parks, on downtown streets, in living rooms, and elsewhere.
So are the tens of thousands who travelled to France for the occasion. Fox News figured it would send a reporter and
camera crew across the Atlantic to capture the scene in Lyon. And ... uh ... they found quite a scene!
The
Democrats' Situational Racism. [Scroll down] Nike, not content to sell shoes to Americans of all
political persuasions, stepped in it again via their vice president for social consciousness, Colin Kaepernick. Nike
made a special edition Betsy Ross flag shoe for Independence Day but Kaepernick objected to the flag as being racist and
appealing to white nationalist groups. Nike promptly recalled the shoe to virtue signal their wokeness over such a
symbol of hatred. MSNBC regular and Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson, "related the flag to other symbols of hate
such as the Nazi swastika and burning crosses." Why? Because the situation called for it. Anything to fan the
flames of racism at a time when minority unemployment is at an all-time low in advance of a presidential election.
Megan Rapinoe is dividing Americans instead of uniting them
in the fight for gender equity. [Colin] Kaepernick, who blew up his NFL career by refusing to stand for the
national anthem at games, is not alone in his hostility to patriotic symbols. Megan Rapinoe, the co-captain of the U.S.
national women's soccer team, refuses to place her hand over her heart with the rest of her team when the national anthem is
played at the World Cup in Lyon, France. "I'll probably never put my hand over my heart," she told Yahoo Sports.
"I'll probably never sing the national anthem again."
The Left's War Against
America. [Colin Kaepernick] has been a lightning rod for controversy ever since he decided to forgo his NFL
career and become a professional protester. His decision to disrespect the American flag by choosing NFL games to
protest police treatment of African Americans was divisive to say the least. While millions of Americans did not
support Kaepernick's actions, Nike chose to affiliate with those Americans who agree with a spoiled former NFL player
denigrating our national symbols. His supporters tend to be young people, African Americans and progressives.
Kaepernick also has plenty of admirers in the media who are also disgruntled with our country. In a July 1st New York
Times video editorial, the authors claim that the United States of America is not the greatest country on earth, but "just okay."
Ted
Cruz sacks Colin Kaepernick, grabs ball and scores (on Twitter). Colin Kaepernick, Nike's commissar of
America-hatred, may have been a quarterback, but he took a half-[bak]ed approach to anti-slavery hero Frederick
Douglass. Flaunting the blinders that progressives wear when they consider our collective history, he took a quotation
out of context in order to try to score an own goal against the country that birthed him, made him a multi-millionaire, and
now indulges him in his extended adolescence. Fortunately, Ted Cruz knows much more than Kaepernick and demolished his
point on Twitter (hat tip: Twitchy).
Nike
Fans the Flames of the Culture War. Nike is doing it wrong. I don't mean the shoemaking, though that
thing with Zion Williamson was pretty bad, I have to say. No, Nike is doing it wrong because it managed to do something
that all the neo-Nazis, Klansmen, alt-righters, and other denizens of the lowest coprophagic phylum of our political life
could never do: It turned the Betsy Ross flag into a racist symbol.
Mo
Brooks: Colin Kaepernick Should Leave if He Hates America. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) says Colin
Kaepernick, the former NFL player and the face of multinational corporation Nike, should leave the United States if he does
not like the country. This week it was revealed that Nike had ditched the production and sale of a pair of shoes that
featured the famous flag created by Betsy Ross at the behest of former President George Washington because Kaepernick was
offended by the emblem.
Corporate
America Tilts Left. [A] manufacturer of sports beverages, has made a commercial featuring soccer player Megan
Rapinoe, who has refused to stand for the American flag and has sparred with President Trump. That makes her a hot
commodity in the world of advertising.
The Ugly
Americans of soccer. Somewhere in France today a group of ugly American female soccer players are sipping tea
from imaginary cups to mock a polite society they make no efforts to understand or respect. The Americans are loud and
ostentatious. They are ugly Americans personified. If the female soccer players are trying to be ambassadors for
their game, they are failing miserably. I cared little for their sport before they arrived in France, and my interest
has chilled considerably in the ensuing weeks.
Why
Doesn't The Far Left Complain About Nike Sweatshops Anymore? Protesting Nike used to be a go-to event for
various far-left groups in America. A massive company using slave-labor conditions to produce low-cost products that
are then resold at 1000% mark-ups was representative of what was, in their minds, so wrong with globalized capitalism.
Then, suddenly, all that protest vanished. Why? The answer is simple. Nike's marketing machine turned its
attention to controversial anti-police, anti-America, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The company paid
Kaepernick millions to divert attention away from its deplorable overseas operations and instead convince consumers how
horrible American was — except for those who wore Nike products apparently. No, it doesn't really make
a lot of sense but it appears to have worked.
Killing
The Fourth of July. Never to be out-woked, Nike took the opportunity this July 4th to lash out at patriots
(read: most Americans) by putting the kibosh on their planned 'USA Air Max 1' training shoes. The design featured
the Betsy Ross flag: one of the first known emblems of the colonies that would go on to become the United States. We're led
to believe it was Colin Kaepernick — who is famous for just about everything except what he should be famous for:
football — who drove Nike to nix the shoe.
Now Betsy
Ross Is a White Supremacist, Apparently. Dear Reader, I do not care about shoe companies. I don't care
about professional athletes, current or former, who work for shoe companies. They can sell what they want to sell, or
not sell what they don't want to sell, and it's all the same to me. I don't understand why anybody would care. If
you don't like it, don't spend your money on it. What's the problem? But no, it has to become a whole big
thing. Now this dumb Nike non-story has escalated. It's no longer about a shoe company. It's about America
itself. Now, feminist icon Betsy Ross is considered racist.
This
Independence Day, Nike Appeases America Haters and Dictators. Want a sign that the left is now bringing ruin to
the business world, after it has done the same for the education and entertainment industries? Look no further than
Nike. Days before the U.S. celebrates Independence Day, Nike pulled sneakers back from retailers that contained a small
image of the famous Betsy Ross flag on the back. Apparently that small homage to America's founding offended the
delicate sensibilities of Colin Kaepernick, the reprehensible leftist former football player who protested the national
anthem, whose idea of appropriate footwear is socks depicting police officers as pigs, and who prefers shirts honoring Cuba's
murderous dictator Fidel Castro.
Kaepernick,
Nike, Democrats: Spitting on America and the 4th of July. Nike has pulled its Betsy Ross American Flag
shoe from the shelves. Why? NFL has-been Colin Kaepernick's complained that the Betsy Ross flag was a symbol of
white supremacy. Nike said they didn't want to potentially "offend" anybody. Surprise to Nike. They are
offending a significant portion of the American public[.] But spitting on America, and her freedom has become a way of
life in 2019. Not only for Nike and Kaepernick but also Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and soccer's Rapino as well.
Julian
Castro praises Nike, compares Betsy Ross flag to Confederate flag. Democratic presidential hopeful Julián
Castro on Wednesday praised Nike's controversial decision to pull shoes featuring the Betsy Ross flag, saying the early flag
design that represents the Thirteen Colonies evokes pain among some Americans, much like Confederate symbols.
WSJ:
Nike's 'Patriotic Fumble' an 'In-Kind Donation to Trump's Re-Election'. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
editorial board observed Tuesday [7/2/2019] that Nike's decision to allow ex-quarterback Colin Kaepernick to "call the play"
of rescinding the company's release of its "Betsy Ross flag" sneaker is essentially an "in-kind donation to Trump's
re-election." The WSJ board referred to Nike's cave to Kaepernick as one of those "harebrained controversies" that
ultimately "give many Americans the not unreasonable sense that their country is being maligned by pampered social-justice
warriors."

Uh
Oh, Guess Who Had the Betsy Ross Flag at His Inauguration. As you've heard by now, Nike decided to pull the
sale of a Betsy Ross American flag themed sneaker this week after woke and washed up athlete Colin Kaepernick complained it
is tied to racism. But there's just one huge problem with that argument: [Photo]
CA
Governor After Nike Cancels American-Themed Shoe: They 'Represent The Best Of Our American Values'. On
Tuesday night, after Nike had canceled an American flag-themed shoe, triggering Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to withdraw
financial incentives for Nike to open a manufacturing facility in Arizona, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that
Nike was "doing the right thing" and represented "the best of our American values."
Limbaugh:
Kaepernick-Nike Shoe Saga Proof NFL Kneeling Not About Police Brutality — 'He Opposes Honoring the Flag'. Tuesday
[7/2/2019] on his nationally syndicated radio show, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh argued that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Colin Kaepernick's opposition to Nike's so-called Betsy Ross footwear was proof Kaepernick's kneeling was not about alleged police brutality
but animosity toward the American flag. Nike pulled the product line based on Kaepernick's opposition, which came because the footwear
featured the Betsy Ross flag.

Colin
Kaepernick Lands Nike in Hot Water Over Recall of Shoe With an American Flag. Colin Kaepernick has used his
influence with Nike to have the company's American flag-themed shoe called the "Betsy Ross" pulled from production just days
before they were to be sold to the public, prompting swift and immediate backlash. Citing sources close to the story,
the Wall Street Journal reports that the Air Max 1 USA was slated to go on sale this week in celebration of the Fourth
of July. "The heel of the shoe featured a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle, a design created during the
American Revolution and commonly referred to as the Betsy Ross flag," WSJ reports. And while Nike is claiming that it
has declined to release the sneaker because it featured an "old version of the American flag," the real reason the sneaker
has been recalled, according to WSJ, is because Kaepernick reportedly told Nike that the shoes were "offensive," prompting
the company to recall the shoe and demand that retailers return their stock.
Old Photos From Obama's
Inauguration Show Just How Ridiculous Nike's Shoe Ban Really Is. It seems that those criticizing Nike for
attempting to have a Betsy Ross flag on a pair of their shoes in celebration of Fourth of July forgot about former President
Barack Obama using the same flags at his inauguration in 2013. Nike stirred up controversy when they tried to have the
earlier American flag, that displays 13 stars in a circle, on their Air Max 1 USA shoes but reportedly nixed
the shoes after former National Football League player Colin Kaepernick called them offensive. "Attention Nike:
The flag Colin Kaepernick told you was unacceptable on your shoes was displayed rather prominently at Barack Obama's
inauguration," the Washington Examiner's Bryon York tweeted.
Nike
steps on its own shoelaces in latest Kaepernick fiasco. Just in time for the Fourth of July, Nike and washed-up
footballer Colin Kaepernick have joined forces in an America-bashing cavalcade. The enormous sportswear company planned
to release a new red, white, and blue sneaker adorned with American Revolutionary Betsy Ross' 13-star flag, this country's
first banner. However, Kaepernick complained to Nike that this all-American symbol is — what else? —
racist. "After images of the shoe were posted online, Mr. Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, reached out to company
officials saying that he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of
slavery," the Wall Street Journal reported.
Nike
Has Offered Shoes Displaying Flags of Human Rights Abusers Such As China and Turkey. This week, sportswear
giant Nike agreed to pull their "Betsy Ross Flag" sneakers after former NFL player nd anthem-protester Colin Kaepernick,
advised them that the American flag is a symbol of racism, hate, and slavery. However, the company has had no issue
offering shoes with many other national flags and colors, including human rights abusers such as China and Turkey.
Naturally, Nike was quick to create gay pride flag-themed shoes. There are quite a few styles set up in the rainbow
colors of gay pride. So, as far as Nike is concerned, gay pride is great, but American pride is "racist."

Outrage
for Profit — NIKE Pulls "Betsy Ross" Sneaker. Is it possible to manufacture outrage as a profit
strategy? Yes. Brand imagery is part of the overall business model for any business. Begin with an
ideological executive office; consider a manufacturing model dependent on a China/Asia supply chain; add a dose of political
calculations into the mix; turn loose the actuaries and a unified CFO and CEO could easily find a way to turn market
grievance into profit. I'm not saying that NIKE is manipulating their market price. However, I am saying if they
were to consider their brand scale to enhance financial results, and buying back shares of their own stock to be timed with
coordinated media events, you could see a benefit behind the controversy.
Colin
Kaepernick objects to flag-themed shoes, so Nike pulls them. For America's Independence Day, Nike released a
new sneaker shoe style with the image of the early U.S. flag stitched by the notorious revolutionary Betsy Ross. It had
the familiar red and white stripes and 13 stars in a circle for the original colonies. Apparently, sales were going
well until noted kneeler Colin Kaepernick objected because, well, some of the 13 colonies had slaves at the time and we
shouldn't be knowing that in this Woke era. Naturally, the mega-company with $36 billion in annual shoe and
athletic-wear sales responded to the unemployed NFL player by immediately pulling the patriotic shoe off the market, as the
Wall Street Journal first reported. What else could it do really? He outnumbers the rest of us. And a
company can't be associated with patriotism these days unless it involves overpaid pro athletes refusing to stand for the
National Anthem because, slavery.
AZ
governor steps up for America, will 'withdraw all incentive dollars' from Kaepernick's Nike. BizPac Review
published reports on Monday that Nike developed a Betsy Ross-themed shoe just in time to celebrate Independence Day, then
yanked it from production. Shortly after, sponsored activist Colin Kaepernick reportedly complained that he found the
imagery depicted on the clothing to be offensive. As happens all too often in our softened society, Nike immediately
recalled the shoe and drew the ire of patriots like Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who called the decision "pathetic" and
declared that she will no longer be buying Nike sneakers for her family.
Betsy Ross
costs Nike plenty. When Colin Kaepernick objected, Nike stopped selling shoes that were a tribute to Betsy
Ross, a woman legend of the American Revolution. Now that will cost the company millions in incentives Arizona offered
to snag a Nike plant. It will cost the state 500 jobs. More than a million soldiers have died defending that
flag that Nike turned its back on. The shoe featured the flag that legend holds designed the flag. That seems to
be based on family lore. But she did more for America than any of today's quarterbacks did.
Arizona
Gov. Doug Ducey ends Nike deal after cancellation of 'Betsy Ross Flag' sneakers. Arizona Gov. Doug
Ducey said Tuesday [7/2/2019] the state would be canceling the incentives offered in a deal with Nike in response to the athletic
company scrapping plans for a Betsy Ross-inspired sneaker[.] The sneakers, featuring a U.S. flag with 13 stars on each
heel, reportedly was canned after former football player and political activist Colin Kaepernick said the design could be seen as
an offensive symbol of slavery.
Nike
Ditches 'Betsy Ross Flag' Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick Raises Concerns over the Flag's Connection to Slavery.
Nike has decided to pull their America-themed 4th of July sneakers which featured the "Betsy Ross" flag, after former NFL
anthem-protester and Nike pitchman Colin Kaepernick raised concerns over the offensive symbolism he felt the flag displayed,
the Wall Street Journal reports.
Nike
Nixes 'Betsy Ross Flag' Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick Intervenes. Nike Inc. is yanking a U.S.A.-themed sneaker
featuring an early American flag after NFL star-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick told the company it shouldn't sell a shoe
with a symbol that he and others consider offensive, according to people familiar with the matter. The sneaker giant
created the Air Max 1 USA in celebration of the July Fourth holiday, and it was slated to go on sale this week.
Soccer
star Megan Rapinoe accepts invitation to hang with AOC instead of Trump. Megan Rapinoe accepted Democratic
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's invitation for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team to tour the House of Representatives
after Rapinoe rejected an invite to the White House. "Consider it done @AOC," Rapinoe said Friday after the New York
congresswoman extended the invite and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team beat France 2-1 in the quarterfinal of the Women's
World Cup.
Yankees
add Stonewall Inn plaque to famed Monument Park. A plaque behind the center field fence at Yankee Stadium was
dedicated Tuesday night [6/25/2019] to commemorate the Stonewall Inn uprising 50 years ago, which sparked a pivotal rebellion
in the LGBTQ rights movement.
Knicks
feel their black front office helps in free agency. Knicks president Steve Mills indicated having a pioneering
predominately black front office will help the team in the upcoming free agency. "The African American front office,
that doesn't get lost on guys," Mills said in an article published Tuesday on The Undefeated, which deals with race
issues. After getting the job when Phil Jackson got canned, Mills hired GM Scott Perry, who is black, and player
developmental director Craig Robinson, the brother of Michelle Obama. Also hired after Jackson's firing was director of
player personnel Harold Ellis and college scouting director Gerald Madkins. Both are African American.
Megs, put a sock
in it. Megan Rapinoe, star forward for the women's U.S. national soccer team, seems to hate the world.
She goes around with a scowl permanently etched into her weathered face. Though an outstanding soccer player, Megs has
it in her head that she's getting cheated, and that the cheater is Donald Trump. So she refuses to go to the White
House if the team wins the women's World Cup. Trump then extended an invitation to the team whether they win or lose,
and of course, Megan took it with ill grace. The girl has no graces, only grimaces. Megan, like all liberal
females, holds Trump personally accountable for every unfun thing that ever happened in her life or anybody else's life.
Despite her extraordinary skill on the field, Megan's about as ordinary a liberal as it's possible to be.
Brilliant
Play — President Trump Invites U.S. Women's Soccer Team to White House "Win or Lose". Megan Rapinoe
is the co-captain of the U.S. women's national soccer team and a rabid hater of President Trump. Ms. Rapinoe
refuses to sing the U.S. national anthem; kneels during ceremonies to make her hatred for America visible; and grabs every
microphone to tell the media about her politics in an effort to increase her resistance credentials. The age-old axiom
is: 'be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it". Today [6/26/2019], President Trump brilliantly responded
to Ms. Rapinoe. First, by calling out her arrogance in declaring victory before she even played the World Cup
matches; and secondly, by inviting the entire team to the White House "win or lose".
Adam
Silver: NBA done using term 'owner' over racial sensitivity questions. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told
TMZ the league office is done using the word "owner" amid concerns whether the title is racially insensitive, adding they
stopped using the term a few years ago. TMZ reported earlier this month that some NBA teams were debating whether to
move away from the title, given some feel its racially insensitive in a league where the majority of players are African
American. Warriors forward Draymond Green also raised the issue on LeBron James' HBO Show "The Shop," saying he took
offense to the term.
US
women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe refuses to sing the national anthem before the Thailand World Cup match. US
soccer star Megan Rapinoe stuck to her resolve not to sing the national anthem ahead of the team's first match in the Women's
World Cup against Thailand in France on Tuesday [6/11/2019]. The player stood silent and stony-faced as her teammates
sang along to the 'Star-Spangled Banner' in the Auguste-Delaune Stadium in Reims.
NFL
Dishes Out $20 Million in Grants to Social Justice Causes. The NFL announced this week the list of various
organizations that will receive nearly $2 million in "social justice grants." One of the recipients is the Civil Rights
Corps which "empowers communities to change the unjust legal system." This brings the total of "social justice grants"
by the NFL to $20 million for the year.
The Growing Popularity
of Foot Shooting. I used to be an NFL fan, especially of the San Francisco 49ers in the Joe Montana, Steve
Young, Jerry Rice era. So far as I know none of them ever publicly expressed their political opinions. I have not
watched five minutes of a 49er's game in over a year. The only NFL game I've watched in the past year was the Super
Bowl. I've heard numerous people say essentially the same thing. They say they're done with the NFL.
Former fans are angry at the players for disrespecting their country, but the greater anger is directed toward the teams'
owners and the NFL hierarchy. The NFL has unfortunately revealed who and what they are. Although they're good
people in most ways, in this instance they've behaved like spineless, clueless cowards. They should have nipped the
protests in the bud before they became overblown and out of control.
Soccer
Star Rapinoe on Her National Anthem Protests. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe has vowed to continue her national
anthem protests while representing the US in next month's Women's World Cup [...] Rapinoe created a furor when she knelt
during the national anthem following former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who roiled the NFL with his anthem protest in 2016.
Yankees
fans threaten boycott after ban of Kate Smith's 'God Bless America'. Kate Smith's rendition of "God Bless
America" has been scrapped at Yankee Stadium, but Bronx Bomber fans are going to bat for her over allegations of
racism. Smith's niece, Suzy Andron, told The Post she is "honored" by the groundswell of support for the late singer
among fans and media. "Most are solidly behind the positive notion that this is a misunderstanding by a few people who
took two or three of her songs [out of 3,000 that she recorded] out of context and inflated a story that my Aunt Kathryn must
have been a racist," Andron said. "Unfortunately, the Yankees bought into it."
Elizabeth
Warren praises Red Sox manager Alex Cora for skipping White House visit. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is
learning this week what it's like to be a political lightning rod. Cora publicly confirmed he won't visit the White
House when the Red Sox make their official championship trip Thursday [5/9/2019]. And now he finds himself in the middle
of the typical Washington partisan battle. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator, Democratic presidential
candidate and long-running Donald Trump adversary, is praising Cora for taking a stand against Trump and the White House.
Virginia
Basketball Declines White House Invite to Celebrate National Championship. The Virginia men's basketball team
has declined, while the Baylor women's team has accepted a visit to the White House after NCAA tournament title wins.
Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett tweeted Friday the decision of the program to decline the invitation to celebrate their 2019
NCAA men's tournament title win.
NCAA basketball champs will
not accept invitation to White House — here's the coach's statement. The NCAA championship
basketball team from the University of Virginia will not accept the invitation from President Donald Trump to the White
House, but the coach say it's simply a matter of scheduling. Coach Tony Bennett released a statement that was tweeted
out by the official University of Virginia account.
Virginia
basketball latest champions to decline White House invite. Add Virginia men's basketball to the long list of
teams who won't celebrate a championship with President Trump at the White House. The program tweeted a statement from
head coach Tony Bennett Friday [4/26/2019] that stated the team has "received inquiries about a visit to the White House.["]
Nike
launches 'Icon' Kaepernick jersey days after NFL collusion case settlement. Nike released a special edition
Colin Kaepernick jersey Wednesday just days after the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback settled a grievance with the
NFL. The Kaepernick Icon Jersey — a black design with white lettering — resembles the '#ImWithKap'
jerseys that quickly sold out last fall. The jersey sells for $150. "We believe Colin Kaepernick is one of the most
inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward," Nike spokeswoman
Sandra Carreon-John told USA Today, adding that the jersey "marks Nike's continued product collaboration with Colin."
All
about race: NFL shoves left's radical social justice agenda down throats of Super Bowl viewers. Super
Bowl LIII appeared to be the NFL's latest down payment in appeasing the hard left and their social justice agenda. The
NFL responded in December 2017 to the more radical elements of the game who were disrespecting the national anthem by taking
a knee by committing $90 million over a seven year period to social justice causes — much of the money going
to a number of left-wing organizations. And Sunday, the league shoved a divisive race-driven message down the throats
of Super Bowl LIII viewers at every opportunity.
Maroon
5 frontman hints Superbowl show will be hip-hop kneeling fest. Proud, flag-loving patriots who hate seeing the
American flag be disrespected may have no other option but to tune out of the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. The
show has been mired in controversy because of a concerted effort by radical far-left activists to stop any artist from
performing at the event. To them, any performance would be a slap in the face to unemployed former NFL quarterback and
continued race-baiting agitator Colin Kaepernick.
The
NFL Recovers From Kneeling Frenzy. Ratings for NFL regular-season games rebounded, gaining 5 percent over the
previous season. That's not as amazing, since it's a small increase after two years of frightening declines. But
in today's ever-declining ratings for broadcast TV, due to livestreaming and cord cutting, the NFL is still a dominant
player, far outdrawing regular scripted TV shows. The panic in NFL offices has ended. The bleeding stopped.
Everyone knows why, and it's not the powerful high-scoring offenses and the snazzy touchdown celebrations. The NFL put
an end to the national anthem kneeling protests.
Miami
Dolphins' Robert Quinn complains about lack of coverage for his protest during national anthem. Colin
Kaepernick has received a ton of publicity for his protests during the national anthem, but he can't seem to find a job in
the NFL. Miami Dolphins defensive end Robert Quinn has the opposite problem. Quinn lashed out at reporters Thursday
[12/27/2018] over the lack of coverage he's received over his fist-raised protest during the national anthem, something he's done
since joining the Dolphins in the offseason, according to the Miami Herald.
More Than an
Athlete? Lebron James is perhaps the most privileged person on the face of the Earth. Graced with
once-in-a-generation athletic talent, he also happens to be 6 feet, 8 inches tall. And, best of all, he was
born in the United States of America. Our free enterprise system has allowed James to parlay his talent, and lots of
hard work, into an $85 million a year income. Not bad! But not enough for King James.
Lebron
James says NFL owners are a "bunch of old white men" with a "slave mentality". LeBron James had some strong
words for NFL owners on his HBO show "The Shop" which aired Friday night. [He] blasted NFL owners for having what he
called a "slave mentality" and calling them "a bunch of old white men".
NFL kneeling
goes full circle. The NFL has a long way to go until it is broke, but given the number of liberals put in
charge of the league, it is but a matter of time. The league took its fan base for granted, tried to expand its appeal,
and virtue signaled like a Hollywood award ceremony.
The National
Anthem Protests — Do Facts Matter? NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who started the protests, did so
over the supposed widespread instances of police brutality against blacks. Kaepernick said, "I am not going to stand up
to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. ... There are bodies in the street and
people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." According to the Centers for Disease Control, since 1968 police
killings of blacks have declined nearly 75 percent. According to The Washington Post, almost 500 whites were
killed by cops in 2015, an average of more than one a day. Two hundred fifty-nine blacks were killed by the police.
Most suspects killed by police had a weapon. Now for some perspective. Do you know anyone who has been struck by
lightning? Neither do most people. Yet each year an average of about 300 Americans are killed or injured by
lightning. That's approximately 40 more than the number of blacks killed by the police in 2015. Is there
an "epidemic" of Americans being struck and injured by lightning?
Fans Furious As NFL Cheerleader
Hears Anthem, Gives Troops the Finger. Fans who came out to see the Raiders take on the 49ers on Thursday were
furious over what one cheerleader did as soon as she heard the National Anthem start to play. Mediocre former-49ers
quarterback Colin Kaepernick became the most hated man in the NFL two seasons ago — which is quite a feat in a
sport filled with wife-beaters and convicts — when he began "taking a knee" as The Star-Spangled Banner was played
before NFL games in 2016 to protest "police brutality" and "racial discrimination" in America. Of course, this could
not have been more ironic, seeing as Kaepernick was adopted by a white family who raised him with every advantage in the
world. Not to mention the fact that he makes more money than ninety-nine percent of white people.
49ers cheerleader
takes a knee during anthem. A cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers kneeled during the national anthem
Thursday night ahead of the team's game against the Oakland Raiders. The cheerleader has not been identified, but
photos of her kneeling quickly circulated on social media.
Amy
Schumer wonders whether white NFL players who don't kneel are 'complicit' in racism. Amy Schumer on Friday
[10/19/2018] questioned whether or not white players in the NFL who don't kneel with their black teammates are 'complicit' in
the 'endless racism people of color face in our country.' The "Trainwreck" star went on to propose that more white
players should stand up for their "brothers and sisters of color" by taking a knee. "I wonder why more white players
aren't kneeling," she wrote. "Once you witness the truly deep inequality and endless racism people of color face in our
country, not to mention the police brutality and murders. Why not kneel next to your brothers? Otherwise how are
you not complicit?"
Kneeling
NFL players earn $16M combined this season. Miami Dolphins wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson have
knelt during the national anthem every game this season. Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, who joined Colin
Kaepernick during the original kneeling protests in 2016, resumed kneeling before his season debut in Week 5 last
Sunday. The three players are slated to earn a combined $16.5 million in 2018, or more if they meet certain
bonuses. Under the NFL's current rules, none of the players will face fines or other disciplinary action for the
protests. [President] Trump has repeatedly called on the NFL to impose stiff penalties on any player who fails to
stand for the national anthem.
Eric
Reid takes a knee during national anthem in first game as Carolina Panthers player. Carolina Panthers safety
Eric Reid took a knee during the national anthem before Sunday's game against the New York Giants in Charlotte, North
Carolina. Reid was the only player to kneel during the "Star Spangled Banner," continuing the protest he began while
playing for the San Francisco 49ers. He was the first Panthers player ever to kneel during the national anthem.
'Standup
for America' jersey is Trump's latest attack on NFL kneelers. Colin Kaepernick probably hasn't clicked on the
shopping cart. A popular online Trump merchandise site is hawking "Standup for America" football jerseys, the president's
latest salvo in his war against the NFL and those kneeling for the national anthem.
Harvard
to award Colin Kaepernick medal for work in African-American studies. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick
will be one of eight people honored by Harvard University next month with the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal. The medal is given
annually by the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research. "The medal honors those who have made significant
contributions to African and African American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural
understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world," the university said.
New
NFL Season — Same Old National Anthem Protests. The 2018-2019 football season kicked off this past
weekend, and much to the dismay of many fans, so did a new season of National Anthem protests. [...] The original basis for
the protests came as an anti-police and anti-America protest by Colin Kaepernick (who claimed both were racist), who wore
socks with police pictured as pigs and lauded the murderous government in Communist Cuba, even though more whites than blacks
are killed by police, though, according to the FBI, black Americans are charged with most of the murders in this country,
most of the robberies, and nearly half the assaults (while only making up about 13 percent of the population) —
and Cuba regularly "disappears" or imprisons or tortures citizens who criticize it. That's what the protesting players
are siding with. Meanwhile black police officers are much more likely to kill both black and Latino suspects than white
officers are, and more than 99 percent of those killed by police are armed at the time they are shot.
Colin
Kaepernick thanks 2 Miami Dolphins players who kneel during anthem. Miami Dolphins teammates Kenny Stills and
Albert Wilson were the only two players to kneel during the national anthem on the NFL's opening Sunday, and Colin Kaepernick,
who may no longer be welcome on an NFL sideline, offered his thanks to the players on Twitter. "My Brothers (Stills) and
(Wilson) continue to show their unwavering strength by fighting for the oppressed," Kaepernick tweeted. "They have not
backed down, even when attacked and intimidated... Love is at the root of our resistance."
Famed
UFC Fighter, Special Forces Vet Tim Kennedy Says Special Forces Furious About Nike's Kaepernick Ad. Tim
Kennedy, the famed UFC fighter who served in the army and later in the 7th Special Forces Group where he was a sniper, sniper
instructor, and the principal combatives instructor for C Company, 3rd Battalion, deploying in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, said Special Forces members that he spent time with this week were furious about the
Nike ad with Colin Kaepernick in which Kaepernick said he had "sacrificed." Speaking to TMZ, Kennedy began, "There are
problems. There are huge problems in the city; urban problems, police problems, crime problems, and they have to be
addressed and something needs to be done about it, but not by disrespecting the flag and somebody making a few million
dollars off a sponsorship. Come on." When TMZ asked, "Will you wear Nike ever again?", Kennedy responded,
"No, no."
The Circus of Resistance.
Nike hired NFL renegade Colin Kaepernick to peddle its sports products. For all its billion-dollar market research, it
apparently did not know what Donald Trump's animal cunning had almost immediately surmised: a majority of Americans do not
appreciate the pampered multimillionaire Kaepernick sanctioning violence against the police by wearing "pig" socks, or mocking the
National Anthem by taking a knee. Nike could just as well have hired Bowe Bergdahl to push its sneakers.
The
Party of Kaepernick. The Democrats' winning midterm campaign message would seem simple enough: Trump is
bad and must be opposed. Yet at the moment the party risks being associated with a somewhat less attractive message:
The American flag is bad and must be opposed. Last week, left-wing Democrat Ayanna Pressley ousted long-term incumbent
Michael Capuano from the John F. Kennedy/Tip O'Neill House seat in the Democratic primary while praising the NFL anti-flag
protests, which her opponent called "wrong." Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke says — in Texas! —
that there is "nothing more American" than kneeling for the national anthem.
Empty
Seats Plague NFL Stadiums in Week One of Season. Americans are fed up with athletes kneeling during the
National Anthem and it showed — plenty of empty seats plagued stadiums on Sunday [9/9/2018].
Just
Blew It: Nike Favorability Drops By Double-Digits, No Boost In Key Demos. [Colin] Kaepernick is a source
of controversy, a vehicle for the left wing social justice activism that struck the NFL two years ago when he started to take
a knee during the national anthem. There were a multitude of reasons but race relations and police brutality seem to be
the top issues for why he and other players started this nonsense. No doubt the cause is worth a discussion. I
totally disagree with their take, but it's worthy of a discussion. All that good will went out the window as soon as
you start trashing the flag. Kaepernick's anti-police stance also drew a backlash. These players see their side
getting attention. Everyone else sees them trashing the flag, our veterans, and those who have died in service to the
country. It's unpatriotic. It's not appropriate — and the NFL knows it.
The
Things That Won't Fit in a Nike Ad. When it comes to the Kaepernick-inspired debate, there are many serious
issues at play — issues worthy of reasoned discussion. You might think that athletes should be able to kneel
during the national anthem as a matter of free speech. You might think it's disrespectful to do so. You might
think that Kaepernick was right to call attention to police violence, but wrong to wear socks depicting police officers as
pigs. You might even think all of these things at the same time! But these things are complicated, and they
certainly don't fit in a Nike ad, which has one overarching goal: To bring attention to Nike, a massive corporation
under fire for various ethical issues as we speak.
College
Dumps Nike: "If Nike is Ashamed of America, We are Ashamed of Them". The collegiate market is big for
Nike. And while much of that market will only embrace the sweatshop sportswear firm harder after its anti-American
stance, there are still some American schools left in America.
Poll Reports Nike Kaepernick Ad Is Shoe-icide.
This might be turn out to be the biggest marketing disaster since Coca-Cola changed its formula to become New Coke.
Last week Nike was an iconic American brand. But that was before it decided to commit shoe-icde. Since it signed
anti-American protester Colin brand favorability for its 30-anniversary "Just Do It" public support for the brand
plunged. In other words, Nike Did It — to themselves.
Massive
Collapse in Brand Image for Nike Following New Colin Kaepernick Branding Campaign. Never before in the history
of corporate branding decisions has a multi-billion dollar company had such a massive and swift drop of brand image as
Nike. The results from Morning Consult Intelligence, a firm that specializes in monitoring and measuring the brand
image and reputation for thousands of major companies, reflects a massive drop in brand image across every single
demographic. We suspected there would be a diminishment of brand image, but nothing like the scale discovered within
the polled data.
Nike
Becomes Face of Social Justice Despite History of Outsourcing, Employing Slave Labor. Despite having a long,
documented history of allegedly employing workers at slave wages, the multinational Nike corporation has become the face of
the social justice wing of the political left with its newest ad featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. As
Breitbart News reported, the Nike corporation laid off 1,400 Americans just last year in the state of Oregon, cutting out
workers who were older and likely sending their jobs overseas as the sports brand has done in the past.
Poll:
Nike Favorability Crashes 34% with Kaepernick Ad Campaign. A poll from Morning Consult shows devastating
results for Nike's brand favorability, in the days after making Colin Kaepernick the face of their new ad campaign.
Nike,
NFL, and Levis Strauss Political Business Strategy. On its face, it just seems absurd. Why would any
major corporation intentionally stake out a branding position that is adverse to their financial interests? [...] The bigger
risk to Nike has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter, U.S. Consumers, or Antifa-like political advocacy. The bigger
financial risk to the Nike Corporation has everything to do with geopolitics and a reset of international trade agreements.
Former
Obama CIA Director John Brennan Praises Washed Up Athlete. It's well established John Brennan is a weird
one. How a man who once voted for a communist to be President of the United States became head of the CIA is a story
unto itself (See: China) but just as confounding is how Mr. Brennan has conducted himself since riding into the
proverbial has-been sunset. The most recent example is his effusive praise of washed-up former NFL quarterback turned
racist division-maker, Colin Kaepernick. Mr. Kaepernick lost his starting position due to lackluster play and soon
after he declared himself an anti-white and anti-police advocate who was then warmly embraced by the radical Black Lives
Matter crowd. Nike threw Kaepernick some "good boy" bucks for which Brennan is now glorifying as the Second Coming.
Nike
steps in it! Vets, ex-fans furious over Kaepernick deal. Nike is under fire from military veterans for
using Colin Kaepernick in a new ad campaign. Many say the sports brand is promoting unpatriotic protests against the
American flag since Kaepernick has been a Nike brand ambassador since 2011. Army veteran Kurt Schlichter, an attorney
and Townhall columnist, said Kaepernick's claim that he's "just making a statement" is disingenuous because there are more
effective ways for him to protest without disrespecting the flag or the national anthem.
They Destroy Everything
They Touch, Volume 2. Nike's decision to turn [Colin] Kaepernick, the National Anthem-defiling, skills-atrophying,
cellar-dwelling Social Justice Warrior ex-quarterback who last played NFL football with the then 2-14 San Francisco 49ers in
2016, into its latest corporate product pitch man was announced over the Labor Day weekend, and on Tuesday [9/4/2018] when the
New York Stock Exchange got its first opportunity to weigh in on it the results weren't good. Nike's stock closed Tuesday
at $79.60, though it did rise a bit in after-hours trading. That was a pretty serious bath from the $82.20 at which the
stock closed on Friday before word leaked of Kaepernick's contract — a loss of 3.16 percent of its value, or
more than $3.5 billion in market capitalization.
Get
woke and go broke. The American footwear company Nike made the disastrous decision to pay Colin Kaepernick
millions of dollars a year to be a spokesperson for their "Just Do It" advertising campaign. The company's new tag line
for Kaepernick is: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." By "sacrificing
everything," evidently Nike means "make millions of dollars more a year to appear in an advertising campaign than you would
make as a back-up quarterback in the NFL." Boy, has Kaepernick ever sacrificed! According to Yahoo Sports, he gets his
own branded shoe line, shirts, jerseys and specific Kaepernick apparel. He will be paid a comparable amount to the best
NFL players signed to Nike deals, millions a year.
Kaepernick
Deal: Nike May Discover To Be Woke Is No Joke. Nike's decision to make controversial former quarterback
Colin Kaepernick the face of its 30th Anniversary "Just Do It" campaign marks the logical extension of politics into two
places it shouldn't be: sports and business. Nike may regret its move.
Nike
Decides to Make "Inspirational" Colin Kaepernick The Face of The Brand. In the latest example of a corporation
making a ridiculous decision to brand itself based on politics, Nike apparel has decided that Colin Kaepernick is the modern
face of the brand.
Americans
Launch Boycott Against Nike After Colin Kaepernick Named as Face of 30th Anniversary. Colin Kaepernick ruined
the NFL after he started the National Anthem boycott by 'taking a knee.' He made headlines in 2016 when he wouldn't stand
for the National Anthem because of cops. NFL ratings have plummeted since Kaepernick's National Anthem boycott.
Stadiums often have rows and rows of empty seats because Americans are fed up with the politicization of football.
Now it's Nike's turn.
Colin
Kaepernick to be face of Nike's 'Just Do it' campaign. Nike has a new face for the 30th anniversary of their
iconic "Just Do It" campaign: Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, who has filed a collusion suit against the NFL over
his unemployment after he knelt and protested racial inequality during the anthem, unveiled the new advertisement on his Twitter.
Big
& Rich Singer Promotes Nike Boycott in Response to Kaepernick Ad Campaign. Nike announced its new campaign ad featuring
controversial anthem protester Colin Kaepernick on Monday [9/3/2018], drawing support from some quarters and plenty of criticism from others.
Nike
shares drop amid backlash over new Kaepernick ad. Shares of Nike fell 3.2 percent on Tuesday [9/4/2018] as
calls for a boycott of the sportswear giant gained traction on social media following its choice of Colin Kaepernick as a
face for the 30th anniversary of its "Just Do It" slogan. Former San Francisco quarterback Kaepernick, the first NFL
player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, posted a black-and-white close-up of himself on
social media on Monday featuring the Nike logo and "Just do it" along with the quote, "Believe in something. Even if it
means sacrificing everything." Over 30,000 people were tweeting with the hashtag #NikeBoycott on Tuesday morning, making it
among the top trending topics on Twitter. Some posted images of themselves burning and ripping their Nike shoes and apparel.
Former
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tweets Support for Colin Kaepernick. Former Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad took to Twitter on Monday [9/3/2018], to lend support to anthem-protesting former quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Did
Nike make a huge NFL-like mistake embracing Colin Kaepernick? Is there business logic for Nike embracing Colin
Kaepernick? I think there is, for the NFL and athletic shoe business are very different. In the conservative
blogosphere, on Fox News, and among my friends, the name of Nike has been forever damaged by the brand's embrace of Colin
Kaepernick, who sparked the widespread disrespect for our flag by NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem.
Pictures and videos of Nike gear burning already are proliferating among the outraged.
Kaepernick
won't stand for the flag but he'll bow down to the Nike dollar? 'Believe in something, even it means sacrificing everything.'
Those are the words emblazoned across NFL star Colin Kaepernick's face in Nike's new campaign to mark 30 years of its 'Just Do It' advertising
slogan. 'Sacrifice' is a big word, meaning 'to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person'.
'Everything' is an even bigger word, meaning 'all that exists'. So to sacrifice everything is a major undertaking.
Corporate
Suicide Watch, Nike Edition. Nike has chosen the star of its 30th anniversary #JustDoIt advertising campaign:
Colin Kaepernick. At first glance, it seems weird for an athletic shoe company to select as its corporate icon someone who is
no longer an athlete, and was never a star. At second glance, it gets weirder: Nike apparently thinks Kaepernick has
sacrificed everything, which tells you something about 21st century corporate America. Kaepernich is a multimillionaire whose
"sacrifice" consisted of kneeling during the National Anthem, wearing socks depicting police officers as pigs, and generally
denouncing his country. Which has led to a second career as a leftist spokesman. That is not exactly a contender
in the annals of Greatest Sacrifice Ever.
Kaepernick
fronts Nike's 'Just Do It' ad campaign. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is part of a
new Nike campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of the sporting equipment giant's iconic "Just Do It" slogan, reports said
Monday [9/3/2018]. Kaepernick, who triggered a political firestorm after kneeling during the US national anthem in 2016
to protest racial injustice, has not played in the NFL since early 2017.
Tom
Brady signals his support of Colin Kaepernick's controversial Nike ad. [Colin] Kaepernick has not played a game
of football for 11 months. He opted out of his San Francisco 49ers contract last August after causing controversy by
taking a kneel during the national anthem in a sign of protest against police brutality against African Americans. On
Monday [9/3/2018], Nike unveiled the campaign to mixed reviews. Star athletes including Serena Williams praised the
company for putting Kaepernick's message at the forefront of its advertising. But Nike customers who opposed
Kaepernick's on-the-field protests were outraged by the move.
James
Woods Dumps Nike Stock in Response to Kaepernick 'Just Do It' Ad Campaign. Veteran actor and conservative firebrand James Woods
is selling all his Nike stock in response to the athletic apparel company's decision to name former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and infamous
anthem protester Colin Kaepernick as the face of their new "Just Do It" campaign. Woods on Tuesday [9/4/2018] tweeted a screenshot to his
nearly 1.7 million followers of an email he sent to his portfolio manager asking all his Nike stock be sold. "Please divest my
portfolio of all Nike stock in my personal account and in the plan. Henceforth never buy Nike stock for me again," the email read.
ESPN
Goes Insane Over Tiger Woods' Trump Comments: 'He's Not Black'. ESPN continued down their politically progressive path
on Monday [8/27/2018], going fully insane over golf superstar Tiger Woods' recent comments about President Donald Trump. "First
Take" co-host Max Kellerman, fully triggered by Woods' comments, ranted about how "angry" he was about the "thoughtless statement."
And Kellerman's counterpart, Stephen A. Smith, said that Woods is "not black" and doesn't identify as black, which has upset the
African-American community and explains the golf phenom's Trump comments. Woods was asked about Trump, whom he has a personal
relationship with, by a New York Times reporter on Sunday: "I think a lot of people, especially people of color, immigrants feel
threatened by him, by his policies. ... What do you say to people who might find it interesting, I guess, that you have a friendly
relationship with him?"
ESPN
host fumes at Tiger Woods' Donald Trump 'respect'. ESPN's Max Kellerman said Monday on "First Take" that Tiger
Woods' response to questions about President Trump made him "angry." Woods was asked after the final round of The
Northern Trust on Sunday about his relationship with Trump and urged people to respect the office of the president.
"He's the president of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may
like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office," he said. Kellerman blasted Woods'
remarks, saying it was a "thoughtless statement dressed up as a thoughtful statement."
Kaepernick's
Lawsuit with NFL Just Blew Up in His FACE. Colin Kaepernick claims that the NFL colluded against him. Cry
me a river. They certainly have a right to not hire him, particularly after his kneeling stunt. Why should a
company be forced to hire a disruptive employee? Regardless, it appears now that Kaepernick's claims are baseless.
His claims of collusion just got a hole poked in his hot air balloon, at least according to John Elway. Elway claims that
the Broncos offered Kaepernick a deal, but he turned it down.
Beto
O'Rourke says 'nothing more American' than NFL anthem protests. Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke has jumped into the NFL
national-anthem fray by defending players taking a knee during the ceremony, saying he could think of "nothing more American."
In a response going viral on social media, the Democrat seeking to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, compared the NFL
kneelers to civil-rights icons like Rosa Parks and the Freedom Riders during a campaign appearance last week in Houston.
Kneeling NFL players will help Republicans in November.
If National Football League players continue their protests during the national anthem this season, it will rile some
Republican voters, increasing their intensity and making it more likely that they will vote. At a time when Democrats
want their candidates to be less controversial and let dissatisfaction with President Trump carry them into office, continued
protests by NFL players will force the issue back into the public spotlight and onto the campaign trail, where Democrats will
mostly have to side with the protesters. I am often frustrated that President Trump and Republicans do what their
political opponents want them to do. But in this case, it is the Democrats who are being escorted by a few athletes
into a position they would rather avoid.
[A
few] Eagles Players Stay in Tunnel During National Anthem. Three members of the Philadelphia Eagles refused to
take the field in protest, during the playing of the national anthem at Thursday's [8/16/2018] preseason game. Eagles
safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback De'Vante Bausby continued their protests from last season by refusing to take the field
ahead of their game against the New England Patriots. The pair took the field after the song concluded, according to
NBC Sports.
ESPN
president Jimmy Pitaro: Network won't show national anthem on 'Monday Night Football'. New ESPN president
Jimmy Pitaro told reporters Friday [8/17/2018] that the network does not plan to televise the national anthem as part of its
Monday Night Football broadcasts this season. Pitaro, who was hired March 5 following the abrupt departure of
John Skipper, told reporters at a media event on ESPN's campus in Bristol, Conn., that the network has not previously shown
the national anthem during its Monday Night Football broadcasts and does not have plans to change — at least,
not in the immediate future. According to Axios, Pitaro also said that ESPN has informed the league of its plans "as (a)
courtesy" given their partnership. Earlier, he had told reporters that he has spent much of his young tenure at ESPN
working to strengthen the company's relationship with the NFL.
The
NFL Doesn't Actually Care About You, or Your Service. Last year, when the kneeling controversy erupted like a
California wildfire and the president launched a series of attacks on the NFL and Colin Kaepernick, I argued that cooler
heads should prevail and a middle ground could be reached by both sides. Like the recovering alcoholic I am, I must
have been in denial, hoping like a chronic gambler that Roger Goodell would do the right thing, or even just do his
job. Obviously, I was wrong, because here we are again, my friends: another year, another round of protests.
And all because the NFL and Roger Goodell have been subverted by the most sinister of human endeavors — politics.
Police
Union Cancels Discount Ticket Program After Miami Dolphin Anthem Protests. A union that represents police
officers in Florida's Broward County is canceling its participation in a discount ticket program with the Miami Dolphins
after several of the team's players refused to stand during Thursday's pre-season game rendition of the national
anthem. Despite the Broward County Police Benevolent Association's belief that the Miami Dolphins team would be
requiring its players to stand, wide receivers Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills kneeled while one player, defensive end Robert
Quinn, raised his fist before the team's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL
won't discipline kneelers as anthem protests make preseason return. Professional football is back and so are the
take-a-knee protests, but the NFL isn't planning on disciplining players who refuse to stand during the national anthem —
at least for now. [...] In a statement, the NFL said it was still engaged in "constructive discussions with the NFL Players
Association regarding the anthem and issues of equality and social justice that are of concern to many Americans."
NFL
preseason sees kneeling, raised fists, during national anthem. NFL players continued to protest during the
national anthem on Thursday night as the league began the first full week of its 2018 preseason. Some players held
their fists in the air, while others decided to kneel, despite the controversy surrounding the action. Wide receivers
Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of the Miami Dolphins, knelt during "The Star-Spangled Banner," ahead of their game
against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Herald reported.
Ingrates who won't stand
for the anthem. Colin Kaepernick started it back in 2016 when as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers he
refused to stand for the anthem during a preseason game. His gripe? "Racial inequality," or so he says. [...]
Yes, it started while Obama was still president. So you can't blame Trump for this one. But they do. Why
not? They blame him for everything else — the news media first of all.
Top 10 Black
Racists. [#6] Colin Kaepernick: Colin Kaepernick, who launched a high-profile protest movement within the
NFL, may now be unemployed and off-the-radar for many Americans, but he's still able to generate media attention. His
anti-American activism, best exemplified by the taking of a knee during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before
football games, helped to alienate fans and accelerate the NFL's downward slide that was already in progress. Like
DeRay Mckesson and Alicia Garza, Kaepernick is a supporter of convicted cop killer Assata Shakur who broke out of prison in
1979 and fled to Communist Cuba where she still resides. Kaepernick acknowledged raising $20,000 for Chicago-based
Assata's Daughters in matching donations, on top of the $25,000 he personally gave the group previously, the Washington
Times reported in February.
NFL
should just dump the national anthem and get on with playing football. Eyes will be focused on watching knees
right from the jump of the NFL preseason in the annual Hall of Fame game Thursday between the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore
Ravens. Television cameras will capture just who is taking a knee and who is not as the national anthem plays.
But should Francis Scott Key's ode to his country even be played before sporting contests? Sports are entertainment.
The national anthem is not played as you enter the museum, sit down at the symphony or stroll into the movie house, which also
represent forms of entertainment.
The Editor says...
The USA Today writer (of the article immediately above) is apparently unaware that the national anthem is played in movie theaters
on military bases — and everyone stands at attention while it is playing.
Jerry
Jones May Have Single-Handedly Blown Up the NFL's New Anthem Policy. Jerry Jones has a history of doing what he
wants. And last week, when it came to the NFL's new policy regarding player demonstrations during the national anthem,
he broke with the league yet again. The rule, announced in May, was controversial from the beginning. It banned
players from kneeling, raising fists, or otherwise participating in on-field demonstrations during the anthem, but gave them
the choice to remain in the locker room while the song played. The NFL Players' Association, which negotiates its
collective bargaining agreement with the league, objected to the rule — and they weren't the only ones.
Projection:
LeBron:
Trump is using sports to divide us. LeBron James thinks President Trump is using athletics, and athletes, to
split up the country. [...] "What I've noticed over the past few months," James shared with CNN's Don Lemon during a sit-down
interview on Monday [7/30/2018][,] "(Is) he's kinda used sports to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate
to." Referencing Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests during the pre-game national anthem launched an NFL movement,
and more recently, Stephen Curry, who honored his promise of skipping a visit to Donald Trump's White House, James bemoaned a
myriad of instances in which Trump has twisted peaceful displays of dissent into an indictment of a decaying American value system.
The Editor says...
President Trump didn't originate Black Lives Matter protests or inject anti-American tantrums into football games.
Vegan
soccer club first in world to be certified carbon neutral by UN. An English soccer team has become the first
professional sports team in the world to be certified carbon-neutral by the United Nations.
Follow
The Money: Will NFL Owners Choose George Soros or Millions of Their Fans? [T]he same players who are
funneling $90 million from last year's "settlement"/shakedown to left-wing activists have forced the owners back to the
negotiating table. These are the team owners who saw a 10 percent drop in viewership last season, eight million fewer
Super Bowl viewers this year, and advertisers threaten to leave. From a purely business perspective, capitulating to
the players is clearly a bad idea. The fans have identified the anthem protests for what they are: the promotion of
a false narrative that America is a racist country. And they have made themselves heard loud and clear by simply tuning
out. [...] The NFL's fans are the league's financial driver and represent a broad swath of America that turns to sport for
what it is — entertainment, not politics.
Jerry
Jones: Cowboys players must stand for national anthem. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doubled down
Wednesday on insisting that his players stand for the national anthem, declaring that he wouldn't support anyone who chose to
stay in the locker room.
New
NFL Anthem Protests are upon us. Football season is fast upon us and the world's most profitable sport has fans
geared up and ready to go, but the national anthem protest controversy that has plagued the NFL just won't die.
Tennessee
Titans' Jurrell Casey says he plans to keep protesting and will 'take my fine' in upcoming NFL season: report.
Despite a recently-imposed NFL rule regarding players and personnel behavior during the national anthem, one Tennessee Titans
player reportedly says he'll "take a fine this year" and continue to "protest during the flag." NFL defensive end Jurrell
Casey intends to keep holding up his fist in protest following the conclusion of the Star Spangled Banner, like he did during
the 2017 season, regardless of the fines that may come his way, he told CNN Sport while attending an event in London on
Wednesday [7/18/2018].
Trump
says NFL players who kneel during the anthem twice should be banned for the season. President Donald Trump
demanded on Friday that the '$40,000,000 commissioner' of the NFL suspend players for a whole season if they kneel during
national anthem more than once. In a rehash of last year's controversy, the President took to Twitter to blast NFL
commissioner Roger Godell for not doing enough to stem the tide of players protesting racial inequality in America.
NFL,
NFLPA freeze anthem rules amid backlash to Miami policy. Hours after The Associated Press reported that Miami
Dolphins players who protest on the field during the anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy
issued this week, the league and the players union issued a joint statement late Thursday night saying the two sides are
talking things out.
NFLPA
files grievance challenging NFL's new anthem policy, claims it 'infringes on player rights'. The NFL Players'
Association announced on Tuesday that it has filed a grievance on behalf of the players challenging the league's
controversial anthem policy, which was introduced in May. "The union's claim is that this new policy, imposed by the
NFL's governing body without consultation with the NFLPA, is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and
infringes on player rights," the NFLPA said in a statement.
Colin
Kaepernick receives civil rights award from National Education Association. Colin Kaepernick was among a dozen
honorees who received a human and civil rights award from the National Education Association. Kaepernick was given the
NEA's President's Award to recognize his work "to fight racial oppression through education and social justice activism"
through the Know Your Rights Camp, a campaign that is fully funded by the footballer. The youth camp aims "to raise
awareness on higher education, self empowerment, and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement in various
scenarios," according to its website.
Colin
Kaepernick receives civil rights award from National Education Association. Colin Kaepernick was among a dozen
honorees who received a human and civil rights award from the National Education Association. Kaepernick was given the
NEA's President's Award to recognize his work "to fight racial oppression through education and social justice activism"
through the Know Your Rights Camp, a campaign that is fully funded by the footballer. The youth camp aims "to raise
awareness on higher education, self empowerment, and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement in various
scenarios," according to its website.
The Ways Roger Goodell Has Politicized the NFL:
• Tim Tebow was banned from wearing "John 3:16" on his eye black
• The NFL required the Pentagon to pay the league for military tributes
• The NFL made RG3 turn a "Know Jesus" t-shirt inside out
• The NFL pleaded with teams to consider signing Michael Sam
• The NFL banned a gun vendor's ad from the Super Bowl
• The NFL banned off-duty cops from carrying guns to games
• The NFL denied the Cowboys' request to honor Dallas police after a mass shooting
• The NFL refused a veterans group's "please stand" Super Bowl ad
Minnesota
United Hosts Pride Night. Minnesota United FC hosted Pride Night during its game against FC Dallas Friday night
[6/29/2018]. The celebration came on the same day United midfielder Collin Martin announced he is gay. Martin is
the only openly gay active player in any of the five major male professional sports leagues.
Offending
NFL Fans Isn't Just Bad for Owners, but Players Too. One of the most obnoxious stories in America the past year
has been the controversy over players protesting during the national anthem. While I personally sympathize with both
concerns from athletes about police brutality in minority communities, as well as the desire of most football fans to simply
not have any sort of political advocacy mixed into their sports, the resulting media coverage — from both
political and sports outlets — has been largely nauseating. While the NFL offseason obviously brought
discussion of the topic down to a simmer (with the exception being the occasional update on Colin Kaepernick — and
now Eric Reid's — lawsuit against the league), the NFL's decision this week to change its anthem-policy has it
once again at a raging boil. Unfortunately most of these articles try to make this issue more complicated than it
really is: it's all about money.
Vikings
Hold First Sports LGBTQ Summit. The Minnesota Vikings made history on Thursday. Vikings players, coaches
and members of the LGBTQ community came together for a first of its kind inclusion summit held by an NFL team. The
LGBTQ summit and fundraising event was held at the TCO Performance Center Auditorium in Eagan. It centered around
bridging the gap between the LGBTQ community and sports
Hollywood
"Celebrities", Deviants and Predators, Continue Showcasing Democrat Ideology. When millionaire football players
kneel down rather than honor our fallen soldiers and stand proud of our country, we see that. Check the NFL TV
ratings — take note.
Remembering
Old Glory. As the NFL continues to dig their knees into political Astroturf, Americans continue to tune
out. Even the most diehard fans get riled up when they witness disrespect shown toward our flag and, ultimately, to the
men and women who have sacrificed dearly to preserve the very freedom that the NFL has flourished under.
How
Poisonous Politics And Social Media Managed To Even Ruin Sports. Now we've learned that not only were most of
the Philadelphia Eagles not planning to go to the White House, but neither the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Golden State
Warriors were intending to go even before their championship series was over. [...] What was once just a pleasant, if
pointless, afternoon of fun for the team and the White House staff has morphed into a toxic brew.
Trump
cancels Eagles' White House celebration on eve of visit after fewer than 10 players planned to attend.
President Trump on Monday [6/4/2018] abruptly rescinded an invitation to host the Eagles at the White House, citing the
"smaller delegation" that was planning to attend and again stoking a national debate by insisting that players "proudly stand
for the National Anthem, hand on heart." The celebration was canceled fewer than 24 hours before the team was
scheduled to visit.
Trump
Cancels Eagles Reception Amid National Anthem Protests. President Donald Trump canceled a planned Super Bowl
reception for the Philadelphia Eagles Monday after many players would not attend due to his position that all players must
stand for the national anthem.
Trump
taunts NFL over 'escaping' to locker rooms after changing Eagles visit to a national anthem party. President
Donald Trump taunted the NFL on Tuesday by hyping up a party at the White House he decided to throw without them.
Typically, US sports teams who win a championship may be invited to the White House. But during Trump's presidency,
with his repeated criticism of the NFL and sports teams, the affair has become more complicated. On Monday [6/4/2018],
the White House released a statement saying the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles would not attend the ceremony.
Yo,
Philly! Trump says your Eagles can go take a knee somewhere else. NASCAR has no kneeling problem.
It flaunts the flag and patriotism at every race with drivers and their families standing together outside the cars for the
anthem and prayer before harnessing themselves in. Ten days ago for a 600-mile contest at Charlotte Motor Speedway,
NASCAR handed out more than 5,000 free race tickets to military and invited troops into garages to talk shop. But a
convivial championship ceremony will not be happening today with the NFL's Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at Donald
Trump's White House. Faced Monday evening with a boycott by a significant number of team members and employees, who
object to Trump objections to their National Anthem protests, Trump disinvited everyone.
Report:
'Five or fewer' Eagles planned to visit White House. The ongoing battle between Donald Trump and the NFL added
another chapter when the President announced the Philadelphia Eagles' trip to the White House had been cancelled. And
it appears not many players would've showed up anyway. According to ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., the number of Eagles
making the trip could've been counted on one hand.
Trump
absolutely correct to rescind Eagles' White House invitation. Being invited to the White House for public
recognition of your achievements is an honor. This is true regardless of who is president. Why? Because the
president — whether you personally approve of him or not — is the representative of the American people
and the White House is the people's house. So, what happened when the Eagles were invited to the people's house for a
ceremony to honor them for their Super Bowl victory? Fewer than 10 members of the organization accepted the invitation.
Apparently all of the other Eagles had something more important to do than to condescend to accept the accolades of their fellow Americans.
Black
firefighter takes heat after taking knee at police-fire football game. A political and emotional brush fire is
smoldering within a grieving Chicago Fire Department over a national anthem protest that marred a charity football game
dedicated to the memory of two fallen Chicago heroes. Camron McGarity, an African-American firefighter, kneeled while
the Star Spangled Banner was being played before the CFD Blaze faced off against the Chicago Police Department's Enforcers
last Saturday in the eighth annual "First Responders Bowl." A photo of the protest clearly shows the firefighter, wearing
the No. 7 jersey, kneeling on the sidelines while players on either side stood at attention dressed in bright red jerseys
and matching red pants.
Athletes
Can No Longer Play Nice. An invitation from the commander-in-chief of the United States to visit the White House
in celebration of your Super Bowl victory sounds like a great time, but you can't visit this particular commander-in-chief
without appearing to endorse his conflict with the NFL over the national anthem or, for that matter, his conflict with anyone
about anything. A brief review of the facts of the case is in order. [...]
Disney/ABC
Should Merge with Starbucks and the NFL. Disney/ABC, Starbucks, and the NFL should merge, as they are this
week's prime example of how to drive away customers while engaged in absurd CEO virtue signaling.
The NFL: It's Game Over.
The mainstream media fell all over itself announcing that [Colin] Kaepernick was the Social Justice Warrior that the world
had been waiting for. Here, at last, was a black sports icon who could start a movement. All you had to do was
open the New York Times to discover the San Francisco 49ers quarterback was really Martin Luther King Jr. The media had
finally found its Chairman Mao in Kaepernick, and its Red Guard in the NFL (of all places!) which suddenly turned itself
overnight into the sports-entertainment arm of the DNC. [...] Once all the losses are totaled, the NFL's anthem outrage will
go down as the most spectacularly stupid business decision that has ever been made.
The NFL controversy is about
so much more than a flag or song. What are the chances that this minority of unhappy players will forsake the
opportunity for national publicity by sitting obscurely in a smelly locker room instead of making their "statement" by
publicly kneeling in front of thousands of paying fans and millions more munching Doritos at home? About the same as
the Cleveland Browns winning the next Super Bowl. The controversy, which began almost two years ago when a benched
quarterback refused to stand for the anthem, is a disturbing one. It plays off a mere game, albeit one that has
supplanted baseball as the national pastime. It's serious business though, costing the league, teams, advertisers,
television networks, parking lots and sports bars countless millions in lost sales of tickets, concessions, merchandise,
meals and drinks, lost viewers and considerable good will even among disaffected non-fans.
NFL Owners To
Players: Get Off Your Knees, Boy. The idiotic "take a knee" scandal in the NFL was launched in 2016 by a
mediocre quarterback named Colin Kaepernick, a mudpuppy ingrate who was the product of miscegenation and apparently had to
loudly declare to the world that he's black because even he has his doubts. It was based on the idea that racist cops
are wantonly slaying young black males in the streets because they are jealous of their charm, good looks, and sexual prowess
rather than the fact that it is young black males who are statistically far more likely than any other group to be shooting
at them. Last NFL season Donald Trump nuzzled his way a little further into our hearts when he said, "Get that
[despicable person] off the field" when referring to the blockheads who knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner with the same
sort of defiance that leads several black males to resist arrest or reach for policemen's guns during routine traffic stops.
NFL
stars 'threaten to sit out games until Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid are signed by new teams'. Several NFL
stars are reportedly considering not playing until Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid are signed by teams. According to
columnist Shaun King, the protesting players are hoping that up to 25 percent of the league will join them in sitting
out. In 2016, Kaepernick drew worldwide attention and sparked a protest movement after he began to kneel during the
national anthem to raise awareness of racial equality and police brutality.
Democrats
and the media are losing the culture war. The New York Times ran three pieces this week opposing the NFL's new
policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem during games, or remain in the locker room if they won't. The
Times' liberal columnist David Leonhardt called the rule "unpatriotic" because it "reject[s] a basic American value."
(Making a statement about your special interest during a short patriotic song, you see, is exactly what the Founding Fathers
had in mind.) The paper's editorial board injected its favorite topic, race, writing that the NFL "capitulated to a
president who relishes demonizing black athletes." And in keeping with the Times' long tradition of publishing
conservative voices so long as their opinions are weak, the paper gave space to anti-Trump writer David French to denounce
"the conservative mob" for approving of the NFL's policy. By "conservative mob," French apparently means the large
majority of Americans who don't approve of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
Liberals
Put The "F" In NFL. It's not often you get to watch a major corporation publicly try to pull out of a
self-inflicted nosedive, but that's exactly what the National Football League attempted to do this week. The last two
seasons have been a time of shrinking viewership for the league that "owns a day of the week," as they saying goes, and that
negatively impacts the bottom line. So the NFL came up with a solution to what they see as the problem. Starting
this season, the NFL will fine teams with players who don't stand for the national anthem. Whether or not those teams
fine the actual players who refuse to stand is up to them, but the team will also be penalized, which could cost some teams
some games. If that isn't enough to at least give activist players pause — harming their
teammates — nothing will.
The Editor says...
Sunday used to be called "The Lord's Day." To state that the NFL now owns it is blasphemy. Moreover, the NFL
also conducts games on Mondays and Thursdays. They don't own those days either. Nor does your television.
NFL
players, leave your agendas in the locker room. The idea that the NFL is only implementing its new national
anthem policy because of falling ratings and public pressure is exactly how businesses work. No business exists to
employ people; they exist to make as much money as possible. Hemorrhaging fans, or customers, is the quickest path to
failure, so it's smart for the NFL to do all it can to stop the swirling public relations disaster its players created.
Fining teams whose players kneel during the anthem isn't "punishing dissent," it's the people who sign the front of the
players' sizable checks exerting the authority inherent in any employer/employee relationship.
In
the NFL, patriotism is for sale. On Wednesday [5/23/2018], the NFL announced a new policy of fining teams whose players
decline to stand for the national anthem and empowering the teams to fine those players in turn. This is heavy-handed and
probably will prove foolish. The pro-football establishment — not only the NFL itself but also its media
partners — has done far more than Kaepernick to turn the sport into a political spectacle. It's simply that
the nationalist pageantry that is appealing in Trump country is welcome, while the Black Lives Matter-inspired displays of
Kaepernick et al. are not.
Report:
NFL to Fine Teams for 'Any Flag, Anthem Disrespect'. The NFL will allow players to remain in the locker room
during the national anthem. However, if they come out and protest the flag or anthem, their teams will get fined.
That is the new policy announced in a statement by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday [5/23/2018].
Keith
Ellison boycotting NFL games over 'cowardly' kneeling ban. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said that he will
boycott NFL games this upcoming season over the league's new policy requiring players to stand during the national
anthem. "Friends who know me, know that I love football. But I won't be watching this NFL season because of the
unfair cowardly and idiotic kneeling ban," the progressive lawmaker tweeted on Sunday, adding the hashtag "Boycott NFL."
NFL
Players' Association criticizes new league policy on kneeling during national anthem. The NFL Players
Association (NFLPA) on Wednesday criticized the league for its new national anthem policy. In a statement, the union
said it would review the new policy and "challenge any aspect of it that is inconsistent with the collective bargaining
agreement." The union accused the league of contradicting its previous statements and of ignoring players' wishes in
developing the new policy, which instructs that all team and league personnel should stand for the national anthem.
NFL
is 'considering 15-yard penalties for teams who kneel during the national anthem'. NFL club owners are
considering potential 15-yard penalties for kneeling during the national anthem among ways of coping with a backlash over
player protests, Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday [5/22/2018]. According to a story on the magazine's website, owners
set aside three hours to talk about the anthem issue, which President Donald Trump elevated into a major controversy last
year. Ideas to handle players kneeling during the anthem included allowing home teams to decide if players should be
out of the locker room during the pre-game playing of The Star-Spangled Banner or not. If players are on the sideline,
then 15-yard penalties could be imposed on teams with players who kneel during the anthem.
Trump
suggests NFL players should leave the U.S. if they don't stand for the national anthem. President Donald Trump
backed an NFL rule change Wednesday that bans kneeling during the national anthem and hits violators with fines.
However, the president — who instigated the new policy with his withering rebuke of players refusing to stand
during the tribute to America — said the measure doesn't go far enough. 'I don't think people should be
staying in the locker rooms,' he told Fox & Friends in a pre-taped interview that aired on Thursday's [5/24/2018] program.
'You shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe they shouldn't be in the country.'
Jets
chairman Christopher Johnson says he'll pay any anthem-related fines for Jets players. Despite the institution
of a new policy requiring players to stand during the national anthem and imposing fines for any that don't, no New York Jets
players will be paying any fines.
NFL
Completes Hail Mary to Beat Social-Justice Wreckers. Though even at the height of the phenomenon just a small
percentage of the players knelt, the spectacle of millionaire athletes disrespecting the country that made them rich proved
so offputting to fans that television ratings tanked. Ratings declined by 10 percent in 2017 over the previous
season. And in 2016, when the league lamely attempted to blame the presidential election, the numbers dropped by 8
percent. While numerous factors contributed to the sharp decline in viewers, the kneelers undoubtedly wrestled the
ratings down the most.
Players
Considering New Forms of Protests for Revised National Anthem Policy. Some NFL players are reportedly
considering new ways to protest after NFL owners voted on a new national anthem policy Wednesday [5/23/2018], reports Sports
Illustrated's Robert Klemko. According to Klemko, some are discussing ways to skirt new rules "just to spite the NFL."
The policy removes a requirement for players to be on the field for the anthem, and gives players the option to stay in the locker
room. Teams will be fined for any personnel that "do not show proper respect for the flag and Anthem" on the sidelines.
NFL
players mulling new anthem protests 'to spite' league over planned crackdown: report. Some NFL players are
reportedly planning new protests during the national anthem "just to spite the NFL" in wake of the league's new anti-kneeling
policy that was announced Wednesday [5/23/2018]. The players, who weren't planning on demonstrating during the national
anthem this season, said they were looking for way to "skirt" the new NFL rules, Sports Illustrated reported Thursday.
Some NFL players are reportedly planning new protests during the national anthem "just to spite the NFL" in wake of the league's
new anti-kneeling policy that was announced Wednesday.
Kneeling
NFL players should choose a different form of protest. For nearly three weeks last fall, the National Football
League waged war against President Trump over player protests during the national anthem. After 19 days, NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell began a slow-moving public relations train wreck of capitulation, culminating in a new rule
announced Wednesday [5/23/2018] that will allow the league to fine teams for actions taken by players deemed disrespectful
during playing of the anthem. Under the policy, it is up to individual teams to decide whether they want to discipline
players for protesting during playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Rep.
Pete King: 'Indefensible to Kneel' for 'False Narrative' on Police Violence. It is "indefensible" when National
Football League players refuse to stand for the National Anthem, and represents a "false narrative of police bias against
black men," Rep. Pete King said in a column Saturday [5/26/2018]. In the column, as in a tweet earlier in the
morning, the New York Republican drew a comparison between those who kneel in protest of police violence to people who would
make a Nazi salute on the football field. In his tweet, King declared it "disgraceful" that the owner of the New York
Jets, Christopher Johnson, would "pay fines for players who kneel for National Anthem. Encouraging a movement premised
on lies vs. police. Would he support all player protests? Would he pay fines of players giving Nazi salutes or
spew racism? It's time to say goodbye to Jets!"
Vikings
to Host Daylong Summit on LGBTQ Inclusion. The Minnesota Vikings will become the first NFL team to host a
summit on LGBTQ inclusion in sports. The Vikings announced Wednesday the summit will be held at the team's headquarters
in Eagan on June 21. A reception will be held afterward to raise money for local and national LGBTQ organizations.
The team is working to create opportunities for people in the LGBTQ community. "We hope that this really jump-starts the
conversation," Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren said.
Whatever
the Left Touches it Ruins. The left is increasingly poisoning sports. In most football stadiums this past season,
one could not attend an NFL game without being subjected to left-wing contempt for America and its flag.
Report:
Seahawks Cancel Meeting with Colin Kaepernick After He Refuses to Stop Anthem Protests. According to ESPN's
Adam Schefter, the Seattle Seahawks canceled a visit with Colin Kaepernick after he refused to say he would stop protesting
during the playing of the national anthem. Schefter reported that the Seahawks tried to get the former NFL player to
commit to ending his protests, but Kaepernick refused.
Transgender
Runners Can Race Boston Marathon Under Identified Gender. Transgender runners who qualify can take part in the
Boston Marathon as their identified gender, according to Boston Marathon officials. The issue has garnered attention
following a profile in Canadian Running of three transgender women signed up for the race. Comments to the article
included reservation from readers that the elevated testosterone levels would potentially bump other women from the race, who
would otherwise have qualified.
Kaepernick's
"Collusion" Grievance Against The NFL Moves Forward. If you thought we'd heard the last of noted National
Anthem protester and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, think again. The budding social justice warrior still
hasn't given up on the idea that he can land a starting spot with a National Football League team simply by demanding that
one is owed to him. He filed a "grievance" against the league last year claiming that the league and the various team
owners were all "colluding" against him to keep him from playing.
NFL
owners finalize $90M social-justice deal without resolving anthem protests. NFL team owners unanimously gave
their final approval Monday [3/26/2018] to an unprecedented $90 million social-justice initiative but made no decisions about how
to handle players refusing to stand for the national anthem. Instead, owners are expected to continue the discussion about
whether to change the game-day policy, which does not require players to stand, at the spring league meeting in May, according to
a post on NFL.com citing the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The decision to avoid an anthem vote at the March 25-28 annual
league meeting in Orlando came with the owners split on how to handle the divisive two-year-old sideline protests, which have been
blamed in large part for the NFL's 9.7 percent ratings decline in the 2017 regular season.
NFL
owners' social justice cash may defuse anthem protests, may not satisfy fans. After two years of kneeling
players and plummeting ratings, NFL owners are expected next week to put the finishing touches on an $89 million social
justice package intended to defuse the sideline protest problem that began with Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and put the focus
back on what happens on the field. But while some activist players have indicated that it's time to move on —
unsigned safety Eric Reid, for one, said Thursday that his anthem-kneeling days are over — others have said
no deal. The package's $25 million for former Obama administration figure Van Jones and his left-wing Dream
Corps isn't likely to sit well with conservatives already fed up with the league's politics.
The
Patriots Flew Parkland Students to D.C. Ahead of 'March for Our Lives' on Team Plane. Students from Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School left Florida on Thursday, for the "March For Our Lives" against gun violence in Washington, DC,
this weekend. And their transportation came courtesy of the New England Patriots. According to the Boston
Globe, "On Thursday [3/22/2018], team owner Robert Kraft provided the team's official plane to fly the families of the 17
victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and some of the students who were injured and survived the
harrowing incident to the nation's capital for the event, according to Patriots spokesman Stacey James."
Hollywood
stars, athletes driving away viewers with political activism, poll finds. Actors and athletes increasingly
using their forums for political activism are turning off viewers, according to a newly released poll. A McLaughlin &
Associates/Media Research Center survey released Wednesday [3/21/2018] found that 44 percent were less likely to watch
sports and entertainment shows "because they have become too political." In addition, 75 percent said they watch
sports and entertainment to escape from politics, and "do not want to be bombarded with partisan political messages."
The poll of 1,000 likely voters comes with television ratings plummeting in the last year for high-profile sports and
entertainment events.
QBs
cashing in — except for the unwelcome Kaepernick. As free agency kicked off the start of a new
football season, the NFL sent a clear message to anyone paying attention: Colin Kaepernick, you're still not
wanted. Probably not ever. Oh, and while we're at it, it's pretty clear the owners have every intention of
clamping down on any other players who tries to carry on Kaepernick's legacy.
Four
NBA Teams Play 'Negro National Anthem' at Games for Black History Month. At least four NBA teams have played
the Black National Anthem before their games last month. The Washington Wizards was the fourth NBA team to play the
anthem at a game in February for Black History Month. The white national anthem was not played this year.
The Editor says...
If there's a black national anthem, that means the blacks think they have their own nation. That's black separatism.
Several
Eagles will skip Donald Trump White House visit after winning Super Bowl. Several Eagles players plan on
skipping the traditional White House celebration after winning Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots on Sunday
night. Wide receiver Torrey Smith, defensive end Chris Long, and safety Malcolm Jenkins are among the players planing
to boycott visiting President Donald J. Trump.
Confronting
Leftist Lies. Millions are outraged at the NFL. Americans who simply tuned in to watch Sunday football games
were slapped in the face by NFL players, coaches, and management politically protesting on the field against our flag, country,
national anthem, and police. And yet, NFL management had the audacity to reject an ad for the Superbowl program booklet,
claiming it is too political. The ad featured a veteran, a U.S. flag and the words, "#Please Stand." The NFL's
rejection of the ad is evidence of the NFL arrogantly supporting the American Left while dissing mainstream Americans.
'All I know
is murder'. Everything you need to know about the Super Bowl can be found in the rap hit "Dreams and
Nightmares," by Meek Mill. But which more truthfully could be named after a line in the song: "The Murder Game"
or "All I Know Is Murder." Everything about how far professional football has fallen and how the NFL celebrates the
obscene, the vulgar, the dangerous, and the foolish will be on full display as that song blares as the Eagles take the field.
This song that the Eagle players have chosen is about guns, drugs, money, bitches, and murder, over and over and over. Just
like the rest of Meek Mill songs, which also include a healthy dollop of the evils of the white man. [...] Meek Mill will not be
there. He's in the joint.
Kaepernick
Raises $20K In Donations For Group Honoring Cop Killer. There's always something new shedding light on who this
guy really is, to say nothing of the celebrities who ponied up the 2-large for this group.
Kaepernick
raises $20K in celebrity donations for group honoring convicted cop-killer. Colin Kaepernick said Friday he has
raised $20,000 for Assata's Daughters, named after convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur, through matching donations from his
celebrity friends as part of his Million Dollar Pledge. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback announced that
comedian Hannibal Buress and actress Yara Shahidi would both donate $10,000 to Assata's Daughters, which says it "carries
on the tradition of radical liberatory activism encompassed by Assata Shakur."
Boycotting
the Super Bowl - Veterans, bars, even a bowling alley are saying 'no' to the big game. A growing number of
Americans have decided they have better things to do with their time on Super Bowl Sunday than support a professional
football league that doesn't have the decency to honor the national anthem. American Legion and VFW posts, restaurants
and bars, and even a bowling alley have decided they will not broadcast the Super Bowl game in their establishments —
out of respect for veterans and law enforcement.
Herschel
Walker: Players Received 'Hush Money' From NFL to Stand for Anthem. Former NFL running back Herschel
Walker accused the NFL of essentially giving out "hush money" to stop players from kneeling for the national anthem.
The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner highlighted the fact that the NFL in late November offered $100 million to social justice
organizations favored by players. The move was widely viewed as an attempt by the league to end the controversy
surrounding the anthem protests.
NFL
disrespects our vets again; Time to boycott the Super Bowl. Don't let the military jet fly-over fool you this
Super Bowl. The NFL is just as anti-military as they were before. The NFL rejected a veterans group, AMVET's,
Super Bowl ad because it asks people to stand for the anthem. The two words that frighten the NFL and Roger Goodell to
the core is: "please stand." There is only one word to describe this: Censorship. The NFL invited AMVET's
to advertise during the Super Bowl. But was quickly rejected once the ad stated #PleaseStand. The reason? They
didn't accept the ad because they consider it a "political statement."
NFL
to highlight players' work on equality issues. The NFL announced Tuesday [1/23/2018] it would establish a council of
players and owners to highlight league members' work on issues of racial justice and equality. A press release on the
NFL's website details the "Let's Listen Together" campaign, which includes five current NFL team owners and five current or
former players and plans to "focus on supporting programs and initiatives that reduce barriers to opportunity, with a
priority on supporting improvements in education and economic development, community and police relations, and the criminal
justice system."
Nets
Ignore NFL Quashing 'Please Stand' Super Bowl Ad by Veterans Group. With the protest-filled 2017 NFL season set
to come to an end in a couple of weeks, the league found itself engulfed in controversy Tuesday when they banned an ad from a
veterans group asking people to "please stand" for the national anthem. It was a truly sad story, but the none of the
major network news outlets (ABC, CBS, and NBC) felt the need to report it to their viewers during their evening broadcasts.
NFL
Made 'A Big Mistake' by Rejecting Pro-Veterans Ad. The NFL has turned into a political sideshow over the past
two seasons — and when it comes to this year's Super Bowl, the league has shown it's not supportive of those whose
political opinions differ from its own narrative.
Kaepernick
named finalist for NFL's 'Community MVP' award. NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been named a finalist for
an award honoring players for their community service work. Kaepernick and four other players were announced as
finalists for the NFL Players Association's (NFLPA) Byron "Whizzer" White Community MVP award, according to NBC Sports.
The free agent quarterback pledged $1 million to various charitable organizations during the 2016 season. He won the
NFLPA's "Community MVP" award during Week 1 of the 2017 season after donating $100,000 to four charities and holding a
back-to-school backpack giveaway in New York City.
NFL's
kneeling comes to abrupt halt: Protesters miss playoffs. NBC plans to televise any players who refuse to
stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl, but there may be nothing to show. It appears that NFL players
are no longer taking a knee during the national anthem, namely because none of the teams with still-active protesters has
qualified for the postseason.
The
pathetic results of the NFL kneeling spree. What, exactly, did the NFL "take-a-knee" protests by wealthy black
football players protesting racial injustice accomplish? Based on what most people could see, pretty much nothing, other
than lost ticket sales. People go to football games to be entertained, not to be lectured by their supposed betters in
another dreary virtue-signaling game.
NBC
Will Show Kneeling If It Happens At Super Bowl. NBC announced Tuesday [1/9/2018] that they will definitely show
players if they take a knee during the national anthem at the Super Bowl next month, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"It's certainly possible," Fred Gaudelli, executive producer of the big game, said about the chances of players taking a knee
in protest. "It was a pretty big story in our country this fall. We'd show it."
California
federal court rules high school football player can't be ordered to stand for national anthem. A California
federal court has ruled that a high school football player cannot be ordered to stand for the national anthem before
games. The decision, made by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Dec. 21, struck down
statutes enforced by the San Pasqual Valley Unified School District, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday [12/30/2017].
The district prohibited students from "kneeling, sitting or similar forms of political protest" at sporting events and "required
students and coaches to "stand and remove hats/helmets during the playing or singing of the national anthem," according to court
documents.
NFL
national anthem protests continue during final week of regular season. More than a dozen NFL players protested
during or right after the national anthem on Sunday, the final weekend of the league's regular season. Nine Seattle
Seahawks players sat or knelt during the anthem prior to the teams' game, as they have throughout the season. Michael
Bennett, Marcus Smith, Frank Clark, Dion Jordan and others were among those demonstrating, The Associated Press
reported. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews remained off the field during the national anthem before his
team's game, while his teammates, Brian Orakpo and Jurrell Casey, raised their fists once the anthem ended.
Papa
John's CEO John Schnatter steps down weeks after wading into NFL anthem controversy. Papa John's CEO John
Schnatter is stepping down from his position, the company announced Thursday. He will be replaced on Jan. 1 by COO
Steve Ritchie. Schnatter will remain chairman of the board. Schnatter's face is a fixture to TV-watching sports
fans; he is best-known for peddling his pizza on Sunday TV spots featuring Peyton Manning and J.J. Watt. Schnatter's
resignation comes weeks after he courted controversy by blaming the NFL's handling of players protesting social injustice who
take a knee during the national anthem for falling sales and tanking stock prices. Papa John's stock has lost more than
30 percent of its value since the beginning of 2017.
Papa John's
controversial CEO steps down after facing backlash for his criticism of NFL anthem protests. The controversial
founder and CEO of Papa John's, John Schnatter, is stepping down, the company announced Thursday [12/21/2017]. The
company said its current president, Steve Ritchie, would replace him. Schnatter sparked controversy in November when he
slammed NFL leadership over players' kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
"Leadership starts at the top, and this is an example of poor leadership," Schnatter said in a call with investors.
Ravens
president sends letter to season-ticket holders blaming 'noticeable' number of empty seats on Baltimore players' 'one-time
protest'. The Baltimore Ravens sent a letter to season-ticket holders this week which was signed by team
president Dick Cass blames the team's diminished attendance on the players who protested police brutality against minorities
by kneeling during the national anthem before the team's September 24 game in London. That game was the first of many
protests that day immediately following President Donald Trump's condemnation of the protests [...] during a speech in Alabama.
The Ravens players have not protested since.
NFL
Co-Hosting 'Social Justice Workshop' For College Athletes. The National Football League has lost millions of
fans and seen its profits and ratings tank as a result of the "#takeaknee protests that spread across the league in the first
few weeks of the season. But thanks to a new commitment to social justice issues, borne out of the Colin Kaepernick-led
protests, the NFL will actually take part in a training program that will help to focus the next generation of activist
athletes looking to make a "social justice" difference. The "Advocacy in Sport" workshop, presented by the NFL in
concert with Morehouse College, will teach student athletes "how to develop and implement effective advocacy platforms that
positively impact society," according to Campus Reform.
Sean
'Diddy' Combs wants to buy Carolina Panthers and sign Kaepernick. Hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs said
Sunday night [12/17/2017] he's interested in buying the Carolina Panthers and signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been
unemployed this season after kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announced Sunday
he would be selling the team after the 2017 season, just hours after Sports Illustrated published accusations of sexual misconduct
from former employees. Richardson also allegedly used a racial slur about a team scout. Diddy took to Twitter soon after the
Panthers announced the upcoming sale, declaring his desire to own a team and increase diversity among NFL ownership.
The Editor says...
Brilliant idea. I strongly encourage Mr. Combs to buy the team, make it the most radical left-wing BLM/SJW
activist branch of the NFL, and then see what happens to ticket sales and the resale value of the team. Then we
will all see the value of "diversity among NFL ownership."
NFL
Team Hit With Lawsuit, Courtesy of Flag-Loving Americans. Fed up with the NFL's ongoing national anthem
protests, one fan has attempted to strike back by filing a suit against the New Orleans Saints in the hopes of recouping the
thousands of dollars he spent on season tickets to the team's games. Louisiana resident Lee Dragna filed a suit in a
district court Monday "seeking a refund for the tickets as well as attorney's fees, claiming the protest by some players
against police brutality and racial injustice has prevented him and his family from enjoying the games," reported the The New
Orleans Advocate.
Goodell
defends NFL's massive planned donation for social justice causes. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday [12/11/2017]
defended the league's move to pay nearly $90 million to social justice causes supported by some players, despite critics' claims
that it was meant purely to appease activist athletes, including those who have kneeled during the national anthem this year.
AP
counts 5 NFL players protesting during anthem. The Associated Press counted five NFL players protesting during
the national anthem of the league's early games Sunday [12/10/2017].
NFL
Players' Protests Focusing Attention on League's Tax Breaks. The knee-bending antics of professional football
players are focusing attention on a key issue: Are the taxpayer subsidies involved in supporting the NFL worth it in
generating new revenues as promised? An issue getting less attention is whether taxpayers should be involved in
supporting professional football in the first place. Especially when those in the league are thumbing their noses at
the very taxpayers who are funding them. Jeff Mordock, writing in the Washington Times, said that "the protests
are sparking a conversation on the NFL itself and whether the public investment in teams pays off for [the] communities that
host them — and often serve [instead] as their cash machines." That conversation is revealing what economists
have concluded from time immemorial: there is no net gain to taxpayers either from their funding of stadiums or helping
the teams' owners purchase their players' contracts.
Lindsey
Vonn: I won't be representing US President at Winter Olympics. A number of US athletes have spoken out
against Donald Trump during his presidency — and skier Lindsey Vonn has become the latest to have her say.
Targeting Olympic gold at February's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Vonn is in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where she
spoke passionately about what it means to compete for the US ski team. "Well I hope to represent the people of the
United States, not the president," Vonn told CNN's Alpine Edge.
Colin
Kaepernick honored with ACLU award. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the surprise
honoree at the ACLU of Southern California's annual awards dinner Sunday night, accepting the Eason Monroe Courageous
Advocate Award for his kneeling protests against the national anthem that sparked a movement across the NFL.
Mr. Kaepernick's appearance, which was not announced prior to the event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly
Hills, was met with a standing ovation.
Sports
Illustrated Grants Award to Colin Kaepernick for Disrespecting National Anthem. Sports Illustrated has followed
GQ down the rabbit hole of radical leftism by granting an award to the bitterly anti-American former football player who set
in motion the ongoing collapse of the NFL, Colin Kaepernick.
NFL
Week 13 : Thugs Who Disrespect the Anthem, Flag and Military. As the NFL continues to lose attendance and TV
viewership, NFL thugs continued their "oppression" protests for Week 13 in the NFL.
NFL
Kneeler to Fans: If You Don't Like the Protests Stay Home!. The New York Giants defensive lineman who
protested the national anthem during the Thanksgiving Day night game against the Washington Redskins has a message for fans
who don't like it. STAY HOME!
Colin
Kaepernick Is Recipient of 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. Colin Kaepernick made his truth
known when he first decided not to stand for the national anthem. He had a lot of football left to play and a lot more
money to make when he made his decision. It was late August, 2016. People who were anonymous in life had become famous
in death. Philando Castile. Eric Garner. Alton Sterling. Freddie Gray. They were tragic symbols of a
society that had taken a terribly wrong turn. As the anthem played ahead of the 49ers' preseason game against the Texans,
Kaepernick, San Francisco's 28-year-old quarterback at the time, quietly took a seat on the bench. It took two weeks for
anyone from the media to ask him about it. Kaepernick explained that he was making a statement about inequality and
social justice, about the ways this country "oppresses black people and people of color."
NFL
to Contribute $100 Million to Social Justice Causes as Part of Anthem Protest Surrender. The NFL's sellout to
their anthem-protesting players is starting to look a lot more like a buyout. According to ESPN, the league will offer
nearly $100 million to causes designed to promote "social justice change." In a move unlike anything seen from a major
American sports league, the league will offer the money in hopes that it will end the ratings-killing protest movement begun by
Colin Kaepernick in the preseason of 2016.
Ticket
Prices for Thanksgiving NFL Game Tumbling to Less than $15 as Anthem Protests Continue. It has gotten
increasingly hard for average Americans to afford to take their families out to sporting events, because the costs are so
high. But as the NFL continues to lose fans, TV ratings, and moral authority, ticket prices have also crashed to
unheard of lows.
NFL
owners could change anthem policy next season if protests continue. Some NFL owners believe there is a strong
possibility they will enact an offseason change to the league's national anthem policy if players' protests during the anthem
persist through the end of this season, reverting to a previous approach of keeping players in the locker room while the
anthem is played, according to several people familiar with the league's inner workings. "I think that if players are
still kneeling at the end of the year, then it could very well happen," said one person familiar with the owners'
deliberations on anthem-related issues. That person said it was "too early to tell" for certain if the change to the
anthem policy will be made by owners and the league. The person was "not sure" if a formal vote of the owners would be
required to enact such a change but said, "I think most owners would support it, particularly if players continue to kneel
this season."
NFL learns
there's No Free Lunch. Let us cut to the chase: the NFL owns the players' protest because not only has the
league failed to hold players accountable, its owners joined in the anti-American protest. Well, virtue signaling
has a price. Americans are about to pull tax breaks that the league enjoys.
NFL
mulls changing anthem policy for next year. The NFL is considering an idea for next year to keep players inside
their locker rooms during the playing of the National Anthem. "I think that if players are still kneeling at the end of
the year, then it could very well happen," said one person familiar with the owners' deliberations on anthem-related
issues. Years ago, the players would come out on the field to warm up and then return to the locker room during the
National Anthem. The league is thinking of going back to that policy.
NFL
repays billions in American taxpayers' dollars with a knee. No thanks. This Thanksgiving, for the first
time since I was a toddler, I will not be watching any NFL games. I find the League's disrespect for our country and
our national anthem reprehensible and a totally unwarranted injection of partisan anti-police politics into a cherished
sport. I'm hardly alone in that belief, as a recent Remington Research poll found that 80 percent of Americans
responded that they'd like to see less politics during sporting events. Most of the blame for this mess clearly lies
with Commissioner Roger Goodell, whose feckless lack of leadership allowed this issue to fester despite clear NFL rules about
players standing respectfully for our flag. Amazingly, Goodell is about to ink a new contract that, according to ESPN,
will pay him approximately $40 million a year and perhaps include such perks as lifetime private jet travel. It's
astounding that the NFL owners, a very savvy group of business leaders, would reward Goodell with such generosity after his
many management fumbles including the Ray Rice scandal, Deflate-gate, and sagging TV ratings.
Colin
Kaepernick celebrates 'Unthanksgiving Day' on Alcatraz Island. True to the theme that he's been nationally
talking about — or rather, taking a knee for — since last summer, former 49er Colin Kaepernick attended
an "Unthanksgiving Day" celebration on Alcatraz Island. The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony, held annually on
Thanksgiving since 1975, commemorates the survival of Native American peoples following the settlement of Europeans in the
Western Hemisphere.
NFL Player
Will Only Stand for Mexican National Anthem. Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat during most of U.S. anthem
and stood for the Mexican anthem before their game against the Patriots at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Lynch has not
stood for the national anthem since returning from retirement this season.
The
National Boycott of the NFL Did Not Matter. America hating Leftists never back off or surrender ground.
As a matter of fact, to continue poking a finger in the eye of normal Americans, Leftist rag GQ magazine outrageously named
Colin Kaepernick its Citizen of the Year. Kaepernick is the player who started NFL players shamefully kneeling during
our national anthem. Sports media instantly declared Kaepernick, a mediocre quarterback, a hero. And yet, sports
media is obsessed with pressuring an NFL team to hire Kaepernick. NFL players have been fooled into believing their
protest is about fairness and justice. These young men are clueless that Leftists view them as useful idiots in their
long-term plan to bring down America economically, culturally, and globally.
Lefty
Protest Gets Kaepernick "Citizen of the Year". Name country singer Blake Shelton People's Sexiest Man of 2017
and left-wing media go in an uproar. Pick out-of-work quarterback Colin Kaepernick as GQ's "Citizen of the Year" and
sane people look at you stupefied. Kaepernick worked with the magazine to "reclaim the narrative of his protest."
So they photographed him in Harlem "intending to evoke the spirit of Muhammad Ali's anti-Vietnam War protests."
Britt
McHenry, ex-ESPN reporter, blasts GQ for naming Colin Kaepernick 'Citizen of the Year'. On Monday, GQ magazine
released its special issue naming former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick "Citizen of the Year." The
controversial figure in sports, and the magazine, received a lot of backlash, including a string of tweets from former ESPN
reporter Britt McHenry. "I see that magazine cover and I think if we want to go with a football player, Houston Texans'
JJ Watt raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief. Why is he not the citizen of the year," she told Fox
News' Neil Cavuto Monday night [11/13/2017].
Hey,
NFL owners, tired of half-empty stadiums? Tell your players to stand up for America. [I]t took quite a
bit to get me to boycott the NFL, but they managed it. Until the owners require their players to stand for the national
anthem, or sit for the game, I won't watch a minute, and I'm not alone. Since Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during
the anthem in a misguided protest against police violence, the NFL has been hemorrhaging fans. Both TV viewership and
attendance at stadiums are well down and once people find other ways to spend their Sundays, they may not come back.
No,
Colin Kaepernick Is No Muhammad Ali. GQ magazine named former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick its 2017 "Citizen of
the Year." In doing so, GQ overlooked NFL Houston Texans' J.J. Watt, who raised some $37 million for hurricane
relief. Many of Kaepernick's supporters liken his protest to that of boxer Muhammad Ali, who refused to be inducted into the
military. The comparison is not well-taken.
College
Basketball Teams Make National Anthem Demonstrations At The Champions Classic. It appears the national anthem
protest has trickled down to college basketball. Two of the four college basketball teams that participated in the
Champions Classic in Chicago on Tuesday night participated in a national anthem demonstration before their game. While
nobody took a knee, the players on each team wore t-shirts in an apparent demonstration in pre-game warm-ups and during the
playing of the national anthem.
From One Frenzy to the
Next. It is hard to sustain outrage about NFL racism when twentysomething multimillionaires, in a league
of over 75 percent African-Americans, insult the sources of their income by refusing to stand for the National Anthem -- and
belatedly come to realize that the logical trajectory of their supposed principled demonstrations is their own irrelevance and
eventual impoverishment. What cooled the NFL hysteria was the reality that the hyped story of "taking a knee" was morphing
into the scarier narrative of less money, an absence of politically correct proportional representation among players, looming
league downsizing, pampered athletes, traumatic brain injuries, and a public weariness with everything from ESPN to Colin
Kaepernick. In other words, taking a knee reminded about 20 percent of NFL fans that there were already reasons
enough to turn the channel. And so they did.
These
Three NFL Players Knelt During The Anthem On Veterans Day Weekend. Three NFL players took a knee as the
national anthem played at the New York Giants game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, according to multiple
reports. As "The Star Spangled Banner" played at Levi Stadium over Veterans Day weekend, Eric Reid and Marquise Goodwin
knelt on the San Francisco side. They were joined by Olivier Vernon on the New York side. No NFL players knelt
during the early games on Sunday [11/12/2017], according to the New York Daily News.
Bears
Packers Game Half Empty at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have a historic rivalry. But after several
weeks of NFL National Anthem protests even Soldier Field in Chicago was half empty today [11/12/2017].
Labeling
Vin Scully a racist is a new low point. Saturday, Vin Scully, who turns 90 on Nov. 29, had the audacity to
protest the protesters. He thus was condemned as an "Old Retired White Man" on a popular, but reckless, often dishonest
and vulgar sports website featuring cheap-shot artists who make snap, no-research bad guesses to mischaracterize and defame.
Like Morning Zoo radio, that's how several internet sports journalism sites generate attention. That's where we're
headed. At a symposium, Scully calmly answered a question about NFL take-a-knee national anthem protests. He said
he's so upset by them, he'll never watch another NFL game. He's hardly alone among those who won't suffer conspicuous
disrespect for the anthem and flag over any selected or selective issue. Such protests appear dismissive or ignorant of
greater symbols of freedom, history and sacrifice.
The Editor says...
As far as I know, all Mr. Scully said was that he didn't want to watch football any more. How is that racist?
Racial politics has certainly been injected into professional sports, but not by Mr. Scully.
NFL's
Invitation To Kaepernick To Meet With Goodell Turns Into Snarky Public Feud. Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback-turned-activist
who started the anthem protests by refusing "to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people
of color," continues to be both unemployed and making headlines. In the latest episode of the Kaepernick saga, the NFL extended an
invitation to the sidelined QB to meet one-on-one with commissioner Roger Goodell — a proposition that quickly devolved into
a snarky public feud between Kaepernick's lawyer and an NFL spokesman.
Vin
Scully says he'll 'never watch another NFL game again'. Saturday night, former Dodgers announcer and Hall of
Famer Vin Scully was at the Pasadena Civic Center for an event called "An Evening With Vin Scully." At some point during
the event, Scully was asked about the NFL's national anthem protests, in which players have taken a knee during the anthem to
protest police brutality and racism. Scully said he "will never watch another NFL game" because of the protests.
NFL
Advertisers to NBC: Stop Showing Players' Protests. The unease among advertisers over falling National Football
League TV ratings is starting to boil over. One of the league's major sponsors is considering pulling the plug on its
NFL advertising next year, and, according to Business Insider's Mike Shields, other "brands are threatening to pull ads from
NFL coverage if NBC keeps covering players' national-anthem protests." If those ad dollars go away, technological shifts
may cause advertisers to decide not to return.
Veteran
Refuses Service Award Offered by Saints, Calls NFL Protests 'Slap in the Face'. The NFL has long-standing
tradition of mixing respect for the flag, and those who defend it, into their pregame ceremonies and community
outreach. However, since the NFL has recently decided to mix disrespect for the flag, and those who defend it, into
their pregame ceremonies. One veteran in Louisiana has decided to call them out on it. Meet John Wells, he is a
retired Navy commander and executive director of the national Military Veterans Advocacy organization, in Slidell,
Louisiana. Mr. Wells was chosen by the Saints to be the recipient of the People's Health Champion award. A
recognition offered to a member of the community who exemplifies "the exceptional achievements of Louisiana residents age 65
and older."
NFL's
most powerful owners targeted in Kaepernick's collusion case. Some of the NFL's most powerful owners will be at
the center of Colin Kaepernick's collusion case. The Cowboys' Jerry Jones, the Patriots' Robert Kraft and the Texans'
Bob McNair will be deposed and asked to turn over all cellphone records and emails in relation to Kaepernick's accusation,
ESPN.com reported. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and 49ers owner Jed York is also on the deposition list, according to
Yahoo Sports. The 49ers quarterback-turned-NFL martyr is charging that NFL teams, in "calculated coordination" with
President Trump, blackballed him from the league after he became the face of the NFL anthem protests, which he started to
fight against racial inequality.
Papa
Johns Whines About Lower Pizza Sales Because of NFL Thugs. Papa John's, an NFL thug supporter is whining that
pizza sales are dropping because fewer and fewer people are watching the NFL. Hey, here's a thought Papa John. Pull
your sponsorship of the NFL and your pizza sales will rise like your crust. Any company associated with the NFL, like
Papa John's deserves to see their revenue tank. If you are financially supporting a league that hates this country,
then by extension, you hate this country until you pull your ads.
Game
Over: NFL Owners Stunned as Ratings Plunge 25 Percent. The NFL has been struggling to regain its footing
following weeks of players choosing to "take a knee" during the performance of the US national anthem. The ensuing
controversy gained national attention when President Trump called for a total boycott of the NFL until officials and owners
require players to stand during the 'Star-Spangled Banner.' As a result, ratings, ticket purchases, and merchandise sales
have plummeted as football fans protest with their wallets.
NFL Ratings
[Can Be] Blamed on [an] Inferior Product. If you think the demise of the NFL and the proliferation of social
engineering and political correctness is a coincidence, then you're likely a Leftist. Black players are a product of
their environments and their politics. These high-paid employees bring all the problems that America faces. So it
was only a matter of time for these thugletes to rebel. So yes, the product of the NFL [stinks]. And the games are
no fun to watch. Sadly, the sports shows offer no relief either, as we have seen these shows become more politics
than sports.
East
Coast Sports Reporter Leaves Lefty Bubble, Finds Out Middle America Really Dislikes the Anthem Protests. A
sports reporter recently left his comfortable liberal bubble in New York City, traveled to the interior of the country, and
was shocked when he discovered that NFL fans in fly over country really do hate the NFL's constant anti-American national
anthem protests. Fox NFL writer Peter Schrager found out first hand that real Americans are pretty steamed about the
anti-American NFL protests going on across the country.
NFL
in Death Spiral: San Fran 49's Spend $$ on Gun Control, Not Better Players. Did you really think the
politicization of the NFL starts and stops with the taking of a knee at the sounds of the national Anthem you are
wrong. Now the San Fran 49'ers are acting as a Democrat Party PAC — giving $500,000 to promote gun
control. "According to ESPN, the 49ers presented the gun control pledge as part of creating a "more understanding and
safer America." The $500,000 will also be used to push a ban on bump stocks and armor-piercing bullets. The ban on
armor-piercing bullets is somewhat ambiguous, but appears similar to a ban which was unsuccessfully pushed by the Obama
administration in 2015.
Houston
Texans find new fake cause to kneel. After months of kneeling over the national anthem — and in
protest of supposed targeted police brutality against blacks — football's finest in on-field showboating have
finally found a new cause: offensiveness at their team owner's remarks. The possibilities of this type of
protesting — and by this type, it's meant, fabricated and fake — are endless, it seems.
NFL
or Gilligan's Island, the Choice Is Easy. It's not a tough decision at all, for me the choice is obvious.
This year I'll be watching reruns of Gilligan's Island before I'll watch a single down of the National Football
League. I just don't have the interest level that I once had in watching professional football, it simply doesn't
appeal to me anymore. And it won't appeal to me until the NFL decides to stand up to the thugs and prima donnas on its
payroll who want to protest against the very country that has enriched them far beyond that of most Americans.
The Editor says...
Why not just turn the television OFF and read a book, or walk around the block, or something? Must you be entertained constantly?
Free
Speech Works Both Ways: Fans Abandon NFL Over Protests, Leave Half Empty Stadiums. Frankly, I could care
less about that National Football League and the ongoing social justice protests. The game has no impact on my life and
neither does its players. However, it appears that many Americans are finally putting some shoe leather to their anger
at players who kneel during the national anthem and will not stand for the raising of the US flag and it's showing up in
photos from NFL stadiums across the league.
Cowboys
cut ex-Giant Damontre Moore, one of two Dallas players who continued to raise his fist at end of national anthem. If
Damontre Moore wants to continue his national anthem protest, he'll have to do so with a new team. The Cowboys released Moore
in order to make room to sign kicker Mike Nugent, the team announced Wednesday [10/25/2017]. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has
publicly stated he believes all players should stand for the anthem and recently said he believes anthem protests are hurting the NFL.
While no Cowboys player has kneeled or sat during the anthem, Moore was one of two players who continued to raise his fist at the conclusion
of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in recent weeks after Jones previously talked to players and explained his feelings on the matter.
NFL
Week #7 — More Empty Seats Seed Doubt for Future of Commissioner. The vast majority of NFL fans held
a middle-class, center-right, common sense, and patriotic outlook toward sports and entertainment overall. In essence
most of the NFL fan base are/were positively MAGA-minded. It reflects the profound disconnect between the corporation
and their customer base that the NFL didn't recognize the danger in making social justice causes part of their business
enterprise. That blame lays squarely on the well paid leader of the NFL, Roger Goodell.
Why don't you just play football?
San
Francisco 49ers Pledge $500,000 to Push Suppressor Ban, Other Gun Control Measures. The San Francisco 49ers
pledged $500,000 Thursday to secure a suppressor ban and other gun controls. The push comes in the weeks after the Las
Vegas attack. Suppressors were not used in that attack, but the 49ers are dedicated to banning the devices anyway.
According to ESPN, the 49ers presented the gun control pledge as part of creating a "more understanding and safer America."
The $500,000 will also be used to push a ban on bump stocks and armor-piercing bullets.
The
Regrettable Marriage of the NFL and Left-Wing Identity Politics. 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.
NFL
Ratings CRASH Gets Real With New Numbers -- and America Has Just Begun! For constantly shoveling the kneeling,
hand-locking and bad attitudes about the flag and the National Anthem, the NFL has confirmed that for the first six games of
this season, the ratings that indicate total number of viewers have fallen 7.5% more than last year's total viewership.
A few weeks ago we wrote about the decline in viewership for Monday Night Football, with the boycott in full swing.
From September of this year to October of this year, viewership was down by 10%. Last October we were already reporting
a lessened viewership thanks to Kaepernick's grandstanding.
In
Case You Missed It, the NFL Might Have Caved on a Lot More than just the Anthem Protests. It's safe to say,
that when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote a memo to the league informing them it was time to "move past the anthem
controversy." Most people thought he meant moving past it by ending the protests, and, as a result, ending the
controversy. However, a disturbing nugget of information from today's meeting suggests that Goodell might have meant
something else entirely. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio caught up with Goodell after the four-hour meeting with the owners and
player representatives. Paolantonio asked Goodell if the league had asked the players to commit to standing for the
anthem. Goodell's response, did not inspire confidence.
Florida
man takes 'Boycott the Jags and the NFL' message to sky. A former Jacksonville Jaguars fan decided to take his
grievances with national anthem protests to the sky Sunday, hoping the players on the field would see his message 1,000 feet
above. Terry Smiley said he was disgusted by Jaguars players who took a knee during the national anthem in London last
month, and he decided he needed to make his voice heard. So Smiley hired a pilot to fly his banner, which
read[,] "BE AMERICAN. BOYCOTT THE JAGS
AND THE NFL," over EverBank Field on Sunday [10/15/2017] before the Jaguars faced off against the Los Angeles Rams.
Goodell
Falsely Claims Only a Half Dozen Players Have Protested the National Anthem. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
falsely claimed that only "six or seven players" were actually protesting the national anthem during a press conference
following the annual fall owners meeting on Wednesday [10/18/2017]. [...] "I think we also have to keep focus on [the fact
that] we have about six or seven players that are involved with this protest at this point," Goodell continued.
Goodell's claim that only about a half dozen player are involved in the national anthem protest is blatantly false.
NFL's
cratering ratings may be starting to hit Fox's bottom line. I talked recently to an NFL fan of many decades who
has completely turned his back on the league. We both agree that if the NFL was to die it probably would be just fine
and also would probably save the brain cells of many an aspiring football player. Another friend (online friend) said that
he'd stopped watching 3 weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a whole lot more weekend to play with.
After
meeting, NFL, NFLPA release statement indicating no change to anthem policy. The much-publicized Tuesday
[10/17/2017] meeting between NFL officials, team owners, NFLPA officials and several players lasted about three hours.
While there was undoubtedly a lot discussed in that time, it sounds as though there has not been a resolution on a rule
change to require that players stand for the national anthem before games.
NFL
Stadiums Nearly Empty Across League As Backlash Grows. Note, that the Jets played New England on Sunday, meaning there should
have been a big crowd for that game. The Texans, Atlanta, and Baltimore are also very relevant teams with relatively loyal fan
bases. Yet, thousands upon thousands of fans no-showed or didn't buy tickets for those games.
CBS Losing
Money. Guess Why. Gee, any guesses why CBS' third-quarter advertising declined? If you said NFL
football tanking with the public, you get the blue ribbon. [...] [Credit Suisse analyst Omar] Sheikh added that CBS' Sunday
NFL ratings have plunged 17% from the same period last year in which the first few games of the regular season were played.
'Monday
Night Football' Ratings Fall To Season Low As Titans Break Colts' Streak. It felt like a little bit of history
was being made on Monday Night Football as the Tennessee Titans finally snapped their streak of 11 consecutive losses to the
Indianapolis Colts. However, as social media sparked with ESPN not showing the playing of the national anthem, another
type of history was also being made: Last night's primetime broadcast of the Titans' 36-22 victory stumbled to a season
low with a 6.1 in metered market results.
Kaepernick
Files Grievance Against NFL Owners, Alleges Collusion to Keep Him Out. Former NFL quarter Colin Kaepernick has
filed a grievance against NFL owners because he believes they colluded to keep him out of a job due to his protests during
the national anthem. [...] He could have had a job this season if he had not chosen to opt out of his contract with the San
Francisco 49ers. The contract gave him $16.9 million plus bonuses for 2017.
Report:
Kaepernick files grievance against NFL owners for collusion. Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance under the
collective bargaining agreement for collusion against NFL team owners, reports Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
Kaepernick has hired high-profile attorney Mark Geragos and is preparing to release a statement about his grievance soon,
added Freeman. The free-agent quarterback has remained unemployed since his release by the San Francisco 49ers in March
and has garnered little interest from teams around the league.
Labor
lawyer: Colin Kaepernick will have to prove 'pattern' to win collusion grievance. In order to win his
collusion grievance against NFL owners, Colin Kaepernick will need to prove a pattern of communication with and between teams
that led to his current unemployment, a labor law expert told USA TODAY Sports. "He's going to have to show some kind
of pattern — of dealings with the clubs, where clubs were aware that he was willing and able to work, where there
was some sort of communication with him and then unexplained reasons went elsewhere," said William Gould, the Charles A.
Beardsley Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Stanford University.
Colin
Kaepernick's case against the NFL is as lame as his skills at quarterback. Colin Kaepernick's newly-filed
grievance accusing the NFL of colluding or conspiring against him is a legal "Hail Mary." He and his lawyers stand little
chance of winning because both the law and the facts are against him.
NFL:
No plans to force players to stand during anthem. The NFL said Friday [10/13/2017] it has no plans to force players to stand
during the national anthem, but will convene to discuss ways to end the controversial protests without imposing new rules. [...] The league
released a joint statement with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) earlier this week saying that they would work to advance the mission of
the protests, which have called attention to issues of racial injustice and police brutality toward African-Americans.
Silence
of the Republican Lambs. America's culture war is on full display and the left is losing badly. Public
opinion is not on the side of left-wing social justice causes and moral preening. Where to begin? NFL players
disrespecting law enforcement and the national anthem, kneeling or sitting to protest "oppression" and "injustice."
Ratings are down and the NFL is now one of the most divisive brands in the U.S. Not a winning business formula.
Roger
Goodell Killed the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg. In August 2016, America was experiencing a polarizing
presidential election. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the playing of the national anthem,
to protest injustice. It was a politically divisive act directed at fans who regard the national anthem as something
sacred. The league did not lift a finger to stop him. Most employers don't let their workers make controversial
political statements to their customers. It is why you do not know your UPS driver's views on the expansion of NATO.
The Constitution does not prohibit private businesses from regulating speech during work. A savvier commissioner would
have reminded Kaepernick that he is being paid millions to wear the logo of the NFL, and the league does not permit players
to use its brand to flaunt their personal politics. Instead, Roger Goodell permitted the pregame ceremonies to become
the focus of intense political scrutiny, as the media lined up to catalog whether players stood, sat or knelt during the
national anthem.
NFL execs just SPIT
in America's face. When Colin Kaepernick inspired hundreds of millionaire NFL players to disrespect the
American flag every Sunday, fans responded with boos. When the players refused to stop their dishonorable protests,
fans began to boycott the league. If critics thought the NFL had learned their lesson, though, the leagues executives
proved this week that they hadn't.
The
Beginning Of The End Of Progressive Domination? The preposterous "protests" by NFL players disrespecting the
flag during pregame ceremonies has angered large numbers of Americans and hit the League in the wallet. The race card
that always has trumped every political or social conflict has perhaps lost its power. The spectacle of rich
one-percenters recycling lies about police encounters with blacks and the endemic racism of American society has discredited
the decades-long racial narrative constantly peddled by Democrats, movies, television shows, and school curricula from
grade-school to university. The endless scolding of white people by blacks more privileged than the majority of human
beings who ever existed has lost its credibility. The racial good will that got a polished mediocrity like Barack Obama
twice elected president perhaps has been squandered in this attempt of rich people who play games to pose as perpetual victims.
The
NFL is attacking an America that has treated it very well. Choosing to disrespect our flag is an
over-generalized indictment of the greatest nation on Earth. Kneeling for the anthem does nothing to advance solutions
to racial injustice, police brutality, or any other social plight. It is a slap in the face to patriotism itself.
It is a statement that America as a country is no longer worth standing for. It is bizarre to see the NFL attacking an
America that has treated it so well over the years. Taxpayers pay over 70 percent of the cost of stadiums. Our
citizens pay more and more for tickets, and valuations of professional sports franchises have skyrocketed.
Kaepernick's
Collusion Claim Is a Likely Loser. If you're going to do Muhammad Ali-type activism, you'd better have Muhammad
Ali-type talent. That is the ultimate lesson of the Colin Kaepernick saga. [...] There is no need to collude against a
player who is not an obvious net-plus (in terms of performance and popularity) for any particular team.
It's
1968 All Over Again. The National Football League is imploding as it devolves into a political circus.
Multimillionaire players refuse to stand for the national anthem, turning off millions of fans whose former loyalties paid
their salaries. Politics — or rather a progressive hatred of the provocative Donald Trump —
permeates almost every nook and cranny of popular culture.
An Open Letter to the
NFL Players. You have the absolute right to express yourselves, but we have the absolute right to boycott
you. We have tolerated your drug use and DUIs, your domestic violence, and your vulgar displays of wealth. [...] But
now you have gone too far. You have insulted our flag, our country, our soldiers, our police officers, and our
veterans. You are living the American dream, yet you disparage our great country. I am done with NFL football and
encourage all like-minded Americans to boycott the NFL as well. Millionaire spoiled brats deserve neither our respect
nor sympathy. Grow up and act like men instead of puppets of the radical left who hate America.
NFL
Goes Left: Won't Force Players To Stand For Anthem, Focuses On Social Justice. As NFL ratings continue to
plummet — down nearly 10 percent from last year — news networks are increasingly choosing not to show
the national anthem because of protests by players, which often elicit boos from fans. Thursday's [10/12/2017] matchup
between the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles, despite being a strong matchup between two high-profile teams, was
down 5 percent from the previous week's Thursday night matchup.
Tennessee
Titans Player Says He'll Quit The NFL If Forced To Stand For The Anthem. Tennessee Titans player Rishard
Matthews tweeted Thursday [10/12/2017] that he'll quit the NFL if the league implements a rule forcing players to stand during the
anthem. "No I will be done playing football," Matthews tweeted and ultimately deleted when asked if he would be willing
to face punishment for not standing if a new rule is implemented.
Bombshell
Report: The NFL Players' Union Has Been Working With George Soros. This makes so much sense. Lots
of people have been wondering why the NFL has been drifting into left wing politics. Associating with George Soros in
any way will typically make that happen.
The
NFL and its owners salute one flag: The dollar. Ignoring their own league rules caused conservative
organizations, pundits, media, and activists to call for an NFL boycott. Football fans and businesses rallied, burning
jerseys and season tickets, canceling their Direct TV Football packages, not buying tickets, merchandise, and playing smash
mouth themselves by turning the channel. Due to the costly backlash, according to the Wall Street Journal, the National
Football League's owners will discuss next week whether to unilaterally change league policy and require players to stand
during the national anthem. If players refuse to rise up, they could face disciplinary action by the league or by
the team. The NFL may change the rules of conduct in direct response to their fans who are rejecting politics on the
field and hitting them where it hurts them most — their Gucci wallets.
Rishard
Matthews of the NFL's Titans said he'll quit if forced to stand for the anthem. A National Football League
(NFL) player says he would rather lose his job than be forced to stand during the national anthem. "No, I will be done
playing football," Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews tweeted Thursday when asked about the issue, according to
ESPN. ESPN reported that WSMV producer Matt Parker asked Matthews whether he would stay in the locker room for the song
if the NFL created a rule mandating they stand or face punishment.
NFL
TV audience numbers continue to decline early in 2017 season. No wonder alarm bells are sounding in NFL
commissioner Roger Goodell's office. The league's average TV audience through Week 5 of the 2017 season dropped
7 percent vs. the same period of the 2016 season, according to Nielsen data obtained by Sporting News. Worse for
the league, the average game audiences are down 18 percent compared to the first five weeks of the 2015 season.
Kneeling's
a kick in the stomach to our country. The ongoing flap over NFL players disrespecting our national anthem is
lowbrow theater at best, casting jocks as deep thinkers whose moral indignation demands everyone's attention. So they
take a knee when "The Star-Spangled Banner" is played as a way of alerting the rest of us that we live in an imperfect world.
Victor
Davis Hanson: Kneeling NFL Players Are 'Violating the Cardinal Rule of Business'. "The players think that
the audience are coastal hipsters, and they're not. They're mostly, the hardcore audience ... males, usually about 30
to 60, and they tend to be red-state conservative males," Hanson said. "So they're basically violating the cardinal
rule of business: You never insult your base, your customer base. And that's what they're doing." "There are
certain vulnerabilities that the players don't realize that they're pushing into the face of the fan. It's not going to
work," Hanson added. "I think they're going to lose 10 or 20 percent of their fan base, and that's going to make
radical changes in how it's financed and operated." Noting that the entire controversy is "all going to be distilled down
to money," Hanson said, "that's what the NFL is about."
Pence
walks out of an NFL game and sports journalists lose their collective minds. [Scroll down] The reaction
was largely predictable, with fans tired of the political posturing of overpaid sports stars applauding, and social justice
warriors condemning. What was extraordinarily funny, however, was the way that the sports media humiliated themselves
in responding.
Online
Media Ridicule Pence for Leaving NFL Game After Anthem Protests. Vice-president Mike Pence and his wife Karen
went to the Indianapolis Colts' football game today to cheer on their favorite team and see the club retire the uniform of
former great, quarterback Peyton Manning. But when 23 members of the visiting San Francisco 49ers dishonored America by
taking a knee during the national anthem, the VP left. Left-stream media predictably put on an all-out blitz against the VP.
Pence
Walks Out Of Football Game After Players Kneel. Good for him. Several San Francisco 49ers players
reportedly knelt during the anthem. All Colts stood for the anthem.
Poll
shocker: NFL now the least like[d] sport. Another Sunday in the NFL, which means more protests, more
controversy. While the players seem oblivious to the catastrophe their league is undergoing, owners have to be getting
frantic. A new poll shows that the NFL is no longer "America's game." In fact, it has gone from the sport with the
highest favorables to the sport with the lowest. The drop has coincided exactly with the anthem protests.
Sorry, sir, no refunds.
Vice
President Mike Pence leaves Colts game over protests during anthem. Vice President Mike Pence tweeted Sunday
that he left the Indianapolis Colts game against the San Francisco 49ers because of protests during the national
anthem. No Colts players knelt during the anthem, but some 49ers players did.
NFL
ticket prices plunge amid backlash over players kneeling during national anthem: Report. NFL ticket
prices have plummeted in the wake of the uproar over the national anthem protests, dropping for the first time this year
below the 2016 season's prices. An analysis released Friday [10/6/2017] by CNBC found that ticket prices during the first
three games of the 2017 season enjoyed a 20-40 percent increase over last year, but then skidded in Week 4 and
actually dropped by 2 percent in Week 5.
Shock
poll: NFL now least liked sport, core fans down 31%. Over just one month of player, coach, and owner
protests of the flag and National Anthem, the National Football League has gone from America's sport to the least liked of
top professional and college sports, according to a new poll. From the end of August to the end of September, the
favorable ratings for the NFL have dropped from 57 percent to 44 percent, and it has the highest unfavorable
rating — 40 percent — of any big sport, according to the Winston Group survey provided exclusively
to [the Washington Examiner].
America
Fights Back: Record Number of Patriotic Cord-Cutters Tumble TV Stocks. There is only one way —
one! — to finally and forever destroy Hollywood and much of the mainstream media. You have to cut your cable
or satellite cord. You have to cancel your pay TV package. The one-legged stool propping up ESPN, CNN, MSNBC,
Disney, MTV, and the entire Tinseltown crime syndicate is you paying for cable TV. [...] Not to put too fine a point on it,
but there is no single act any American can perform that will do more damage to the institutional left than to cut your
cable/satellite cord. So please do so today.
Nolte:
Want to Destroy ESPN and CNN Forever? Cut the Cord, Dummy. Almost all of the cultural and political power
possessed by Hollywood and the mainstream media is held up by a one-legged stool, a single leg that gets shakier by the
month — this increasingly fragile appendage we call the Pay TV Package. Going forward, for reference
purposes, the Pay TV Package is your cable or satellite bundle, which brings with it hundreds of channels and a monthly bill
that dings you for $1000 to $1500 a year. Without this bundle, almost every institution determined to destroy everything
you hold dear — faith, family, country, individual liberty, self-reliance, prosperity, racial harmony, and moral
decency — would disappear entirely or at least be much weaker than it currently is. Of course, I am talking
about CNN, ESPN, Comedy Central, Disney, MTV, MSNBC, and the like — institutions you — yes YOU —
are subsidizing against your will.
How
To Destroy CNN, Survive Without Cable TV, And Save Lots of $$$. Did you know that, on average, CNN is not only
in last place behind MSNBC, but that the left-wing outlet's average viewers are below 1 million? With such poor
ratings, there is no way CNN could survive on advertising revenue alone. So how does CNN stay afloat? By picking
YOUR pocket. Yes, Genius, YOU are subsidizing a Fake News outlet that is actively trying to destroy you and everything
you stand for. How? Whether or not you watch CNN (and no one really does), if it is part of your cable package,
you are putting money directly into CNN's pocket with what is called a subscription fee.
Marine
Veteran Pulls Plug On Playing ESPN In His Restaurant Now America Is Responding! A Marine veteran turned restaurant owner
decided that ESPN has no place in his family business. Bill DeFries owns Beef O'Brady's in Bevearcreek, Ohio, and has now publicly
pledged that he will not show any NFL games as long as the players continue to protest the National Anthem before games. Both the
Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals linked their arms during the Anthem this week. When he applied for a refund on his
investment, DirecTV has denied the $6,000 refund on his NFL package. While DirecTV is still offering refunds to their residential
customers, they are not doing it for commercial accounts.
Steelers'
Linebacker Tells Disappointed Fans To 'GET LOST, Don't Bother Coming Back'. The boycott of Steelers merchandise
that began in September has been hurting the third party retailers, with one store in Lancaster called Steel City Sports
having to balance their customers and their wishes to keep politics out of their store. While their Penguins and
Pirates merchandise is still selling, Steelers sales are way down. The boycott was in retaliation to a Week 3 incident
where, before playing against the Bears, every team member stayed in their locker room during the National Anthem except for
their offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
NFL
Fans Disgusted as Video of Players Yelling At Them Surface. It seems that most NFL fans are not loving the
continued national anthem protests. When former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick launched the protests
last year, he undoubtedly had no clue that it would mean the end of his career, and plummeting ratings for the NFL. Yet
players have continued to protest, and some players in particular have not responded well to the lack of fan support.
'Monday
Night Football' Ratings Crash! After siding with their players against their fans, the NFL has been seeing
some pretty steep losses in both viewership and revenue. Early numbers from last night [10/2/2017] show that ratings
from last night's game are down a whopping 10% from the September 25th game. Compared to this same week last year,
total viewership is down 8%.
NFL
TV ratings drop again as angry fans exercise their own rights. Pretty soon, it could be NFL team owners on
their knees begging TV viewers to come back. Once again in Week 4 of the 2017 season, as players continued their
sitting-kneeling protests against something, former fans silently exercised their right of free speech using TV remotes.
How
many $ billions will the NFL lose over its kneeling fiasco? Signs are evident that the NFL has done permanent
damage to its business by appearing to side with the Colin Kaepernick-initiated kneeling during the National Anthem. My
guess is that the owners of NFL teams collectively have lost billions, and I suspect that Roger Goodell will lose his job.
Raiders
Staff Cover Marshawn Lynch As He Sits During the National Anthem. Television networks have gone to great
lengths to conceal the ratings-killing anthem protests that are costing the league huge money in terms of viewership and
attendance. However, it looks like NFL teams have also started trying to conceal the anthem protests. In one
case, by literally covering a player up.
The Tragic
Incoherence of the NFL Protests. It has become a sort of reflex to object to the National Football League's
players' bended knee/sitting through the National Anthem — while also conceding that their complaints have
merit. But do they? To answer that question, one would have to know precisely what the protests are about.
But so far the various reasons advanced are both confused and without much merit. That is why the players will
eventually stand for the anthem before their tragic incoherence loses them both their fans and their jobs with it.
CNN
Confirms Data Showing Trump Is Right About Anthem Protests Torpedoing NFL Ratings. Seventy-two percent of
Americans view Kaepernick's actions as unpatriotic. This culture battle was over before the first shot was fired.
The NFL is paying the price. Approval for the league is down 13 percent. Ticket sales at week three are down
almost 20 percent. Fans are burning merchandise, asking for refunds of their NFL packages, and are booing their teams
when they see players take a knee. Is free speech part of this discussion? Sort of — they have the
right to do this, but it's still viewed as spitting in the faces of those who have served and are still serving. We're
still at war in Afghanistan. Whatever these players' social cause is goes out the window when people see disrespect to
the flag.
NJ
Car Dealership Pulls TV Ads from NFL Broadcasts over National Anthem Protests. A New Jersey car dealership is
pulling its television ads from NFL broadcasts for the rest of the 2017 football season in response to NFL teams protesting
the national anthem. NJ Advance Media reports that the owner of Flemington Car and Truck Country said it would pull ads
for the dealership from NFL game broadcasts for at least the rest of the 2017 NFL season.
High
school football players booted from team for kneeling, raising a fist during national anthem. Two high school
football players in Texas were kicked off their team for protesting during the national anthem Friday [9/29/2017]. Cedric
Ingram-Lewis raised a fist while his cousin, Larry McCullough, kneeled during the national anthem. The cousins, both
students at Victory & Praise Christian Academy, said that after the anthem ended, their coach, Ronnie Mitchem, told them to
remove their uniforms because they were being kicked off the team, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Conrad
Black: What Protesting NFL Players Don't Get. This controversy is the logical and nasty result of the
long pursuit of identity politics, mainly by Democrats. The country has been atomized into smaller and smaller
constituencies, pandering to each in the approximate order of the militancy of their grievances. This process, after a
point, operates at the expense of the spirit of national unity and a common cause for all to make America better. It is
understandable that the president sees these acts of rank disrespect to the country and all who believe in the country
despite its faults, as offensive. He and all of civilized America are in common cause with Kaepernick and his followers
in deploring racist oppression, but protesting it by slagging off the anthem and flag alienates the majority of Americans who
would otherwise be on Kaepernick's side. It is not surprising or unreasonable that Trump and millions of others find
the spectacle of a few people with huge incomes for very short work-years, putting on the airs, not only of martyrs, but of
martyrs claiming they represent the only wronged people in the country.
The NFL
House of Cards. The problem with the NFL is not just Donald Trump, but the greater dilemma that the league's
reason to be has become predicated on a labyrinth of lies. The majority of the viewing audience is not young, hip, and
loyal as hyped, but, even if fading, still largely reflects the majorities in red-state America that have no patience with
gratuitous insults to the National Anthem and flag. The NFL apparently never grasped the political truism that you
never insult your base and core supporters; sympathetic CNN talking heads and the solidarity of progressive political
activists will not turn around sagging revenues, but will only contribute to them.
Wall
Street vets are threatening to pull the plug on the NFL. Wall Street veterans are huddling up against the NFL.
Many brokers and bankers — some of whom are also military veterans — have threatened to pull the plug on pro
football for not reining in players who are using the American national anthem as an opportunity to protest by taking the
knee. And as the protests gather steam this weekend, some vets of the financial markets — a huge employer of
former US military service personnel, have unleashed a barrage of criticism in response and could be counted among the
estimated 2 million fewer viewers over the first three weeks of the season.
Steelers'
Head Coach Held Fundraiser For Hillary, Donated Heavily To Obama. Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin held a
high-end fundraiser in 2016 for then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at his home with ticket prices reportedly costing
over $30,000. Tomlin hosted the event with his wife on June 14 with supporters required to pay $33,400 to meet
Clinton — those who couldn't afford to pay that amount to meet a woman claiming to represent the middle class were
given the option of simply paying $10,000 to attend.
No,
NFL, You DON'T Have an Unassailable 'Right' to Protest the National Anthem. There has been a lot of pious talk
from these anti-American leftists who now seem to infest the National Football League who say that they "have a right" to
protest the national anthem at the start of each NFL game. But the fact is they really don't. Thanks to the sham
that is America's liberal besotted system of miseducation, there is a lot of confusion about what our "rights" as Americans
are. So, let's get this straight right now. You have no "right" to behave however you want at work. And if
you DO behave however you want, you had better be prepared for consequences including being fired if your boss sees
fit. But, what of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, you ask? Doesn't that "free speech" thingie give
you a right to say whatever you want, whenever you want? No, not really. At least, not in the way you might assume.
NFL
Camera Operators Told Not To Show Booing Crowd When Players Knelt During Anthem. Aesthetics are everything to a
message, and it wouldn't do well if the networks showed the NFL kneelers — the media's latest favorite
fad — receiving boos and disapproving shouts while it was going on. That's why networks ordered camera crews
that were filming Sunday and Monday's NFL games to avoid shots of the angry crowds insider sources told Michael McCarthy of
Sporting News: [...] What really went on in the stadium during Sunday's game can be clearly seen thanks to a video by the
Associated Press. Fans can be heard booing loudly as players knelt or sat during the anthem. Shouts of
"stand up" can also be heard.
What
if the NFL Players Were Protesting Abortion Instead? Many Americans support the Free Speech rights of the NFL
players to protest but a large percentage of Americans believe protesting the national anthem is not appropriate and it's
disrespectful to the country. They believe the football players should choose another venue to protest what they
perceive as racism. Because the NFL football players are protesting racism — the mainstream media and many
on the left are hailing them as Heroes. But what if they were protesting for a cause that is not seen as quite so cool
in the media limelight. What if they were protesting for people who Hollywood Elites look down upon? What if they
were refusing to stand and place their hands on their hearts and respect to their country to back a class of people who faced
the ultimate discrimination? What if they were sitting down or kneeling to protest abortion?
First
grader told to stand after kneeling during Pledge of Allegiance at local elementary school. A first grader in
Pasco County chose to take a knee during the Pledge of Allegiance, and his mother is upset with how the teacher, the school
and the Pasco County school district responded. At school on Monday [9/25/2017], a local first grader went down on one
knee during the Pledge of Allegiance, he was then told by his teacher to stand up and stop it, in front of all his classmates.
His choice came after countless NFL players took a knee during the national anthem on Sunday, setting off a storm nationwide,
sparking discussions in homes across America.
On
the Collective Football Plantation. [Scroll down] It is clear that initially the protest of NFL players
was inspired by political opponents of Trump. But when it came down to the disrespect of the national flag and
humiliation of the national anthem, even the Democrats realized that this boomerang would hit hard on return. After
all, professional sports do not produce anything materially necessary and exist only at the expense of their long-standing
reputation. A remarkable confirmation of this is the loud silence of the Democrats on the issue of the humiliation of
the national anthem. They immediately realized that Trump's position in this matter was one hundred percent winning,
and they prudently decided to keep quiet.
'They're
afraid of their players!' Trump says NFL owners are too scared to insist football stars stand for the National Anthem.
Donald Trump says NFL franchise owners acknowledge that they need to stop players from kneeling for the National Anthem, but they're
too scared to take action. 'I have so many friends that are owners, and they are in a big box,' he said in a 'Fox & Friends'
interview that aired Thursday morning [9/28/2017]. 'I have spoken to a couple of them. They say, "We are in a situation
where we have to do something." I think they are afraid of their players, you want to know the truth. And I think
it's disgraceful.'
Take a Knee. Why
did Colin Kaepernick say he was taking a knee? Somebody look that up. Okay, taking a knee is an anti-Trump thing,
right? Wait a minute, if it's an anti-Trump thing, then Colin Kaepernick did it when Obama was president, so it would
have been an anti-Obama thing. That can't be right. Okay, taking a knee means you're pro-free speech, it's to
support people's right to take a knee even if Trump says nobody should take a knee. Or is it just to support Colin
Kaepernick's right to take a knee? Colin Kaepernick doesn't even play football anymore, he's just the king of
knee-taking because he did it first. So that's not it. By the way, "take a knee" in football used to mean
"run out the clock." We really need some other term.
NFL
Fan Outrage So Severe The League May Never Recover. While the long-term impact will take time to be quantified, early
indicators are the NFL has entirely destroyed itself by allowing the politicization of the sport. A significant number of NFL fans
are so upset with players refusing to stand for the national anthem they have decided to respond with demonstrations of their own.
Memo
To The NFL: Remember Your Middle Name. The word is out: your National Football League is looking for a "senior
communications strategist," whose role will include "provid(ing) crisis communications counsel." After all, the league is
mired in a no-win Twitter war with the President — on top of the boos, boycott threats and burning jerseys from
fans over the national anthem protests; continuing litigation and bad press over concussions and domestic violence; catastrophic
attendance showings for recently relocated teams in Los Angeles; and long-term ratings declines in a splintering media market.
End the NFL. An
NFL rookie's minimum salary is $465,000. And the majority of NFL players are usually bankrupt a few years after retirement
because they blew through most of their money. Dozens of NFL players are arrested every year on charges ranging from
murder to rape to animal abuse. 2017 was a banner year for the NFL with three times as many arrests as last year.
Along with the usual drunk driving and disorderly conduct arrests, there were 7 arrests for assault/battery, 6 for drugs and
5 for domestic violence. The Seattle Seahawks announced that they weren't going to "participate in the national anthem"
because of the "injustice that has plagued people of color in this country". While they lost that game, they are one of the
top ranked teams in arrests. Alongside the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets, all of whom
showed some solidarity with the anti-American protests, these top NFL criminal teams have racked up arrests for domestic
violence, drugs, DUI and assault and battery. It's no wonder that so many of the NFL's millionaire scumbags are eager
to join Colin Kaepernick's protests against the justice system by degrading our anthem. It's because they're criminals.
How the NFL is going
the way of Detroit. Football fans watch their favorite team playing their favorite game with their favorite
cheerleaders and favorite player. They know this player's stats and his autobiography. They know his family, his
college team, when he went pro, and his current life experiences. Their favorite player is the American Dream.
Many of these guys came from rough backgrounds and overcame. They're making millions and living large and loving life
playing a game for a job. They've made it. [...] The NFL doesn't know it, but it's reached its zenith. Oh, it still
has fans, just like Americans still buy American-made cars. But it won't be the same. It already isn't the same.
The magic is gone. Taking a knee is taking it too far. A disgusted fanbase will turn its attention elsewhere.
The Patriots vs. The Nihilists.
In the obscenely overpaid — whether it is actors who make millions for mouthing silly lines off a cue card or
athletes who earn more money in a few games than most make in a lifetime — a certain self-loathing must
exist. Making so much for doing so little can only generate an unease that gnaws at them. At the same time it
seems to fill them with a grotesque sense of self-importance. Their staggering salaries, they evidently conclude,
confer upon them a right to pontificate at a society stupid enough to pay them all that money. It is not surprising
that out of this toxic combination of self-loathing and self-importance comes some astonishingly bratty and richly ironic
activism: actors, athletes, and other celebrities inveighing against the warped values of society even as their entire status
depends upon them.
Colin
Kaepernick Has Never Registered to Vote. [Colin] Kaepernick began his protest of the national anthem and the
American flag in August of 2016 while he played for the San Francisco 49ers. He made headlines when he decided to sit
for the national anthem during a preseason game. Since then the number of athletes protesting has also grown.
Backlash from angry fans reached a fever pitch this week after President Trump lashed out at NFL players protesting. It
has turned into an all out war with fans burning NFL gear and bombarding their network providers with phone calls cancelling
football packages. Today, Kaepernick is an unemployed whiner and it turns out that he has never even registered to vote.
Donald
Trump vs. Pro Football Is a Ratings Game the NFL Can't Win. Never in the history of the NFL have its
ratings been so scrutinized. [...] For years, it was able to exert strong control over its own narrative. The league
and its powerful media partners continuously burnished the brand as a mass-market symbol of American vitality, strength and
exceptionalism. The current commotion has, in totality, the opposite effect, reducing the NFL to the role of a sick patient
looking for a proper diagnosis, a scofflaw institution deserving public shaming by the commander in chief. The reversal —
from heroic savior of Sundays to something in need of saving — is proving difficult to shake off.
NFL ticket
sales plummet 17.9%. The National Football League is feeling the impact of the "Trump Effect." Ticket sales
since he called on team owners to fire players who take a knee to protest the National Anthem have cratered. The online
ticket reseller TickPick told Secrets that sales have dropped 17.9 percent, far more than the usual Week Three fall.
The Editor says...
Bias alert! The NFL's problem is not the "Trump Effect." It's the "Overpaid America-Hating Political Activist"
effect. It's the "Why Don't You Just Shut Up and Play the Game" effect. It's the "Insolent Multi-Millionaire
Crybaby and Perpetual Victim" effect.
The
NFL Just Lost Its First Sponsor Over Players Kneeling During The National Anthem. Cleveland businessman Allan Jones, the CEO of
Check Into Cash, a payday lending chain, and owner of Hardwick Clothes is hitting the NFL where it hurts — their bank account.
According to reports, Jones has instructed his media buyer to remove any commercials from airing during NFL games "for the entire season,"
following NFL players decision to knell during the national anthem over the weekend.
NFL
Players Think They're Protected Over Protests, But That's Not True As Experts Weigh In. The NFL pre-season has
never been more controversial. The third week of practice games saw at least six where a player showed one act of
protest or another during the renditions of our National Anthem. Scoffing at President Trump's calls to "fire any[one]
who kneels during the National Anthem," social justice supporting players think their televised antics are protected as free
speech under the First Amendment. Legal experts are quick to advise the assumption is just not true and they could
lose their high paid careers at any time.
NFL owners PANIC after 3
huge backlashes. 2016, when the protests started, was the lowest-viewed season of football in decades.
This year, the ratings have gotten significantly worse. After three weeks, Nielsen reports that ratings for NFL games
are down 11-percent across the board compared to 2016. "Nielsen said the games averaged 17.63 million viewers for the
first three weeks of last season, and have dipped to 15.77 million this year. The 2017 figures don't include this
week's Monday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals," Breitbart reported. The NFL pays hundreds
of millions to athletes — and depends on advertising revenue from their television broadcasts to pay for it.
NFL Owners Are
Patriotic — For a Fee. "Follow the money." That is often good advice, if someone wants to find out
why many individuals do what they do. It is apparently excellent advice if one wants to know why many owners of National
Football League (NFL) teams do what they do. While many heretofore NFL fans have rightly expressed disgust at the
anti-patriotic statements and actions of many NFL players (and make no mistake, the protests are directed at what Colin
Kaepernick, who started it all last season, contends is a racist country), are the owners any better? Most fans
would have understandably concluded that all these patriotic demonstrations before games, and sometimes during halftime shows,
take place because the owners are just extremely patriotic lovers of their country. Of course, they should be lovers of
this country, considering that they have been able to become very wealthy in America.
NFL
Favorability Gets Nearly Cut In Half After Anthem Protests. A new poll shows that the favorability rating of
the NFL among Donald Trump supporters was nearly cut in half after more than 200 players kneeled during the national anthem
last week. Morning Consult conducted the survey, and the results are a very bad sign for the NFL.
Packers'
Attempt to Involve Fans In Anthem Demonstration Falls Flat, Most Chant 'USA!' Instead. The Packers players
wrote a long letter to their fans this week. A letter in which the team asked their fans to join them in interlocking
arms during the anthem on Thursday night. According to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, this was a moment that stood for,
"...equality." As well as "...unity and love, and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around
something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people." Well, as it turns out, most Packers fans didn't want to have
a "conversation," weren't interested in "growing together," and certainly had no desire to be made "a little bit uncomfortable."
Kaepernick
donates $25,000 to group honoring convicted cop-killer. Colin Kaepernick started out taking a knee during the national anthem to
protest police brutality, but his activism has since expanded to encompass a wide range of leftist causes, including a group named after a
convicted cop-killer. The Colin Kaepernick Foundation donated in April $25,000 to Assata's Daughters, a Chicago "direct action" resistance
organization honoring Assata Shakur, who escaped prison and fled to Cuba after being found guilty in the 1973 murder of Officer Werner
Foerster. The grant includes $2,500 for CopWatch, a program that trains volunteers to follow and video police, and $15,000 for teen
training, part of the group's commitment to "develop and train young people, ages 4-19, in the Black queer feminist tradition and in the
spirit of Assata."
JP
Morgan Chase Lowers Outlook for CBS After Widespread NFL Anthem Protests. The NFL's protests against the
national anthem are causing fans to reassess their interests in football, but the protests also seem to be causing investors
to reconsider their investments in the league as well.
TN
Titans' Delanie Walker Tells Fans to Stay Home if They Don't Like Protests. Apparently Tennessee Titans tight
end, Delanie Walker, doesn't know where his bread is buttered. He straight up told his fans to stay home if they don't
like the players protesting the National Anthem.
NFL
player: Don't come to the game if our protest upsets you. I suppose it takes a great deal of arrogance to
play in the NFL, but what's revealing about [Delanie] Walker's comments is that they prove that their protest for "free
speech" is a little one-sided. They don't care about the fans' free speech rights. "It's your freedom of choice,"
said Walker, while denigrating any opposition to his actions. At bottom, the players demand that you love them and
respect them for their protest. And if you disagree, your views aren't worthy.
Can We Please Stop
Pretending the NFL Protests Have Anything to Do with Free Speech? [Scroll down] So why, exactly, are they kneeling?
Those kneeling assert that there is an epidemic of white police officers who work their beat every night with the explicit intention to murder
innocent black people. They are suggesting that there is an epidemic of institutional white racism in this country going unaddressed, and
that the only way to draw attention to this, the Black Lives Matter narrative, is to kneel during the National Anthem at pro football games.
There is no convincing evidence that either claim is true, and it is a malicious narrative that has arguably already led to a death toll among
police officers being targeted for their presumably widespread racism and brutality. [...] They imagine that I and millions of other Americans
don't accept this narrative only because it's not being adequately thrown in our faces. I, among millions of other Americans, refuse to
accept that. I therefore find those kneeling during the National Anthem in order to advance that narrative despicable, entitled babies
for whom I have no respect and who are undeserving of my financial support.
Titans'
Delanie Walker: 'No one's telling you to come to the game'. Don't come to the game. That's the message a
couple of the Titans' star players have for any outraged fans threatening to turn their back on the team, after the Titans
and Seahawks remained in the locker room during the national anthem before their game Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Goodbye, FS1.
FS1's
Sharpe: Racist U.S. Flag Is Just 'A Piece of Cloth... Nobody Fights For'. After engaging in character
assassination against Green Bay Packers fans who chose not to protest during Thursday's National Anthem, FS1's Undisputed
co-host Shannon Sharpe did the same with the American flag, declaring it to be merely a racist "piece of cloth" that "nobody
fights for." "The flag, you see, to a lot of people, symbols, patriotism but what does that symbol actually mean?
What does — what does — okay — you keep telling me that the flag means so much and it's
opportunity and freedom and liberty. Okay. Can you honestly say that everybody in America has freedom and
liberties and opportunity," Sharpe wondered to co-host Skip Bayless.
Unfair
Charges of Systemic Racism. It seems the thrust of the protesters' complaint is that American law enforcement and America itself
are systemically racist. But if a protest movement seeks to be constructive, its complaints must be considered on the merits, and that
means a full and substantive discussion of the facts. Those who disagree with the gravamen of the complaint have just as much right to
express their opinion as the complainants. Bullying them into silence is hardly going to facilitate a resolution. If the
complainants truly are asserting that America's law enforcement institutions or America itself are systemically racist against African-Americans,
they bear the burden of proving their assertions, especially when facts and statistics appear to contradict those claims.
The Slow Death of the
NFL? HGTV was my refuge. Watching a marathon of real people get their houses remodeled was much more entertaining than watching
pampered millionaires wrestle in taxpayer-funded stadiums while disrespecting the national anthem and the American flag. Since I wasn't a
rabid fan the NFL won't really notice that I'm gone. But I'm not alone.
The
National Anthem Protests — Do Facts Matter? Recently, in Illinois, in a kids' 8-and-under football league, the entire team,
which appeared to be all black, including the coach, took a knee during the national anthem. Asked why, one third-grade player parroted
Kaepernick, saying, according to the coach, "Because black people are getting killed, and nobody's going to jail." Facts don't matter.
The coach, presented with a teachable moment, fumbled it away.
Unnecessary
Roughness. Football is a sport, but it is also a business. Fans pay big money for tickets, gear, parking and
overpriced food and drinks. They have put up with a lot to root for their favorite teams, but these protests, which
many regard as disrespecting America and the flag, may have exceeded their high tolerance level. [...] These players should first
consider who is responsible for their unequally high salaries. Where else could most of them earn that kind of money?
If fans stop coming to games and watching them on TV, the unique covenant between player and fan will be broken, perhaps forever.
The
Suicide of the NFL. Every liberal CEO in America should be watching and listening. This is a case study for how to
destroy a billion-dollar business by injecting your offensive leftist politics and alienating your own customer base. [...] Ratings are
plummeting. Revenues are plunging. The player's spokesman deals are being cancelled. Fans are booing. Fans are
burning tickets and uniforms. Lifelong NFL zealots are vowing to never watch another game.
Kaepernickism and
Anti-Americanism. [Scroll down] Of course, Kaepernickists deny that they are anti-American. They insist that the object of
their protest is much more specific than America itself. That object is "police brutality" toward American blacks. That police are roaming
the countryside looking for black males to gun down is a fiction of the first order. Nor is there a shred of evidence to substantiate, but much
to negate, even the thesis that blacks are shot by police more frequently than are their white counterparts. However, even if this thesis was
true, a symbolic repudiation of the country, besides being wildly offensive to most Americans who see it as anti-American, amounts as well to the
ultimate non sequitur.
Fans Fed Up with the NFL Anthem
Protests. Millions of fans are unhappy with the current trend of national-anthem kneeling by NFL players — and
they've expressed their anger and disgust over the last few days in a number of "we're-not-taking-it-anymore" moves.
Trump Is 100
Percent Right About the NFL. I love the NFL. I love football. But I love America infinitely more.
If they keep disrespecting our flag, I will never watch them again.
NFL
Protests Are Now About Trump, Not Police Violence. Bernie Goldberg said that NFL players' national anthem
protests are no longer about police brutality or racial inequality, but defying President Donald Trump. [Video clip]
Why
didn't TV networks show angry, booing NFL fans Sunday or Monday? Networks typically do not televise the
national anthem except for the Super Bowl and other special occasions, but they recognized there would be intense viewer
interest this past weekend. Some fans, if they reacted at all, happily clapped and cheered during protests, but others
did not, and they angrily let their home teams know it. The audio mics picked up the boos. Yet the TV networks
mostly avoided crowd shots Sunday, so there was never a chance for viewers to see fans jeering players.
Colin
Kaepernick's big lie. President Trump seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest of opposition with his call for
athletes who don't respect the national anthem to be fired. Many NFL owners and players who were previously indifferent
seem to have rallied to the Colin Kaepernick cause. Kaepernick, of course, considers his protest to be a cry against
slavery and racial oppression, for which he holds America to be the guilty party. Kaepernick's allies seem to be
standing — or rather kneeling — for the right to protest, in opposition not necessarily to America but
certainly to President Trump.
64%
demand NFL players stand for national anthem, 50% less likely to watch over politics. The first poll of NFL
fans following this weekend's moves by dozens of players to take a protest knee during the playing of the National Anthem
finds that most want the pros to stand and they are also turning off the games as a result of politics. The survey from
Remington Research Group found that 64 percent want players to stand for the national anthem. Of the 51 percent
who have watched less football this season, 69 percent cite player protests as the reason.
I'm done with the NFL.
Memo to the NFL players: you have ruined Sunday football for me! And you clearly don't understand the people who make
you stars and make you rich. [...] I know your protest is more than just some misguided political movement, misplaced
protest, or bogus facts. It's bigger than just football. You players decided to disrespect our country and her
flag. You decided to insult your customer. You decided to insult those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so
you can have the freedom to play a game and make a fine living. You decided to alter an American institution to fit
your own political needs.
VFW,
American Legion go to war against NFL. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion issued blistering
condemnations of the National Football League — calling recent protests against the national anthem disrespectful,
misguided and ungrateful. "There is a time and place for civil debate, and wearing team jerseys and using sporting
events to disrespect our country doesn't wash with millions of military veterans who have and continue to wear real uniforms
on real battlefields around the globe," said VFW leader and Vietnam War veteran Keith Harman.
Dallas
Cowboys Kneel Down in Arizona — Crowd Boo's — NFL Implosion Complete. The Dallas Cowboys,
together with team owner Jerry Jones, take a collective knee at the start of the Monday Night Football game to display their
unity with... well, something probably. Stick a fork in the financial future of the NFL, it's done; finished. The
only thing that was saving the NFL from full organizational collapse was the advent of Fantasy Football Leagues and the
subsequent betting and fan-based league play therein. Never underestimate the inability of any business organization to
inoculate itself with idiot resistant policies once they enter the arena of identity politics.
NFL Rundown: Empty Seat
Alert. For those who know my work, I explain why black unemployment is so high. It's because of idiots
like this. Even when black Leftists make MILLIONS of dollars, they still complain.
Trump
calls NFL kneeling 'disgraceful,' disrespectful to veterans. President Trump doubled down Tuesday [9/26/2017]
on his criticism of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, calling the protests "disgraceful" and blatantly
disrespectful to veterans who fought for flag and country. "I don't think you can disrespect our country, our flag, our
national anthem," Trump said at a Rose Garden press conference.
TV
networks skipped one crucial part of NFL protests. Television networks uncharacteristically showed the national
anthem before NFL games this weekend, but at least one staffer says that coverage may have come with certain
restrictions. A "behind-the-scenes staffer" told the Sporting News camera operators were told to avoid crowd shots
during the anthem, because of any fans potentially booing or protesting the NFL players' protest. There were reports
from several stadiums of fans booing when players decided to kneel for the anthem, joining a protest of racial inequality
started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Jennifer Sabatelle of CBS told the Sporting News the network's
crews were under no such orders.
Angry NFL Fans Lash Out, Burn
Jerseys Over Protests: "You Can Take Your NFL And Shove It". While it is clear as day to anyone who can
disassociate themselves from the emotional response to being verbally attacked by a tweetstorm (as truly 'terrifying' as such
a thing can be), the NFL doesn't seem to understand that while almost every American can agree that football is a great
sport, roughly 50% of them will vehemently disagree with whatever political stance any given player or league exec decides to
publicly announce. And, since the NFL's future depends on selling overpriced ad spots to massive corporations looking
for a consistent number of eyeballs, alienating any group of viewers, for whatever reason, is just bad for business.
The NFL's Worst Fumble Yet. President
Donald Trump tapped into the sentiment of the vast majority of Americans over the weekend, and the Leftmedia hate him for
it. "Trump turns sports into a political battleground," headlined The Washington Post, as if athletes, coaches, owners
and commentators hadn't already politicized sports. What Trump did do was give voice from the most powerful
bully pulpit in the land to what many Americans already think: Athletes who make millions of dollars each year to
entertain us on the field should not spit in the face of our great nation by disrespecting the national anthem before
games. Take the activism off the field.
Shocker:
Another Poll Shows Americans Aren't Big Fans of Anthem Protests. One of the most striking elements of the NFL
anthem protest controversy is the glaring disconnect between average Americans — especially sports fans —
and the media covering the story. Airwaves and column inches are disproportionately crowded with pro-protest (and
anti-Trump) perspectives, whereas most non-elite observers come down on the other side of the issue. [...] Setting aside
the stipulations that of course peaceful protests are protected speech, that Trump erred in calling for firings,
and that issues like police brutality are worthy of serious attention, most Americans do not support using the national
anthem as an occasion for protest.
NFL
Protests Are The Dead End Of 'Resistance' Culture. At a rally on Friday, President Trump said that the NFL
should fire any players who copy Colin Kaepernick by going down on one knee when our national anthem is played. So this
Sunday, dozens of NFL players dutifully responded by going down on one knee to show their "resistance" to Trump. That's
where we are with the stupid politics of the "Resistance." All that is necessary to decide the right thing to do is to check
on what Donald Trump says and do the opposite. [...] It was an ill-conceived form of protest, bound to backfire. The
symbolism is all wrong. By its very nature, it does not come across to most Americans as a protest against excessive
use of force by the police. It comes across as a protest against the national anthem. And since the national
anthem is, well, our national anthem, it comes across as a protest against America.
NFL
players and owners can't take criticism. [Scroll down] But what are they protesting? It started
with Colin Kaepernick protesting "racial inequality" and "police brutality." Does anyone, including the players, have any
specific incident or policy he wishes to protest? They just mouth generalities. What have they accomplished by
their kneeling, besides alienating the fans? Have they helped anyone? It seems the kneeling has developed into an
anti-Trump gesture, with over 200 players taking a knee or sitting down on Sunday, September 24. The flag is a proxy for our
country, which some of the players apparently do not like. To others, the flag is a proxy for Trump, whom they do not like.
Will
NFL Demand Respect for Old Glory? "America refuses to address the pervasive evil of white cops killing black
men, and I will not stand during a national anthem that honors the flag of such a country!" That is the message Colin
Kaepernick sent by "taking a knee" during the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" before San Francisco '49s games in 2016.
No NFL owner picked up his contract in 2017. But a few players began to copy Colin and to "take a knee." [...] And so the
stage was set for NFL Sunday. Two hundred players, almost all black, knelt or sat during the national anthem. The
Patriots' Tom Brady stood in respect for the flag, while locking arms in solidarity with kneeling teammates.
NFL
Sunday Down Double-Digits Again As Americans Say NO To Anti-American/Anti-Police Protests. Exactly what
millionaire athletes are protesting these days isn't exactly clear to them or anyone else. The common thread appears to
be some anti-American/police sentiment. America is racist? Police are racist? Whatever it is millions of
Americans have had enough as evidenced by the ongoing NFL ratings spiral. Has a once-dominant professional sports
franchise ever committed suicide? It looks like we may be about to find out.
The
NFL is looking more repulsive by the day. Billionaires and millionaires linking arms and taking knees in unity
for what? There are brave men and women in real uniforms but you won't find them on the football field. You'll
find them in the military and law enforcement. They're not famous. They're not rich. But they're our very
best. They put their lives on the line everyday. And they're being disrespected. Football players are not
doctors who care for the sick, inventors who improve the quality of life, scientists who find breakthrough medicines,
etc. They're fake activists. And they're increasingly fake entertainers.
NFL
To Fans: Drop Dead. Whether you agree with them or not, the NFL players and the executives that run the
National Football League have really stepped in it, damaging their brand and alienating millions of fans and potential fans
for no real good reason. It was a classic mistake. Like it or not, and whether it's fair or not, many Americans
feel that professional athletes as a whole lead a privileged existence, working only part of the year and earning millions
for their efforts. When they're seen leading "protests" by disrespecting the flag and the national anthem —
and all the high ideals and sacrifice those symbols represent — it's too much.
DirecTV
allows some NFL refunds after anthem controversy. DirecTV is allowing at least some customers to cancel
subscriptions to its Sunday Ticket package of NFL games and obtain refunds, if they cite players' national anthem protests as
the reason for discontinuing service, customer service representatives said Tuesday [9/26/2017]. Under Sunday Ticket's
regular policy, refunds are not to be given once the season is underway. But the representatives said they are making
exceptions this season — which began in September — because of the controversy over the protests, in
which players kneel or link arms during the national anthem.
USAA
members demand organization cut ties with NFL. Members of the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) are
calling for the company to end its sponsorship of the NFL after the string of recent protests during the national anthem,
Sharon Ko of WTLV in San Antonio reports. Since 2011, the USAA has served as the Official Military Appreciation Sponsor
of the NFL, with the league shows appreciation for the military through its "Salute to Service" campaign. But USSA [sic]
members angry with the NFL are voicing their displeasure in community page forums and demanding the company cut ties with the league.
The Nail in
the NFL's Coffin. When NFL players began taking knees and raising Black Panther fists during games last year,
the NFL had to take swift action. It failed.The result is that football has now become politicized, handing the Left
another victory in the culture wars. [...] The player represents the team's brand. He represents the city. He
represents America, the country that gave him the freedom to excel, to become an elite member in the field of American
professional sports. The player is paid millions of dollars. To choose the moment, dictated by tradition, to show
disrespect for all of these things, shows exceptionally poor judgment. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is paid well over
$40 million annually to protect the league's reputation and business. He's done a horrible job the last few years,
palming off issues of domestic violence, and failing to take a firm stance regarding the anthem.
5
Problems With The NFL's National Anthem Protest. [Problem #2] The NFL's Utter Inconsistency: [NFL
Commissioner Roger] Goodell and NFL owners were adamant this weekend that players had the right to express themselves without
fear of any retaliation. This even though there are rules that the NFL could apply to stop protests of the national
anthem. [...] There were rules the NFL chose to apply to stop the wearing of decals to commemorate the murder of five Dallas
police officers working to protect the people at an organized protest of police brutality. The NFL fines players for
dancing in the end zone. It threatens fines for 9/11 tributes. It shows leniency for other issues, such as
domestic violence, but it needs to show more consistency about on-field behavior.
Flashback:
NFL Banned Honoring Murdered Cops; Threatened Players Honoring 9/11. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attacked
President Trump for showing a "lack of respect for the NFL" — regarding the president's recent comments
criticizing players for not standing during the national anthem — because it violated the "constitutional rights
of our players," referring to the First Amendment. This comes from the same commissioner who threatened NFL players who
wanted to honor both 9/11 victims and five police officers who were murdered in Dallas. The Dallas Cowboys wanted to
pay tribute to the five Dallas officers who were murdered at a Black Lives Matter protest on July 7, 2016. The
Cowboys had been wearing a special decal on their helmets that said "Arm in Arm" that specifically honored the police
officers — that is, until the NFL stepped in and stopped it.
Half
A Billion Dollars: How Much the 17 NFL Players Who Took a Knee in London Make. The 17 Baltimore Ravens
and Jacksonville Jaguars players who took a knee during the presentation of the national anthem in London on Sunday have
combined total contracts of nearly $450 million. Combing the total value of each players contracts adds up to a
whopping $448,373,425, a figure greater than the gross domestic product of over a handful of the world's nations. ESPN
reported that 10 Ravens players and roughly the same number of Jaguars players took a knee during the national anthem Sunday
at Wembley Stadium in London.
NFL
picked sides in the culture war, now it has to live with the consequences. [Scroll down] The NFL is as
political an organization as there is, now. It picked sides in the culture war, and the side it picked is decidedly
left. The NFL refused to allow the Dallas Cowboys to display a decal honoring the Dallas police killed by a Black Lives
Matter supporter, yet it is completely supporting the "right" of players to kneel on the sideline while the National Anthem
is played, as both a sign of support for the Black Lives Matter movement and an anti-Trump protest.
N.F.L. Owners'
Unity With Players Might Be Short-Lived. The image was striking — several owners of N.F.L. teams
locking arms with their players on the sidelines Sunday [9/24/2017] in a dramatic statement of defiance to a president who
ridiculed their sport and condemned players for refusing to stand during the national anthem as a protest against
racism. And then on Monday night, the league's most prominent owner knelt with his entire team. Beyond the
appearance of unity, though, is a far different reality: The owners have done little to support players who protest
to fight social injustice. A few owners have told their players that kneeling for the anthem is inappropriate.
Steelers
Coach Didn't Want Army Vet To Stand For Anthem. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin indicated Sunday night
[9/24/2017] that he did not want offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva to stand for the national anthem, instead of sitting it out
with the rest of his teammates. Villanueva, a former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan, was the only
Steelers player to stand for the anthem. While Villanueva stood in the tunnel, hand over his heart, the rest of the
team remained in the locker room in protest of President Trump's comments that players who kneel during the national anthem
should be fired.
Former
Army Ranger Is Only Steelers Player To Stand For National Anthem. The entire Pittsburgh Steelers team remained
in the locker room during the national anthem, with the exception of one player: Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva, who
plays offensive tackle for the Steelers. While the rest of his teammates remained in the locker room, Villanueva stood
in the tunnel holding his helmet in his left hand and holding his right hand over his heart as the anthem played.
Steelers
President Claims Team Never Intended to Boycott National Anthem, Make Political Statement. Art Rooney II, the
president of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, told fans on Tuesday that his team both respected military service
members and didn't intend to make a political statement when its players stood off the field during the national anthem on Sunday.
The Editor says...
Ri-i-i-i-ight.
Sure,
players can kneel — and NFL's customers should walk. Mass fan walkouts at stadiums will prove more
effective than boycotting NFL advertisers. Organize mass exits and I guarantee you'll beat the flag flouters at their
own mass-media game.
Hey,
'Kneelers,' Let's Get a Few Things Straight. The reason we stand for the anthem — no matter how
disappointed we are in the trajectory of our nation — is to show that we love our country and wish it well.
That's all. Americans have long believed that whatever our differences — indeed because of our
differences — it is important to have a ritual where we all express our shared patriotism. That ritual is
the respect we show for the national anthem. When people protest the anthem, they are not sending a patriotic
message. Instead, they are telling the rest of us that they don't like this country, and they wish it ill.
A
third of Americans less likely to watch NFL games due to anthem protests. "Are football fans voting with their
TVs?" asks a new Rasmussen Reports survey. "As the NFL struggles to explain this season's downturn in viewer ratings,
34 percent of American adults say they are less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of protests by
players on the field," the poll reports, noting that 12 percent say they are more likely to watch, while half say the
protests have no effect on their viewing decisions.
America
First: NASCAR Owners Threaten To Fire Drivers And Crew If They Kneel During National Anthem. Multiple
NASCAR team owners indicated Sunday they will not tolerate drivers or crew members who kneel during the national anthem as
unpatriotic protests plague the beleaguered National Football League. Former NASCAR champion and legend Richard Petty,
who owns Richard Petty Motorsports, told the Associated Press that he would fire any member of his team that chooses to kneel
during the national anthem. "Anybody that don't stand up for the anthem oughta be out of the country.
Period. What got 'em where they're at? The United States," Petty said.
Are
NFL players required to stand for the national anthem? After NFL teams or players stayed in the locker room,
knelt, sat or linked arms during the national anthem before games Sunday, people want to know what the NFL rules say.
Are the players required to stand on the field during the national anthem? What does the NFL rule book say? On
social media, many people have been cutting and pasting the following excerpt: ["]A62-63 of the NFL League
Rulebook. It states: "The National Anthem must be played prior to every game, and all players must be on the
sideline for the National Anthem. During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at
attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that
the American flag is in good condition...["]
The Editor says...
Anyone who has ever negotiated a contract knows that should is not the same thing as must.
Stadium
worker quits after Bills protest anthem. A stadium worker with nearly three decades of NFL games under his belt
quit his job Sunday [9/24/2017], saying he was "pushed" to the limit after several Buffalo Bills took a knee during the
national anthem. Erich Nikischer said he's putting the few good years and "a lot of the bad ones" at New Era Field
behind him after several Bills took a knee before Sunday's 26-16 win against the Broncos. "I was [finally] pushed to my
limit today and had to quit," Nikischer posted on Facebook in response to the Bills' protest, a show of defiance against
President Trump's suggestion that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest racial inequality should be
fired. "I [cannot] work in a place where [multimillionaires] cry that they are oppressed."
NFL
may lose bigly with social justice antics. The NFL is famous for its activism. Support for Black Lives
Matter after Ferguson. Solidarity with Trayvon Martin. Lectures from Bob Costas — not on the upcoming
game, but on gun control or global warming. Now it's disrespecting the National Anthem by taking a knee or sitting
down. Colin Kaepernick popularized this before Trump was president. It's activism is spreading through the NFL
and beyond, even to eight-year-old football players in Illinois.
Stars
should get off their knees and lead a constructive conversation on race. As more than 100 NFL players protested
during the singing of America's national anthem across the country Sunday [9/24/2017], what had been a small protest of the
way police treat African-Americans turned into a much larger protest directed at President Trump.
Kaepernick
and Curry Pop the Sports Bubble. We've all watched the bubble inflate for years. Palatial new stadiums
were built (often with tax dollars), multi-billion dollar television deals were signed, and multi-platinum player contracts
shocked our sensibilities. Combined with sky-high ticket prices that put a night at the game out of reach for many
families, these were all signs that things had gone too far. But how and when a bubble will deflate is anyone's
guess. Usually — maybe always — it's done in by the excesses of its biggest beneficiaries.
NFL
players lobby Roger Goodell for formal league involvement in racial justice causes. A team of four current and
former NFL players is lobbying commissioner Roger Goodell to engage the league in fighting for the cause of social justice,
even asking him to formally designate November as activism awareness month. Current players Michael Bennett (Seattle
Seahawks), Torrey Smith (Philadelphia Eagles), and Malcolm Jenkins (Philadelphia Eagles), along with former player Anquan
Boldin, sent Goodell and another executive a 2,800-word memorandum in August requesting the league invest significant
resources in the cause. The memo, available in full here, is specific and thoughtful, but its requests would almost
certainly prove divisive among fans, many of whom are already wary of players' incorporating their activism into gamedays.
Kevin
Jackson: 'Kaepernick Effect' to Blame for NFL's Ratings Decline. At a rally in Alabama on Friday night
[9/22/2017], President Donald Trump railed against National Football League players who have protested the national
anthem. He said players who disrespect the flag and refuse to stand for the national anthem should be ejected
from the stadium and cut from the team.
It's
Shocking How Empty The Stadium Was For Thursday Night Football. The San Francisco 49ers Thursday night game
against the Los Angeles Rams kicked off in front of a nearly empty stadium. Los Angeles Times reporter Lindsey Thiry
tweeted a photo at the time of kickoff, which showed thousands of open seats. In fact, most sections in the photo have
more empty seats than fans.
The
NFL and ESPN need to get politics out of sports or risk losing millions. ESPN host Jemele Hill is back on the
air after calling President Trump a "white supremacist" who has surrounded himself with "other white supremicists" —
remarks that earned her a reprimand, but not a suspension, from the network. The Twitter-taunting and subsequent fallout
comes as the sports network's ratings have taken a significant hit over the last year, starting with players' social justice
protests at pre-game festivities. Both the TV networks and the NFL are paying the penalty.
NFL
TV ratings continue to tank after viewers boycott over Kaepernick. The National Football League is in the midst
of turbulent times as ratings for the second week of the football season received less than promising returns. After a
12 percent dip during the kickoff weekend from 2016, week 2 saw a 15 percent slump from the previous year.
Taking
Sports into the Left Lane. Totalitarian regimes use sports to disseminate political propaganda. In Nazi
Germany, sports served to glorify the "Aryan" race and to prepare Germany for war. In the Soviet Union, the elite
athlete became as valuable as the soldier or the diplomat in promoting Communism. The Soviets developed a system of
state-run sports schools and clubs to produce world-class athletes who would be technically proficient and ideologically
correct. A coach's fundamental duty was to instill what one Soviet sports periodical called a "high Communist
consciousness" in which athletes saw themselves as "Soviet patriots ... irreconcilable to the enemies of socialism and
Communism." With Neo-Marxism permeating American education, identical thinking predominates.
Cleveland
police, EMS unions refuse to hold flag at game after Browns players kneel. There is new fallout from the fierce
debate over Cleveland Browns players kneeling during the national anthem. Cleveland safety forces have backed out of a
plan to hold a large flag on the field for the opening game. A dozen Browns players created a firestorm during a recent
preseason game by not standing during the anthem. They created the largest demonstration in the NFL during the anthem
since former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick started his protest more than a year ago.
ESPN
should be more sports, less politics, Sage Steele says. ESPN has faced criticism recently for limited sports
coverage and what many say has been an increasing shift to political commentary. But frustrated sports fans may be in
luck: ESPN anchor Sage Steele hinted in an interview that the network's signature "SportsCenter" highlights show may go
back to focusing on sports, and leave social and political issues "to the news networks." Steele told the New York Post
"there is a time and place" for covering issues that transcend sports. She cited NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's
controversial refusal to stand for the national anthem before games, and his current struggle to make an NFL roster, as
examples of when coverage might "cross over."
NAACP
wants meeting with NFL commissioner about Kaepernick. Kaepernick's supporters, including some who planned to protest at the NFL's
headquarters in New York City on Wednesday [8/23/2017], say the quarterback is being blackballed for his advocacy.
Colin
Kaepernick to have exhibit at National Museum of African American History and Culture. Colin Kaepernick may not
be employed by an NFL team, but he continues to be a fixture in the NFL's 24-hour news cycle.
Colin
Kaepernick — History's Hero? The National Football League's preseason is underway, and national anthem-hating
quarterback Colin Kaepernick still doesn't have an NFL job. One can easily identify the liberal journalists by their anguish
over this so-called injustice. You can also identify them by their dishonest arguments.
The NFL doesn't
have the guts to bench unpatriotic players. Raiders coach Jack Del Rio told SFGate.com that [Marshawn] Lynch's
disrespectful behavior is not an issue for the football team. "He said, 'This is something I have done for 11 years.
It's not a form of anything other than me being myself,'" Del Rio said. "I told him I very strongly believe in standing for
the national anthem. But I respect him as a man and he can do his thing." Well, that doesn't speak very well of
Coach Del Rio's character either. The coach respects a man who disrespects the country?
Seahawks'
Bennett to sit during national anthem for entire NFL season. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said he
plans to sit during the national anthem for the entire season after staying on the bench for the anthem during Seattle's
first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday [8/13/2017]. Bennett said he was motivated by the events
in Charlottesville and wanted to speak out on racial injustice. On Sunday [8/13/2017], Bennett remained on the bench with
a towel around his shoulder pads while the rest of his teammates stood for the anthem.
BLM,
Spike Lee, and Colin Kaepernick Jointly Degenerate Into Total Farce. A guy who theatrically refuses to stand
for the national anthem, who praises a communist dictator, and whose girlfriend publicly depicts an NFL owner as a slave
owner pleases ESPN moonbats like Max Kellerman and Skip Bayless immensely but will chase away fans. But we are expected
to believe that no team has signed him due to racism, despite most NFL players being black. Meanwhile, Kaepernick is
said to have turned down at least one offer, presumably so he could stoke the phony racial controversy in hopes of starting a
bidding war among teams eager to prove how politically correct they can be. The Kaepernick spectacle is phony and
pathetic, like all things leftist.
NFL
Source: Kaepernick Turned Down At Least 1 Contract To Play Up The Race Card. Colin Kaepernick is still a free agent,
and an NFL inside source told The Daily Caller Monday that the former 49ers quarterback has no one but himself to blame.
Politicize
Sports, Pay the Price. When players get political, it turns out that fans can get political right back.
After months of speculation and piles of anecdotal evidence, market-research company J. D. Power has weighed in with real
data. After surveying 9,200 fans, researchers found that "national anthem protests were the top reason that NFL fans
watched fewer games last season." The protests were never popular. A September 2016 Reuters poll indicated that a
super-majority of 72 percent of Americans believed the protests, led by Colin Kaepernick, were "unpatriotic," but evidence
that his protest had an impact on ratings was spotty, at best. Now that's changed.
ESPN's
Kellerman: NFL 'Injecting Politics' Into Games With Nat'l Anthem. ESPN commentator Max Kellerman raised
some eyebrows by claiming that the NFL is "injecting politics" into games simply by having a pregame performance of the
national anthem. The discussion on "First Take" centered around a Seattle Seahawks player comparing Colin Kaepernick to
Muhammad Ali for his refusal to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner last season. Kellerman argued that Kaepernick, who
remains a free agent after his controversial boycott, "did not go looking for a protest" and is not obligated to stand for
the anthem.
Michelle
Obama gets standing ovation at ESPYs. Former first lady Michelle Obama was greeted by a standing ovation when
she honored the late Eunice Shriver at the ESPYs on Wednesday night [7/12/2017].
A
tale of two first ladies and troubling media bias. Last night, Michelle Obama was the honored guest of the
annual ESPY awards. Naturally, the media collective was head over heels with praise and admiration.
Kaepernick
Skips Fourth Of July Celebrations, Travels To Ghana To Gain 'True Independence'. Football player Colin
Kaepernick refused to celebrate the Fourth of July, choosing instead to travel to Ghana to experience "true independence."
Kaepernick, famous for kneeling during the National Anthem, released a video Tuesday showing his travels to the African nation.
He visited his "home," Ghana, because he couldn't celebrate a day that oppressed the rights of his ancestors in America.
"How can we truly celebrate independence on a day that intentionally robbed our ancestors of theirs? To find my independence
I went home," Kaepernick tweeted.
The Editor says...
Now that you're "home" in Africa, perhaps we'd all be happier if you stay there.
I
Told You Testosterone Would Make Women's Sports More Interesting. As has been widely reported recently, a
female wrestler in Texas — Mack Beggs — has won the state championship in her division largely due to
the fact that she has a significant competitive advantage: she's taking steroids (testosterone). Once upon a time, such
behavior was widely considered cheating. In fact, some of the biggest scandals in sports history involve behavior virtually
identical to that of Mack Beggs. (Alex Rodriguez took testosterone.) In fact, due to the widespread problem of "doping"
(taking performance-enhancing drugs) in the world of athletics, in 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency was created. Clearly
(and always) on the list of banned substances: testosterone. In spite of being an endogenous (naturally occurring)
anabolic androgenic (promotes male characteristics) steroid, testosterone use among athletes is prohibited if administered from
outside the body.
Nearly
One-Third of Americans Boycotting NFL Because of Black Lives Matter Protests: Poll. Nearly one-third of
American adults say they are less likely to watch a National Football League game because of the growing number of Black
Lives Matter protests that are happening by players on the field, a Rasmussen poll found. Thirty-two percent polled
online and by telephone said they're willing to skip NFL games this year because of player protests over racial issues, the
pollster said on Tuesday [10/4/2016].
Colin
Kaepernick hosts Black Panther Party-inspired youth camp. Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback
who started a movement of kneeling during the national anthem to highlight racial injustices in America, quietly hosted an "I
Know My Rights" camp for children of color over the weekend. Mr. Kaepernick and a small group of his friends had
been secretly planning the camp at Impact Hub Oakland in Oakland, California, in the hopes of teaching minority children how
to deal with racial discrimination, police brutality and a variety of other social issues, the New York Daily News' Shaun
King exclusively reported.
Poll:
NFL Ratings Down Due To National Anthem Protests. There are many reasons why the NFL's ratings are down in 2016.
You may be dismissive of the very idea that the backlash to the national anthem protests, sparked by the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick, has
played a role in the NFL's TV ratings, which have dropped by about 12 percent year-over-year. To continue to dismiss
that is to blatantly ignore legitimate data on the subject.
ESPN
Loses Subscribers, Colin Kaepernick Can't Understand Why. Traditionally not strange bedfellows, ESPN and
Monday Night Football should make for a nice, natural fit. However, the bed they made together appears to have
caught fire, and the anthem-kneeling, social-justice-warrior love child they created now dumps gasoline on the flames.
Nielsen made their subscriber numbers public, delivering apocalyptic results for both ESPN and the NFL. ESPN lost 621,000
subscribers in the last month, and ESPN's Monday Night Football fell by 24%.
Fans
watching fewer NFL games cite protests as primary reason. Ratings in the NFL, while still stronger than any
other challenger on the television landscape, continue to decline, and a new survey by Yahoo Sports and YouGov discerns
several reasons why. In a survey of 1,136 Americans who identified themselves as NFL fans, 29 percent said they
are watching fewer NFL games.
NFL
ratings plunge could spell doom for traditional TV. Football, America's biggest prime-time powerhouse, has been
thrust into a crisis this fall, with dwindling ratings sparking questions over whether it can remain a gold mine for
television in an age when more Americans are abandoning traditional TV. Network executives have long used the National
Football League's live games as a last line of defense against the rapid growth of "cord-cutting" and on-demand viewing
upending the industry. But now, the NFL is seeing its ratings tumble in the same way that the Olympics, awards shows
and other live events have, falling more than 10 percent for the first five weeks of the season compared with the first five
weeks of last season. A continued slide, executives say, could pose an even bigger danger: If football can't
survive the new age of TV, what can?
The Editor says...
Football can survive and thrive again, if the players will keep their left-wing America-hating political opinions to themselves. Especially if the well-compensated
football players complain about how tough their lives are. On the other hand, maybe it's better in the long run if the popularity of football diminishes greatly.
Football is a mixture of idolatry and vanity. Football players are not heroes. They are mercenary gladiators. The game of football leaves many young
players paralyzed every year, and many older players with lifetimes of irreversible brain damage. If television falls out of favor with the viewing public, that
could only be a good thing, unless you work at a television station.
Bills fans
chant 'tackle the Muslim!', spear dummy with Colin Kaepernick jersey, afro. Tough crowd. As San Francisco
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick prepared for his first start of the season — and first real action since become
the face of a national anthem controversy — Buffalo Bills fans prepared to welcome him to their city.
Colin
Kaepernick: The Flag Is Just A Piece Of Cloth. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick believes
that the flag of the United States is nothing more than simply a piece of cloth. "At the end of the day the flag is
just a piece of cloth and I am not going to value a piece of cloth over people's lives. That's just not something I can
do, it's not something I feel morally right doing and my character won't allow me to do that," Kaepernick told reporters in
response to criticism from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to The Star.
NFL
tries to reassure teams as TV ratings drop. The National Football League has sent a memo to team owners seeking
to ease concerns about the ratings decline that has hit football this fall. Through the first four weeks of the season,
NFL viewership has declined 11 percent, and among the crucial adults 18-49 demographic that advertisers covet, ratings are
down 12 percent.
FS1's
Whitlock: 'Hyper-Progressive Movement That Has Lurched Into Sports' to Blame for Low NFL Ratings. Thursday [10/6/2016] on
Fox Sports 1's "Speak for Yourself," co-host Jason Whitlock blamed "hyper-progressive" sports media for the decline in NFL ratings this
year. Whitlock explained that while sports culture is conservative, progressivism in the media is "leading the conversation" in
sports, thus "turning people off."
Ratings
Fumble for NFL Surprises Networks, Advertisers. Once considered immune to the audience erosion plaguing the
television industry, ratings for National Football League games have slipped through the first four weeks of the season.
Boycott Leftism.
College athletic departments, which once did not care a hoot about political correctness, now have either cadres of the left as their
spokesmen or have utterly cowed and terrified administrators who dare not say a word against the messages of the left. The college
football players who enter the NFL find the same insinuation of leftist cant into every crevice of professional football. Although
the dopey former San Francisco 49ers' insulting behavior during the National Anthem is a conspicuous example of leftist venom, the
cringing fear of offending the left seems to terrify everyone in football. Well, let football be terrified instead of offending
those Americans who watch football on television and pay for tickets to football games and buy sporting equipment endorsed by football
players. There is evidence that this is happening.
From
Greek tragedy to American therapy. Second-string San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick apparently assumes that his
wealthy team can afford to pay him nearly $20 million a year to sit on the bench, without much caring that he can't be bothered to stand up
for the National Anthem. But victimhood is a good career move. Kaepernick went from being a washed-up quarterback to being a much-publicized
social justice warrior — a veritable Noam Chomsky in cleats opining on over two centuries of American criminal justice. He was once fined for
reportedly smearing a fellow NFL player with the N-word, but now as a victim himself, Kaepernick can no longer be a victimizer.
Poll:
32% skip NFL over Black Lives Matter player protests. The growing number of player protests at National
Football League games, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement and San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has prompted
nearly a third of Americans to turn the games off, according to a new survey. Rasmussen Reports revealed Tuesday [10/4/2016]
that 32 percent of American adults say they are "less likely" to watch a game because of the expanding protests over how blacks
are treated, especially by police.
Politics
Has Ruined Everything Fun. [Scroll down] Before we could kick off the season, a fading star named Colin
Kaepernick had some kind of epiphany that he could change the world by sitting out the National Anthem. The right vs.
left media made Colin's sit-out national headlines for weeks — he has the right, 1st Amendment vs. he's an
ungrateful millionaire spitting on the country that made him great, and on and on. But they miss the point: I
don't care. Whatever these sports icons think, I really and truly don't care. Just play ball.
Allen
West: Election Is Referendum On Obama's Failures. Former Congressman Col. Allen West calls the
athletes expressing anti-Americanism "deplorable, despicable and disgusting." Specifically about NFL players, "When I look
at these privileged, little, spoiled princes getting multi-million dollar contracts," West wonders "what is it about America
that has oppressed you?" He couldn't help but notice that on the opening day for the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell fined
players $6,000 for honoring 9/11 on their cleats, while 49ers player Colin Kaepernick can wear socks depicting police as pigs
without sanction.
NFL
Ratings Continue to Plunge in Third Week of National Anthem Protests. For the third consecutive week, ratings
for the National Football League (NFL) have plummeted, as players continue anti-American protests during the playing of the
national anthem. This week's drop-off also coincided with the Monday broadcast of the first presidential debate between
Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton. Ratings for Sunday Night Football
featuring the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys scored a 12.9 Nielsen rating, down from the game's 13.7 rating last week.
America's Versailles Set.
Take the case of Colin Kaepernick, the back-up quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who makes $19 million a year (or about
$20,000 per minute of regular season play). He has been cited by National Football League officials in the past for his use
of the N-word, yet he refuses to stand for the pregame singing of the national anthem because he believes that his country is
racist and does not warrant his respect. His stunt gained a lot of publicity and he now sees himself as a man of the
revolutionary barricades. A number of other NFL athletes, as well as those in other sports, have likewise refused to
stand for the national anthem to express solidarity with what they see as modern versions of the oppressed peasantry.
But Kaepernick and his peers make more in one month than many Americans make in an entire lifetime.
Eagles
players Malcom Jenkins, Steven Means and Ron Brooks raise fists during national anthem. Athletes' protests of
police brutality during the national anthem continued prior to Monday Night Football between the Eagles and Bears.
Cameras showed Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins, Steven Means and Ron Brooks standing together with their right fists raised
in the air during the song.
Clinton's
Samantha Bee Problem. [Scroll down] It isn't just late-night TV. Cultural arenas and institutions that
were always liberal are being prodded or dragged further to the left. Awards shows are being pushed to shed their genteel
limousine liberalism and embrace the race-gender-sexual identity agenda in full. Colleges and universities are increasingly
acting as indoctrinators for that same agenda, shifting their already-lefty consensus under activist pressure. Meanwhile,
institutions that were seen as outside or sideways to political debate have been enlisted in the culture war. The tabloid
industry gave us the apotheosis of Caitlyn Jenner, and ESPN gave her its Arthur Ashe Award. The N.B.A., N.C.A.A. and
the A.C.C. — nobody's idea of progressive forces, usually — are acting as enforcers on behalf of gay and
transgender rights. Jock culture remains relatively reactionary, but even the N.F.L. is having its Black Lives Matters
moment, thanks to Colin Kaepernick. For the left, these are clear signs of cultural gains, cultural victory.
But the scale and swiftness of those victories have created two distinctive political problems for the Democratic Party.
This man is now pretending to be the victim of the trouble he stirred up:
Kaepernick
says he has received death threats. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick told reporters on Tuesday
[9/20/2016] that he has received death threats in the weeks since he began his national anthem protest.
If You Respect America, Find Something Else to Do Sunday
Afternoons. Kaepernick disease continues to spread. Thanks to the encouragement of the people in charge,
it is completely engulfing the NFL. Tomorrow night the entire Philadelphia Eagles team is planning to use the national anthem
as a pretext to make a spectacle of their contempt of America: [...] To watch these overpaid, hyper-privileged thugs openly display
their hostility to everything we revere on the grounds that they are "oppressed," when in any other country they would be scraping
by doing manual labor, is too much to swallow.
NFL's
$4.6 Billion TV Bounty May Be At Risk Due To Kaepernick Fiasco. The National Football League will rake in
roughly $4.6 billion in television fees from CBS, ESPN, NBC, Fox and DirecTV that it will equally share with its 32 teams
this year. The NFL commands such a rich bounty because advertisers pay up for football's huge ratings. The
television money is a big reason why the average NFL team is worth $2.34 billion. But the National Anthem protests that
began with San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and has since been copied by other players has angered many fans.
And that anger may be one reason why the television ratings for the first week of NFL games were bad.
James
Woods: 'I Will Never Watch the NFL Again'. Actor James Woods is fed up with the way the NFL has handled Colin
Kaepernick's National Anthem protest — so much so that he has vowed never to watch a league game ever again.
The 69-year-old conservative actor ripped the league in an impromptu interview with TMZ this week.
NCAA
moving 2016-17 championships from North Carolina. The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced Monday [9/12/2016]
it will relocate all 2016-17 championship events from North Carolina due to concerns about civil rights protections in the state.
This decision comes after the NCAA Board of Governors in April adopted new requirements for sites that would be hosting or bidding on
events in all divisions. The resulting survey required bidding locations to prove how they would protect athletes, coaches and fans
from discrimination. NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a news release following the decision that the organization's events need to
promote inclusiveness, and current legislation in North Carolina does not guarantee that commitment will be fulfilled.
NCAA
to move 7 championships from North Carolina due to HB2 law. The NCAA announced on Monday [9/12/2016] the relocation of
seven previously awarded championship events — including NCAA tournament games in Greensboro — from the
state of North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year as a result of the state's controversial House Bill 2. The law
prevents cities and counties from passing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And public schools must
require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. The NCAA sent a
questionnaire in July concerning discrimination issues to the local organizing groups in cities that have been named to host
any NCAA event in any of its three competitive divisions or are interested in staging them.
Seattle
Seahawks consider team-wide national anthem protest at NFL opener. The Seattle Seahawks are considering
following Colin Kaepernick and making a protest of their own before their NFL opener against Miami on Sunday. A number
of Seahawks players said they had been discussing their options, and suggested they might be prepared to take a team-wide
stand before the weekend's game. Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane, who sat for the national anthem during the
Seahawks-Raiders pre-season game last Thursday, said he will continue not to stand, while receiver Doug Baldwin and
linebacker Bobby Wagner said they had discussed a protest in the locker room.
Read more,
watch ESPN less. In a commencement address at the University of Central Florida, [ESPN President John] Skipper
bemoaned the fact that, according to a recent survey, the average American spends three hours a day in front of a television
and just 19 minutes reading. "Please watch a little less television," the TV executive implored. I would modify
his plea slightly. Please watch less ESPN. Why? Because [...] ESPN has taken the side of the political left.
Controversy
Erupts After NFL Quarterback Converts To Islam and Refuses To Stand for National Anthem. A controversy has
erupted today because San Francisco 49er's Quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand up during the playing of the
national anthem. [...] So what exactly is going on. Well, there's a little more to the story than most are willing to
accept. The media and the NFL will avoid these discussions like the plague, but [...] During the off-season
Colin Kaepernick converted to Islam. Colin Kaepernick is also engaged to Black Lives Matter activist and hip-hop radio
personality DJ Nessa Diab. Black Lives Matter as an activist group is synonymous with promotion of authentic Islam.
NFL
quarterback sits during national anthem, calls America racist. If you can't play, enter the political
fray. That could be the only possible explanation for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sitting in protest of the
national anthem. Kaepernick has dominated headlines in the past year for a massive regression in his production, now
stuck fighting for a job with Blaine Gabbart. No serious analyst expects the 49ers to be competitive, despite
Kaepernick leading the Niners to the Super Bowl during the 2012 season. But this time, he's making headlines
on purpose for reasons other than football.
NFL
quarterback refuses to honor National Anthem because America 'oppresses people of color'. The 49ers' quarterback Colin
Kaepernick says that he refused to stand up during the National Anthem because America is racist. [...] Apparently he's been
protesting the oppression of people of color by refusing to play well for a long time too!
49ers
fans burn Kaepernick jerseys to the national anthem after the $114 million sport star refused to stand 'to protest black
oppression'. Furious San Francisco 49ers fans are burning Colin Kaepernick jerseys after he refused to stand
for the national anthem as part of a racial protest. One fan even played The Star-Spangled Banner as he set light to
the Number 7 shirt, watching with his hand on his chest as it was reduced to ash. Another, who uploaded a video to
Instagram under the handle Nate3914, called the $19million-per-year athlete an 'ignorant son of a b****.'
San
Francisco police union demand NFL, 49ers 'denounce' Colin Kaepernick's 'attacks' on cops. Cops in San Francisco
are throwing an all-out blitz at Colin Kaepernick. The head of the San Francisco Police Officers Association fired off
an angry letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and 49ers boss Jed York over the quarterback's "ill-advised statements."
Kaepernick started a national debate over the weekend when he said he was no longer going to stand for the national anthem.
While the cop union understands Kaepernick has the right to sit on the bench while "The Star-Spangled Banner" plays before games,
it's his reason for doing so that has San Francisco police demanding an apology.
Colin
Kaepernick won't stand for the national anthem anymore. Fun fact about Kaepernick that I didn't know until this
morning: His Twitter feed is full-bore SJW, with one retweet after another of Black Lives Matter champion Shaun
King. It takes a lot to boost your wokeness quotient when you're already that woke. But he figured out a
way! This is what would be called a "base strategy" in politics, in that it's bound to impress and catalyze people who
already sympathize with him at the expense of alienating literally everyone else.

National
Felon League Denies Cowboys Request To Honor Murdered Officers. The National Football League —
sometimes mocked as the "National Felon League" due a rash of violent crimes committed by current and former players in
recent years — has denied a request by the Dallas Cowboys to wear a small sticker on the back of their helmets
which would honor the five Dallas Police officers murdered by a domestic terrorist affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement.
NFL
Found a Cause They Won't Endorse: the Dallas Police Department. As written here before, there was never any
real expectation that the NFL would allow the Dallas Cowboys to wear the "Arm-in-Arm" decals on their helmets, to show
support for the Dallas Police Department during the regular season. Yet, there was some hope that the league would at
least allow the Cowboys to wear the decals during the preseason. Well, it appears that isn't happening.
The Editor says...
One can easily surmise that if the shooter had been white, and all the murdered cops had been black, female, homosexuals, or former professional
athletes, the NFL would have had no objections. You can bet that if the cause was breast cancer, AIDS, or UN earthquake relief, the NFL would have
had no objections. The NFL has to draw the line somewhere, of course; otherwise, football players will eventually look like NASCAR drivers.
Even so, one must wonder what their criteria are.
New
NCAA Rule: Championship Sites Must Allow Cross-Dressing Men To Use Women's Bathrooms, Showers. The
National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that all cities and college campuses seeking to host future NCAA
championship events must fill out a lengthy, seven-page questionnaire about whether men can use women's bathrooms and waltz
into women's locker rooms to take showers. The NCAA Board of Governors announced its new bathroom-and-locker-room
survey on Friday [7/22/2016].
WNBA
Stars Angered Over League Fines for 'Black Lives Matter' Protest. Prominent WNBA players and Black Lives Matter
organizers are angered over the league's decision to fine three teams and their players for protesting gun violence.
The Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury were fined $5,000 each, and each player was fined $500 for wearing
black T-shirts during pre-game warm-ups in the wake of recent shootings by and against police officers. According to
WNBA officials, the shirts violated the league's uniform policy. According to that policy, all shirts worn during
warmups must be the Adidas brand — the league's official outfitter — and may not be altered in any way.
The Editor says...
Just bounce the ball, throw the ball, and catch the ball. Spare us the political statements.
ESPN
Wastes No Time Going Political at ESPYs. You planned to have a smoke, maybe walk the dog before the ESPYs got
in full swing. Figuring that ESPN would at least recap some of the year in sports before putting on display their
craven and gratuitous sellout to radical, racial activism. Well, you guessed wrong. NBA stars Carmelo Anthony,
Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James derailed the evening of expected jockular festivities, instead redirecting the
crazy train that ESPN has become down the tracks of athlete activism.
ESPN Turns ESPY Awards Into Black Lives Matter Rally. ESPN is a
girlish, gay chat channel like Bravo that features slightly less house-flipping and slightly more homoerotic tributes to the physical male ideal.
It's evil, it's stupid, it's a waste of your time, and it's time to block the channel so that you're never tempted to give them your money ever again.
When
the NBA went all-out gay. The NBA just announced it's partnering with GLSEN, the leading gay activist educational
organization — an organization whose radical activism dates back more than a decade. How do the players really
feel about this ... especially those with conservative Christian (or Muslim) values?
After
Firing Curt Schilling for Transgender Comments, ESPN Hires LGBT Activist Abby Wambach. Curt Schilling's
politics got him fired from ESPN. Abby Wambach's politics didn't prevent her from getting hired. And neither did her
recent DUI arrest, which resulted in a guilty plea less than a month ago and admissions of past marijuana and cocaine use.
ESPN hired Wambach to analyze soccer at the Olympics, and venture into more contentious matters with "Outside the Lines" and on
a planned podcast called "Fearless Conversation with Abby Wambach," a program the AP describes as one in "which she promises won't
shy away from controversy."
The Left's Thought-Fascism
Hits ESPN. [Scroll down] By inclusive, ESPN does not mean ideologically inclusive. They simply mean
that if you do not kowtow to politically correct idiocies about men magically becoming women, you will not be tolerated.
ESPN is the same channel that rewarded Caitlyn Jenner, nee Bruce, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for getting a misguided boob
job, facial reconstruction surgeries and hormone treatments that will not solve his underlying mental illness. Pointing out
that Caitlyn is still a man, however, will get you fired from that same network. Not only that, but you will be memory-holed.
ESPN
Erases Curt Schilling From Baseball History. In the bad old days of the Soviet Union, Stalin, Brezhnev and the
rest would literally airbrush out of photographs those who fell out of favor. Killing them and sending family members
to Siberia did not suffice; they had to be erased from collective memory. [...] Now along comes ESPN airbrushing a game
played by former Red Sox great Curt Schilling out of a documentary on the 2004 American League Championship Series.
Unless you have been vacationing in Mars, you know that Schilling was until recently an ESPN broadcaster.
ESPN
Fires Curt Schilling — What About Liberal Offenders? About Schilling's firing, the Disney-owned
sports cable network said: "ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was
unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated." Last summer ESPN suspended Schilling for retweeting
a meme likening Muslim extremists to Nazis. Last month, he no doubt angered management for saying that Hillary Clinton
should be "buried under a jail somewhere" for her email scandal. So Schilling, to ESPN, is a serial offender.
And as a private company, it can terminate an employee for perceived offenses. OK, so Schilling has to go. But
what are the rules?
The Editor says...
Obviously the management of ESPN operates with an unusual concept of the word inclusive, if the company is
inclusive and tolerant of everyone except white guys who don't approve of homosexuality.
Curt
Schilling: ESPN Home to 'Some of the Biggest Racists in Sports Commentating'. So, Curt Schilling is
holding nothing back. Just over a week after he was fired by ESPN for being a conservative, and deigning to observe
that male bathrooms were built for people with male parts, while female bathrooms were built for people with female parts,
Schilling told the Breitbart News Patriot Forum that ESPN is home to "some of the biggest racists in sports commentating."
Here
are all the sports events California state lawmakers attended for free. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de
León was at the deciding game in Dodgers Stadium thanks to a $556 ticket — half of it paid for by a political
consulting group and the other half by a downtown Los Angeles law firm. Bay Area Assemblyman Rob Bonta got $460 tickets
to see the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets and advance to the NBA finals thanks to tickets from the chief
executive of an Oakland healthcare company. Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson) got $800 tickets to the Toyota Grand
Prix in Long Beach from a local law firm — though his form notes he reimbursed the firm $341 "to pay below the
gift limit." After the reimbursement, the total gift was worth $459 — one dollar under the limit for a gift
from a single source.
ESPN
Has a Right to Fire Curt Schilling. What Rights Do People of Faith Have? ESPN has fired Curt
Schilling. The company said that his speech went against company values because ESPN is "an inclusive company."
What's at stake here? Curt Schilling has a right to say biological men don't belong in women's bathrooms in whatever
controversial way he wants. And ESPN has a right to give Caitlyn Jenner the "Arthur Ashe Courage Award" for being a
men's sports icon who now publicly identifies as a woman. And whether we agree or disagree with Schilling's message or
ESPN's isn't the point. The bigger issue is that ESPN, like any other company, has a right to control its message,
which means it should be generally free to make employment decisions based on its values, not Curt Schilling's, and
certainly not the government's.
Curt
Schilling, ESPN and your God-given plumbing. There's no question that Curt Schilling has uttered a good number
of politically incorrect statements during his career at ESPN. The former All-Star pitcher has compared radical Muslims to
Nazis and most recently suggested that Hillary Clinton "should be buried under a jail somewhere." But it was something he
shared on social media — about transgender bathrooms — that turned out to be the last straw for ESPN.
To be blunt — he was unceremoniously fired because he has a problem with men using the ladies room.
The Editor says...
I worked in the broadcasting business from 1971 to 2019, and I can tell you this: TV sports personalities
are expected to be bombastic, opinionated, and able to extemporaneously expound at great length about the tiniest
details of professional sports. The sports nut / couch potato will little note nor long remember anything
that even his favorite sportscaster says. Therefore, if he (or she) occasionally sheds some light on a
politically incorrect topic, that offense should be forgiven; for indeed, that's how live television goes
sometimes. Once in a while, the truth pops out.
The NFL's Bullying
of Believers. Do you think a pastor who's against same-sex marriage should be forced to perform same-sex
weddings? Do you believe that a religious college should be allowed to hire only people who agree with the religious beliefs
of the college? Do you think no one should be forced to attend a wedding he doesn't agree with? If so, cheers:
The National Football League basically thinks you're a bigot.
NBA
may move 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte after anti-LGBT legislation passed in North Carolina. The NBA issued a
statement Thursday [3/24/2016] against the new law in North Carolina barring transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms
that do not match the gender of their birth certificate. In the statement, the NBA hinted it could reconsider hosting All-Star
Weekend in Charlotte in 2017. "The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive enviornment for all who attend our games and events.
We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles of equality and mutual respect and do not yet
know what impact it will have on our ability to successfully host the 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte."
The Editor says...
Does their logic make any sense? Man, I can't wait to see the All Star Game — and I sure hope there will be a
bunch of lesbians in the restrooms. No, exactly the opposite is more likely what most sports fans are thinking.
NFL
says Georgia religious exemptions bill might cost Atlanta Super Bowl bid. Atlanta is one of the finalists for the next two league
title games to be awarded, along with New Orleans, Miami and Tampa. The city is considered a clear favorite because of its new retractable-roof
stadium that is set to open next year. However, the religious exemptions bill could change all of that. "NFL policies emphasize
tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper
standard," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with
these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites."
The Editor says...
In other words, the last football game of the season is being used as leverage to promote the left-wing homosexual agenda.
Building a billion-dollar stadium is even less sensible if the Big Game can never be played there — and all because those heartless
bigots in Atlanta won't allow men in the women's restrooms. I've never purchased a ticket to an NFL game, and I can assure you that I
never will.
Louisiana
Dem Gov. Edwards warns: Agree to proposed tax hikes or LSU football could be sacked. Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is suggesting the
legendary Louisiana State University football team's 2016 season might be canceled — and other doomsday consequences — unless the GOP-led legislature
swiftly passes a package of tax increases to help close a looming $940 million budget shortfall. [...] "That means you can say farewell to college football
next fall," Edwards said in the address.
The Editor says...
Oh, no. Not that! It's easy to use football as a lever to help raise taxes, since football is seen as an indispensible necessity — at
any cost! Sky high taxes, concussions and broken necks are nothing compared to the prospect of a world without football!
The halftime show at the big game is more politicized than ever:
Beyonce
gets political at the Super Bowl. Beyonce issued a strong political statement with her halftime show at Super Bowl 50 on Sunday [2/7/2016] with backing dancers dressed as
members of armed rights group the Black Panthers. The superstar brought the dancers on for her new single Formation which is being widely touted as a rallying cry for the Black Lives
Matter movement. At one point during the song, the supporting performers formed an 'X' on the field — thought to reference black rights campaigner Malcolm X — and then
raised their arms in the air in a gesture referencing the black power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Fox
News slams Beyoncé's 'outrageous' Super Bowl performance. Fox News wasn't too happy with Beyoncé for her Super Bowl performance.
The 20-time Grammy winner appeared on the field during halftime and performed her new song "Formation" — which has become a "rallying cry for the Black
Lives Matter movement," according to the network — and was joined by backup dancers wearing Black Panthers-style outfits.
Super Bowl Halftime Show Was Black Version of KKK Rally.
The Black Panthers weren't just lunatic moonbats who hated white people. They were also violent sociopaths who engaged in a wide array of
crimes including murder. Judging by their rhetoric, the New Black Panthers aren't any better. [...] Malcolm X was best known for
rejecting the peaceful tactics advocated by MLK in favor of his "by any means necessary" approach to achieving black power. [...] Why can't
regular Americans even watch a football game without being told to hate themselves for their race?
Sheriff
Clarke on Beyonce's Halftime: Would It Be Acceptable If 'A White Band Came Out In Hoods and White Sheets? Commenting on Beyonce's halftime show
during Super Bowl 50, Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke said he did not want to make "a huge deal about it," but since Beyonce and the other dancers
were wearing "Black Panther-type uniforms," would it be acceptable if "a white band came out in hoods and white sheets in the same sort of fashion?"
Sheriff Clarke added that "the Black Panthers are a subversive hate group in America."
Update:
Anti-Beyonce Rally Planned For Next
Week At NFL Headquarters. Controversy continues to swirl around Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show performance. The pop
superstar is being accused of using her performance to attack police officers. "I think it was outrageous that she used it as a platform
to attack police officers, who are the people who protect her and protect us," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told CBS2's Dick Brennan.
ESPN
says there is too much patriotism in sports. There is a natural affinity between sports and the military. Both
unambiguously reward hard work and excellence. Both teach personal responsibility for success or failure, and celebrate the
virtues of courage, earned-pride, and honor. Sporting events are also among the biggest occasions when Americans come
together in their communities to enjoy the fruits of freedom that our service men and women provide. So I've never found it
surprising or objectionable that most sporting events in America start out with the national anthem or that we often take the
opportunity of sporting events to honor those who fight for all of us. But ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant opines in the
current issue of ESPN The Magazine that this is all an "uncomfortable change in sports in post-9/11 America."
Proof that the big game is a political lever:
'Rumblings'
of Super Bowl Boycott After Houston Equal Rights Measure Rejected. The controversial measure would have established nondiscrimination protections
for LGBTQ people in the city, among other groups. "I fear that this will have stained Houston's reputation as a tolerant, welcoming, global city," Houston
Mayor Annise Parker said at an election night watch part in downtown Houston. "I absolutely fear that there will be a direct economic backlash as a result
of this ordinance going into defeat and that's sad for Houston."
The Editor says...
Quite the reverse is true: Tourists aren't going to visit any city where there is no difference between the men's restroom and the ladies' restroom.
Update:
NFL
Refuses to Move Super Bowl from Houston After 'Bathroom Ordinance' Rejected. The NFL will not move the 2017
Super Bowl from Houston after the losers in the so-called "bathroom" ordinance demanded on Wednesday that the league cancel
or move the annual event a day after Houston voters overwhelmingly rejected the HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance) proposition.
Senators
accuse NFL of 'paid patriotism'. Two GOP senators accused the NFL and other top sports leagues of making the Pentagon
pay for ceremonies honoring troops at games. Some $6.8 million of taxpayers' money went to leagues and teams for contracts
with staged events, including the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, paid $49,000 by the Wisconsin Army National Guard to sponsor the
Sunday performances of "God Bless America," and $20,000 to the NFL's New York Jets to honor national guard troops.
The Houston Texans' Uday Aboushi Publicly
Supports Terror Attacks on Israel. NFL football player Oday Aboushi arrived in South Florida this weekend to play against the
Miami Dolphins, this time in the uniform of the Houston Texans, as the team he previously played for, the New York Jets, waived him in the
offseason. And while the team he plays for may have changed, his actions as an anti-Israel Muslim extremist remain fully intact.
Leftist propaganda is everywhere:
Every
Day, A New Way to Hate. In channel surfing my way to the British Open, I lit for a
moment on the usually sane ESPN show, "Mike and Mike." Co-host Mike Greenberg was off that morning
so 28 year-old sub Ryan Ruocco sat in with regular Mike Golic, a former NFL defensive tackle.
Flaunting his liberal chops for the suits upstairs, Ruocco gushed about the Arthur Ashe Award. Of
course, he did not call the winner "Bruce Jenner." He refused to even say "Jenner." It was
always "Caitlyn Jenner," over and over. Those who dared say "Bruce" Ruocco surely would have
lumped — in his words — with "the critics who hate." Bingo! There
it was. Our progressive friends had discovered the glory of transgenderism about fifteen minutes
ago, and they were already prepared to brand critics of any sort as "haters," the collective term for
the non-elect in their perverse neo-puritan presbytery.
Army
hero slams 'greed' of New York Jets for being paid to salute troops at home games. It
all boils down to Gang Greed. That was how a hero soldier honored by the Jets reacted to news
that the team and 13 other NFL franchises were paid by the National Guard and the Department of
Defense to salute the troops at home games. "I think it's pretty shameful that millionaires and
billionaires take money from the service," Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Waiters told The [New York
Daily] News. "It's just greed," said Waiters, an Army medic who served two tours of duty in
Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Report:
Defense Dept. paid NFL millions of taxpayer dollars to salute troops. The United
States Department of Defense paid the National Football League more than $5 million in taxpayer
money between 2011 to 2014 to honor U.S. soldiers and veterans at games, an investigation revealed
this week. [...] But instead of purely heartfelt salutes to soldiers from hometown football teams,
the halftime segments were reportedly part of paid promotions under federal advertising contracts
for the military.
Laura Ingraham
to St. Louis Rams: 'Shut Up and Play'. "I don't know about you, but when I watch
football, I want to watch football," Van Susteren said at the top of the segment Monday evening
[12/1/2014]. "I don't want to watch someone's political agenda shoved down my throat, whether I'm
in agreement with it or not." The host went on to ask why there weren't similar displays in reaction
to the Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal, asking, "Why ruin football with politics and controversy?
It's just a game."
NFL says it won't discipline
Rams players for Ferguson protest. The NFL will not adhere to a request from the St.
Louis Police Officer's Association to discipline St. Louis Rams players who did the "hands up, don't
shoot" pose used by protesters in Ferguson, Mo. during pre-game introductions on Sunday. [...] The
police officer's association issued a letter late Sunday condemning the players' actions as
"tasteless, offensive and inflammatory" given a grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police
officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of black teenager Michael Brown.
Police angry at 'hands
up' gesture by St. Louis Rams players. A group representing police in St. Louis says
it's infuriated after five St. Louis Rams players raised their hands Sunday in solidarity with
protesters upset at Michael Brown's death. The St. Louis Police Officers Association says it's
"profoundly disappointed" with those football players who sent a silent but strong message before
playing Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.
St.
Louis Police Demand Rams Punish Players for 'Hands Up, Don't Shoot' Pose. Before
Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders, several St. Louis Rams players entered the field with a
"hands up, don't shoot" pose, a reference to the shooting death of Michael Brown, which has roiled
nearby Ferguson, MO. Guess who didn't appreciate that: the St. Louis Police Officers
Association, which is demanding that the team apologize and the players be punished.
Rams players use 'hands
up, don't shoot' pose while taking field. Five St. Louis Rams players took the field
for Sunday's [11/30/2014] home game against the Oakland Raiders with a "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" pose
that has been used by protestors in Ferguson, Mo., and across the country recently.
St.
Louis police group demands punishment for Rams players in Ferguson protest. A St.
Louis police officers' group called on the NFL to punish five Rams players who stood with their
hands raised before trotting onto the field for pregame introductions Sunday [11/30/2014]. The St. Louis Police
Officers' Association said it was "profoundly disappointed" with what it called a "display that police
officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory." It called for the players
involved to be disciplined and for both the league and team to issue a "very public apology."
The Editor says...
I can see how the lowest-class unemployed simpleton in the streets (with nothing to lose) might be drawn into a
stunt of this sort, but not a well-paid professional athlete. The participants in this case
can't conceal their identity, and their employer can't be happy about the publicity.
If you owned Babe Ruth's bat, would you let this guy touch it?
Obama swings Babe Ruth's bat at Baseball
Hall of Fame. President Obama turned tourist at the Baseball Hall of Fame Thursday [5/22/2014], employing a time-tested strategy of
embracing sports when the going gets tough in politics. Obama cradled Babe Ruth's bat and examined Joe DiMaggio's glove at the
shrine to America's pastime in upstate Cooperstown — while trying to boost his own batting average with the public.
Unionizing
College Sports Pits Unions Against Socialist Principles. The recent controversy over efforts to unionize
college athletes rests on the presumption that those who receive scholarship money are in fact employees. Unions
see themselves standing for the little guy against the interests of the rich employer. However, far from advancing
the goals of socialism, unionization of college sports would make the rich richer, and the poor poorer, in the world of
college athletics.
Northwestern
University football players to receive maternity coverage under Obamacare. You probably heard by now that the National
Labor Relations Board (NRLB), in their infinite wisdom, put the stamp of approval on college football players being treated as full
time employees with the right to unionize. Well, I suppose everything comes with a few unintended consequences, [...]
College Football
Unionization Decision Opens a Can of Worms. A National Labor Relations Board official has given
the green light to Northwestern University football players to form a union. The March 26 decision
by the NLRB's Chicago regional director, Peter Sung Ohr, held that scholarship football players are "employees"
for purposes of federal labor law. [...] While Ohr's decision makes sense on an intuitive level —
players are paid to perform a service and are therefore employees — it leads to more questions than
answers. For example, if players are employees, do their scholarships now constitute taxable income?
Can athletic departments, many of which are organized as non-profit corporations designed to promote amateur
athletics, continue to accept tax-deductible donations from alumni? And will other labor laws, including
overtime and worker's compensation, now apply to football players?
NLRB
Rules in Favor of Student-Athlete Unionization. A regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled
Wednesday [3/26/2014] that scholarship athletes should be considered "employees" with rights to unionize under federal law.
The decision stems from an attempt by the Northwestern University football team to form a labor union.
Reports:
Northwestern football players overwhelmingly vote to reject unionization. The regional NLRB's (immediately
appealed) March ruling that Northwestern University football players are employees of the school, and are therefore
entitled to form a union [...] precipitated today's vote — the official results of which likely won't be known
for months, or even years, due to a lengthy anticipated appeals process. The unionization push has become a hot topic
in sports media and a political lightning rod.
NYPD Union To
Join Lawsuit Against NFL Gun Ban. The New York Police Department's Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) will join
Minnesota police unions' lawsuit against NFL gun ban. According to the New York Post, SBA president Edward Mullins said the
NFL's policy barring off-duty officers from carrying guns into games "is a violation of any state laws that allow off-duty cops to
carry their guns in public places."
Cuban
says Mavs wouldn't move to make way for a GOP convention in '16. The Dallas Mavericks are not willing to relocate potential
playoff games from American Airlines Center to make way for the 2016 Republican National Convention, team owner Mark Cuban said Thursday.
Asked by email whether he would be willing to vacate his team's home arena to accommodate the convention, Cuban said: "No and we
won't move."
NFL Fan Blasts Hypocrisy
of Rejecting Home Defense Ad by Gun Company. It seems the Super Bowl has fallen victim to political correctness. They've
decided to ban a pro-Second Amendment — and pro-veteran — Super Bowl ad by Daniel Defense, a company that sells guns,
detailing a father who declares that he will protect his family. "No one has the right to tell me how to defend them," he says.
The banning promoted this epic response from Colion Noir, a football fan, attorney — and NRA News commentator — who
destroys the NFL for their hypocrisy.
Anti-Gun NFL: National Frauds' League.
The National Football League's hypocrisy and selective decency standards reek like a post-game locker room. On the one hand, the organization
refuses to run a firearms manufacturer's self-defense Super Bowl ad under the guise of neutrality and taste. Yet, the professional football
conglomerate routinely revels in raunchiness, gratuitous physical violence and anti-gun screeds.
Dems Hold 'Closed-Door
Discussion' with NFL, NBA, NHL to Promote Climate Change Agenda. Climate change alarmists have turned to recruiting sports leagues to
promote eco-hysteria. Democrats in Congress are calling on the major sports leagues to promote climate change regulation and to answer what
they are doing to limit greenhouse gases. Democratic legislators from the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change announced on Nov. 20
that they will host major sports league officials in "a closed-door discussion," Nov. 21. Representatives from Major League Baseball,
the NFL, NBA/WNBA, NHL and Olympics are expected to attend.
Senator: Sports
Stadiums 'at Risk from... Sea-Level Rise Effects of Climate Change'. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) warns sports stadiums are at
risk from the "sea level rise effects of climate change," and that climate change specifically threatens hockey and skiing. "We see
significant sports facilities, the palaces of — of sport that are at risk from the storm, climate, sea-level rise effects of climate change,"
Sen. Whitehouse said today following a closed-door climate discussion with executives from the NFL, NHL and NBA.
The Editor says...
As I have shown on another nearby page, global warming is blamed for everything,
but there have always been storms. If you think the mean sea level is about to increase dramatically in the next few decades, then
don't build a stadium one foot above sea level.
Is the Left taking over sports, too? "It's funny to
listen to sports commentators on the radio who have clearly been brought up through public schools and state university journalism programs talk about
class and race and gender like a sociology major from Smith or Dennison," says R.J. Moeller, a conservative who also writes about sports and
culture. "They hate any strong male coaches. They hate any sort of patriotism associated with the sport. They're treating sports and
holding what goes on in locker rooms to the same standard they would a diversity and social justice mediation seminar on Google's campus."
Moeller's not alone in feeling this way. Others cite the "feminization" of sports and the liberal tilt of modern sports coverage as cause for
concern.
ESPN Commentator: National Anthem a 'War Anthem,' Shouldn't
Be Played Before Games. On ESPN's Around the Horn, frequent guest Kevin Blackistone said that football games should not include the
singing of the national anthem beforehand, as that added to the "military symbolism." He actually called the Star-Spangled Banner a "war anthem."
NFL ban off-duty cops from carrying guns
into stadiums. Off-duty cops are no longer able to carry their weapons to NFL stadiums according to a new policy. Texas is the only
state in which an off-duty cop can carry his gun into the stadium. When checking in, a cop can use a special gate and inform stadium officials of
where they will be seated with their gun. The head of Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police, Bob Cherry, is outraged by the NFL's decision.
NFL Bars Off-Duty Cops from Carrying Guns
into Stadiums. The National Football League has implemented a new stadium policy that would ban off-duty police officers from carrying guns into
games. Cleveland's police union president worried the policy would stop officers from assisting if a dangerous situation arose.
More
about gun free zones.
St. Louis
Cardinals remove religious symbols from pitcher's mound following fan's complaints. The St. Louis Cardinals have done away
with religion at Busch Stadium after a fan raised hell over Christian symbols on the pitching mound.
Separation of church and baseball — no doubt the courts
can find that in the Constitution, too.
Cross written in
sand not allowed to honor beloved player. Political correctness infected the world of sports recently, when the St.
Louis Cardinals' management put an end to the recent practice of etching a cross and the number 6 into the pitcher's mound to
honor a Cardinal great, the late Stan Musial. The number and cross only began appearing in recent weeks on the mound, just
behind the rubber.
NFLPA selling LGBT pride shirts.
The union that represents NFL players has launched a line of LGBT pride shirts. The NFL Players Association announced the
launch on Wednesday [6/12/2013] in conjunction with LGBT Pride Month, which is June.
Sports
Illustrated Names Obama One of the Most Powerful People in Sports. The media's adoration of Barack Obama knows no bounds.
Why I'm Canceling My SI Subscription.
I am going to let my subscription to Sports Illustrated lapse when it runs out this year. I hope lots of other people will do the same.
Like too many other publications, the magazine has become dishonest, dishonorable and even occasionally despicable in its conformist, lockstep
left-wing bias. Republican politicians and conservative positions are routinely insulted in articles having nothing to do with either.
Commie
Night at US Cellular Field. Monday night, July 25th 2011 People's World/Mundo Popular will
be holding their 6th annual tailgate BBQ and fundraiser at US Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.
Although Barack Obama will not be able to attend this openly communist fundraising event, his rabid supporter
Pepe Lozano will be on hand for the gala evening. Chicago native Pepe Lozano is a writer for CPUSA's
People's World and a key leader of the Chicago Young Communist League.
No 'cheers' for
latest Title IX decision. Title IX, a section of a federal education law passed in 1972, has
become an exemplar of the kind of government action that initially was justified but since has taken on a
life of its own grounded in legal and bureaucratic nonsense. A new federal court ruling on "competitive
cheer" versus women's volleyball makes clear the descent of Title IX into absurdity.
Seven
Places Where politics Doesn't Belong. [#7] Sporting events: Should Major League
baseball yank the All-Star game from Arizona to send a message about their immigration law? Should the
Los Suns deliberately flip off the fans who shell out 90 bucks a pop to watch them play? It's one
thing for an athlete to get involved off the field, but do we really need to know the Washington Redskins'
official position on abortion? Do the Boston Celtics need to take a stance on border security?
'Humanitarian'
owners never fight for fans. What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people were
sneaking into Suns' games without paying? What if the owners had a good idea as to who the gate-crashers
are, but the ushers and security personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their ticket stubs,
thus non-paying attendees couldn't be ejected?
Anthem Skipped
Before Monday Night Game. Sports in America start with the national anthem.
The Dolphins-Steelers game was an exception. Rushing to begin the nationally televised
matchup following a 25- minute weather delay, the NFL chose to skip the anthem Monday night
[11/26/2007] before Miami played Pittsburgh. The game started without any of the
traditional pregame ceremonies, except the coin toss, and neither team was introduced
on the public address system.
MSNBGreen: "We have turned out
the lights in the studio," NBC's Bob Costas told viewers of Sunday's Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game,
"to kick off a week that will include more than 150 hours of programming designed to raise awareness
about environmental issues."
On a typical game day, a large football stadium burns about 65,000 kilowatt
hours of electricity and 35,000 cubic feet of natural gas. The cars driving to the game spew about 200
metric tons of CO2 (and that assumes nobody's driving SUVs or RVs, which is like assuming tailgaters are
eating only sushi). There's also the electricity used to broadcast the game and to watch it. But
thank goodness Costas turned off the studio lights for a minute or two.
Other sports news and commentary:

Kyrie
Irving Demands NBA To Change Its Logo: 'Black Kings Built The League'. Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving
isn't afraid to speak his mind. And like many others across the league, Irving wants to see change when it comes to the
NBA logo. Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West has been the symbol of the league since 1969, but Irving believes that
the league should do whatever it takes to make the late Kobe Bryant the new logo.
The Editor says...
If the NBA logo shows the white silhouette of an obscure player from decades ago, or the white silhouette of this year's most overpaid black player, or the white
silhouette of The Editor tripping over his own feet while trying to bounce the ball and run at the same time, what difference does it make?
New
York's Plans to Reopen Arenas Won't Come Cheap for Fans Looking to Attend Games. New York City will soon take a
massive step on the road to recovery, with arenas and stadiums being allowed to reopen their doors for fans. But anyone
looking to see a game in person will have a very different experience than what they're used to — and will have to
dole out a lot more cash. Barclays Center is set to host the first game played with fans in New York in about 11 months,
with the Brooklyn Nets taking on the Sacramento Kings. Those looking to catch the Nets' big three of Kyrie Irving, Kevin
Durant and James Harden will have to agree to take two COVID tests before even stepping foot inside the arena.
The Editor says...
If almost nobody can attend professional sports events in person, and everyone watches online (if at all), there is no
longer any need to build billion-dollar arenas. The games can be played in a big TV studio somewhere. In the
absence of any fans, the athletes will learn how pointless their jobs are. When viewing the games at home by
themselves, the fans will eventually realize what a waste of time it is. Throw the ball.
Bounce the ball. Catch the ball. Who cares?
Valparaiso
to Drop 'Crusaders' as Team Name Because Term Is Embraced by Hate Groups. Valparaiso University announced
Thursday [2/11/2021] that is dropping the team name Crusaders, the school mascot and all logos associated with the term that
it says has been embraced by hate groups. The decision comes after a decades-long debate that had intensified recently
because groups such as the Ku Klux Klan began using the symbols and words. The school's faculty and student senates
each passed resolutions calling for the change and the university's alumni board of directors supported reassessing the
appropriateness of the team name.
The
public sector purge is beginning. Dawson Buchanan, a young Trump supporter, left a very disturbing thread on
Twitter. He asserts that he was all set to begin working for a company called Private Jet Services. However,
shortly before he was to begin, PJS fired him. He finally learned from the owner that PJS had a contract with the
National Hockey League. When the NHL learned that PJS had hired someone who had worked for the Trump company, the NHL
said PJS had a choice: Buchanan or the NHL. PJS opted for the company that helps pay its bills.
Clay Travis on the NBA's Collapsing
Ratings. The NBA's ratings collapsed again, this time on Christmas Day. The average viewership of the
five games is down 16.5% from 2019 and a massive 25.3% from 2018. Above all, the marquee primetime game, Mavs-Lakers,
fell an unheard of 32% from two seasons ago.
Buffalo
Bills' plan for testing fans could be the new normal for events. There will be fans on the stands at the
upcoming Buffalo Bills playoff game, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at his press briefing Wednesday, joined by Bills owners
Kim and Terry Pegula. "We're all so excited about the Bills," Cuomo said. It's the football team's first home
playoff game in over two decades, and 6,700 fans will be allowed inside the outdoor stadium to take part in a pilot test.
Penguins,
valued at $650M, received $4.82M COVID loan. There are 123 teams among the Big Four North American Men's Sports
Leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL). Only one of them received a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program. That team
is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who received a loan of $4.82 million through the program authorized by the CARES Act.
According to the Small Business Administration's website, "The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a
direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll."
The Editor says...
The term small business should be defined somewhere. The definition is probably
in this
incomprehensible document, but I have neither the time nor the inclination to hunt it down. Whatever the definition may be,
I doubt if the Pittsburgh Penguins qualifies as a small business.
NFL
Ratings Have Tanked And They're Not Coming Back. The pandemic has been taking a toll on everyone this year and
it turns out that professional football isn't exempt from this effect. Fewer people are tuning in for the games this
season than we've seen in a long time. This isn't just bad news for the league, of course, though it definitely eats
into their revenue. The networks that carry the games are having to adjust their advertising prices downward to make up
for the advertisers' anticipated numbers. In some cases, they're just giving away advertising slots in lieu of other
compensation. And despite most of the games having been played, the audience levels still aren't showing any signs of
rebounding with only a few weeks left in the regular season.
Cleveland
Indians Surrender On Name Change. First, we had the arrival of the "Washington Football Team." Are we now about
to see the birth of the "Cleveland Baseball Team," or will they actually manage to come up with a permanent name and a new mascot?
We should know soon enough because the Cleveland, Ohio franchise announced that they will be doing away with the "Indians" name they've
had for more than a century. And like virtually everything else in the current era, it's all about the racism.
Cleveland
to drop 'Indians' moniker: Report. "Cleveland Indians" will reportedly go the way of "Washington
Redskins." The New York Times reported Sunday evening [12/13/2020], citing "three people familiar with the decision"
that the Indians could announce the change as early as this week, though the team plans to keep its current moniker for the
2021 season. According to the Times, it wasn't immediately clear what the team's exact time frame and plans are.
Should
we build football fields around our churches? Nothing illustrates the absurdity of COVID rules and regulations
more than college football. As coaches and players make a mockery of the "scientific" and idolatrous government ritual
of mask-wearing, maybe we should ask if healthy young men who play a game in which brain injuries, broken bones, and joint
dislocations frequently occur should really be concerned about COVID-19. A Google search of "athletes who have been
hospitalized or died with COVID" finds only one, a 20-year-old, 6'3", overweight (355lb) football player. Even in this
tragedy, it is unclear from official reports if this young man died from or with COVID. What is clear is that virus
policies that allow players to go maskless as they huddle on the field but require masks when they huddle on the sidelines
have little to do with saving lives. COVID's purpose is to create a fearful and obedient American population and to
destroy America as we know it.
How
Liberals Can Destroy Football with COVID, and Why They'd Want To. Football has always been reviled by the
left. It is quintessentially American: invented in this country; played by high-testosterone, masculine men; and
operating almost entirely as a super-competitive meritocracy — i.e., the test of whether someone gets to play in
the NFL is whether he can play, and play better than the other guy. In the NFL in 2020, there's no time to humor
racism or any other "ism" in fielding a winning team; there's only the all-defining imperative priority to put the best
players on the field and "coach 'em up" to play the game well. All of those attributes of the sport are precisely why
it has been so popular in America; it has been aligned with American cultural norms and preferences for decades. The
sport's popularity is in fact proof that America as a whole is not racist — systemically or otherwise.
Americans don't root for their team or watch the NFL in huge numbers based on a team's compliance with racial hiring quotas;
they root and watch because they appreciate the best playing the best using talents that most of us don't have, and deciding
on a level playing field who wins a competitive game and who loses.
Steelers players
furious after NFL postpones Thanksgiving game against Raven. The NFL thought it made the right move by
postponing Thursday's Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game, but not everyone agreed with the league's decision. A
number of Steelers players expressed rage and frustration on Twitter on Wednesday [11/25/2020] [...]
First
all-Black NFL officiating crew to work Monday Night Football game. The NFL has assembled an all-Black
officiating crew for the first time to work Monday night's game between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, citing
the opportunity to recognize the league's history and recent practices in diversifying its officiating department.
The Editor says...
If you really care what color the officials are at a football game, you might be a racist.
Vegas
Oddsmaker Says, "The Fix Was In, Trump was Robbed, This Election Was Stolen". I've been a Las Vegas oddsmaker
and sports gaming expert for four decades — long before I became known as a nationally syndicated conservative
talk show host. I understand odds and gambling in a way that no other conservative media personality, host, or
politician in this country could. And I can tell you something is very wrong with this presidential election. It
reminds me of a fixed football game. Remember the famous fixed 1978 game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia
Eagles. The Giants quarterback handed the ball off. The running back didn't want it. It fell on the
ground. Herm Edwards of the Eagles picked it up and ran it into the end zone with seconds left for a last second
victory. Every bettor in the world knows that game was fixed.
Election
TV ratings down by 20% despite people being home during coronavirus pandemic. The numbers are in —
for Election Night ratings, that is. Despite people being stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, viewership of
the 2020 presidential election coverage on Tuesday was down by a whopping 20% compared to 2016, according to Nielsen
estimates. About 56.9 million tuned in across 21 networks during the primetime hours of 8 p.m. to
11 p.m. EDT this year as votes poured in for Joe Biden and President Trump.
ESPN
laying off 300 employees in huge pandemic-related cuts. ESPN informed employees early Thursday [11/5/2020] that
it would lay off 300 people across its business, while also not filling 200 currently open positions as the pandemic
continues to harshly impact ESPN and its parent company, Disney. The message was sent from ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro
in a company-wide memo that was obtained by The [New York] Post. The layoffs will not be concentrated in any one
department and, according to a source, will be spread across the network. On-air personnel will mostly be spared at the
moment, according to sources, though ESPN has been scrutinizing contracts more fastidiously in recent months, letting some
expire.
The Editor says...
Why would a pandemic negatively affect a cable TV network? With more people staying home, working from home,
attending classes from home, wouldn't TV viewership increase? Rather than the virus hurting ESPN, is it not more likely
that they are losing viewers for the same reason that the NFL and NBA are losing fans? By that I mean the introduction of
politics into sports. The virus is merely a convenient excuse.
See? It has nothing to do with Coronavirus.
ESPN
to Cut 500 Positions to Free Up Money for New Video Ventures. ESPN's chief said the Disney sports-media
division would eliminate 500 positions — 300 employees and 200 posts that are currently unfilled — in a
bid to free up resources for streaming, digital and other kinds of video experiences designed for the new ways fans are
engaging with sports. ESPN has already made cuts in recent years as traditional ratings and subscriber numbers have
fallen, noted ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro in a memo to employees issued Thursday. "We have, however, reached an
inflection point," he said.
NBA
Reportedly Facing Billions in Losses, Steep Decline in Player Salaries. For obvious reasons, 2020 has been a
bizarre year for sports. The stark lack of fans at games, the various "bubble" environments to try and mitigate the
spread of coronavirus, and the awkward rescheduling forcing leagues to play much later in the year than normal have all
contributed to a sports year that fans won't soon forget. But one major aspect of 2020 professional sports that fans
might want to try and forget is the deluge of "woke" social justice protests that have proliferated the major three North
American professional sports leagues.
MLB's
debt at $8.3 billion after shortened 2020 season during coronavirus pandemic. There was a lot of money lost for
Major League Baseball in 2020. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told Sportico in an exclusive interview that the 30 MLB teams
are $8.3 billion in debt from their different lenders, and they are expected to post between $2.8-$3 billion in operational
losses this year. "We are going to be at historic high levels of debt," Manfred told the website. "And it's going
to be difficult for the industry to weather another year where we don't have fans in the ballpark and have other limitations
on how much we can't play and how we can play."
The Editor says...
I don't own a television, and don't care about politicized sports, so I was unaware until this morning [10/28/2020] that the World Series was
played in the new billion-dollar baseball arena in Arlington, which is less than an hour from here. (Plus another 30 minutes
to find a parking spot.)
Is
China Now In Control of Our Flow of Information? Prior to the outbreak of the virus, those few sport figures,
who stood up for the thousands of Hong Kong demonstrators marching in the street begging to be free, were quickly admonished
and told to stand down by team owners who sought to appease their Chinese overlords. LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick
proudly took a knee and denounced our flag and their teammates in unison followed suit.
Joe
Buck and Troy Aikman Caught Slamming Flyovers During Pandemic on Hot Mic. Military flyovers are a time-honored
tradition that are greeted with roars from throngs of patriotic fans at NFL stadiums all over the country. However,
given that there are virtually no fans at any NFL stadiums during the pandemic, flyovers over near empty stadiums don't make
a ton of sense. That fact was grasped, discussed, and recorded — unknowingly — by Fox
broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck on Sunday [10/18/2020] as the pair were caught panning the flyovers on a hot mic.
The moment of honesty and truth came at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, an arena that was only filled to 25% capacity due to
Covid restrictions. Buck and Aikman did not understand why the flyovers continued despite the diminished capacity, and
they discussed it. Aikman: "That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover." Buck: "That's your
hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work." Aikman: "That stuff ain't happening with [a] Kamala-Biden ticket,
I'll tell you that right now partner."
The Unapologetic
Bias of the American Left. [Scroll down] The new defiance and the glee that comes from open bias have now
saturated our culture, as if the liberated Left in today's globalized market has no need of half the U.S.
population — the supposed loser, unwoke half. The NBA intensifies both its worship of the Chinese Communist
Party and its utter disdain for American democratic culture. When revenues crash from eroding viewership and public
criticism of collaboration with a government that institutionalized concentration camps, democracy destruction, and
state-sponsored racism and murder, the woke players fire back in defense of China, with "So what?" certainty.
Turned
off and tuned out: Hollywood and pro sports viewerships plummet. Americans are fed up with millionaire
actors and athletes preaching to us about how bad our country is, and evidence for that disgust is everywhere we look. [...]
In 2016, the NFL made a conscious decision to condone the politically charged antics of a handful of their employees/players,
and their ratings took a hit. Earlier this year, however, they decided to double down by actively participating in, and
indeed ratcheting up, those efforts. We've seen similar approaches by MLB and the NBA, to the point that we can barely
watch any of our team sports without being bombarded by politically tinged virtue signaling. And while Hollywood has
been dominated by leftists for decades, they have taken that domination to new levels recently. There are few things
more American than going to the movies or watching a ballgame, but unfortunately we can now add both to the growing list of
traditions that the Left is succeeding in trying to destroy.
How
to Save the NFL in Three Easy Steps. The National Football League stands at the edge of the abyss. It is
about to lose a multi-billion-dollar industry and the awareness of this peril is beginning to seep into the consciousness of
its members. The lack of crowds at the NFL games have gone from worrisome to absolute devastation. Breitbart
journalist Warner Todd Huston has been documenting the empty stands for several years now, and each year the situation grows
more dire. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, millions of fans had stopped watching games. The viewership numbers
get more dismal every game day. Here's where the problem really started. Basketball player Charles Barkley said
this in a famous 1993 Nike commercial: "I'm not a role model. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I
should raise your kids." The attitude of separating good character from athletic ability seeped into professional sports like
a poison. The NFL became blasé about keeping on a wife beating player or one who abused dogs. As long as
the athletes could perform, their personal lives were none of the owner's concerns. Murder? Whatever.
NASCAR
has become a microcosm of the Democratic Party. NASCAR, founded in 1948, was content to sanction races for
seventy years. Then, on October 1, 2018, it appointed Steve Phelps as its president. Of the appointment, Matt
Weaver, Autoweek columnist, wrote, "And for the first time since the decline of NASCAR's mainstream popularity began, the
sanctioning body is publicly admitting what Phelps is calling a headwind — the challenges major league stock car
racing will face as it looks to discover its place in modern American pop culture." It has become obvious what Phelps's
answer is to NASCAR's "headwind," to its looking "to discover its place in modern American pop culture." Play the race
card — no, not the auto race card, the human race card. Racism and racial inequality are thinking
characteristic of the country. As the cited commercial illustrates, NASCAR has clearly become an ideologue because it
has "an often blindly partisan advocate or adherent of a particular ideology (a manner or the content of thinking
characteristic of an individual, group, or culture)."
Mark
Cuban admits he's fine with doing business with China. Mark Cuban has condemned human rights violations, but
defended doing business with China, saying 'we have to pick our battles'. The billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner
appeared on former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly's new podcast The Megyn Kelly Show for an hour-long episode that aired on
Monday [10/12/2020] to discuss the NBA Finals, foreign business deals and the Black Lives Matter movement, among several
other topics. At one point during the heated conversation, Kelly referenced the NBA's dealings with China, a market
that is reportedly worth $4 billion to the league, and pointed out the country's controversial history of human rights
violations.
Mark
Cuban On The NBA's Support For BLM And China. Mark Cuban appeared on Megyn Kelly's podcast which was posted
today. The entire interview was 50 minutes long and Kelly spent a significant amount of time pressing him on the NBA's
support for both Black Lives Matter and China. Kellly pointed out that BLM was founded by a group of Marxists and
supports some fairly extreme views about things like the nuclear family and defunding the police. Cuban argued that the
NBA supports "the movement" not the official BLM organization which he referred to as "BLM.com." [...] "To pretend that Black
Lives Matter, dot com or otherwise, is not about defunding the police is to be dishonest," Kelly argued. "And the
basketball players who have spoken about this have made clear that they support that. They've talked about how they
want to defund and dismantle the police force," she added. "Individual players can have their opinions, right?" Cuban
said. The argument goes on like this for several more minutes.
American
Pro Sports Are Fully Woke and Going Broke. The TV ratings for the Marxist terrorist-loving, Chinese Communist Party-hugging
National Basketball Association continued their historic cratering on Friday night [10/9/2020]. Game 5 of the league's finals
series between [checks notes] the Los Angeles Lakers and the [checks notes again] Miami Heat drew less than [one-third] the TV audience
that the same game in last year's finals series enjoyed.
Lakers
Win, Ratings Tank in Unbelievable Fashion, and the NBA Cries Uncle. If Lebron James wins his 4th championship
but no one watches, did it really happen? The Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA title last night, defeating the
Miami Heat in six games. People flooded the streets in a manner that will no doubt be ignored because its not a
Trump rally, but overall, the ratings for these finals have been so bad as to belabor belief, and we aren't talking a 20-30%
drop, which would be damaging enough. Here are the numbers. Though we don't have Game 6 numbers yet,
Game 5 drew only 5.7 million viewers. In 2019, that number was an astonishingly higher 18.5 million
viewers. [...]
Viewership
for NBA Finals Finale Crashes Nearly 70%, Beaten by Random Sunday Night Football Game. On a night when the NBA
broadcast its most important game, you would think that the league would own the night. That, once again, turned out to
not be the case. The viewership numbers for the sixth and final game of the NBA Finals are in, and they are atrocious.
Game 6 drew, at its peak, 6.028 million viewers. To put that in perspective, Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals,
which included a team from Canada and did not include LeBron James, drew 18.34 million viewers.
ESPN
May Lay Off Hundreds of Employees as Part of Disney Cost-Cutting. The economic shutdown caused by the
coronavirus pandemic that already led Walt Disney to lay off nearly 30,000 employees who worked in the theme park business
may soon affect one of the company's other ventures: ESPN. The Worldwide Leader could lay off hundreds of
employees in the coming weeks, sources told Front Office Sports. On the high end, 700 employees could be gone. On
the low end, 300. While the majority of layoffs are expected to affect employees who work behind the camera, some on-air
talents are also expected to be let go, especially if they are working with an expiring contract.
The Self-Immolation
of Sports Television. Last week, Max Kellerman decided, yet again, to use a daily sports-talk show to peddle
lies about the Black Lives Matter protests that have ignited into violence and destruction across the country. [...] Equipped
with a smug grin and a live microphone, Kellerman began his crusade to cover up what any American with a smartphone and a
Twitter account has learned this summer: Black Lives Matter protests have encouraged destruction from behind a
deceitful banner of peace. Kellerman baldly stated that only "7%" of these protests have led to violence and that this
minority, however destructive, still belongs under a broad definition of peaceful protest. "Blocking traffic," he
continued, or "responding to police provocation" is what led to these innocent protesters having their marches classed as
violent. "A big percentage of that, that [which] wasn't peaceful," Kellerman said regarding violent protests, "is
actually outside agitators, extremist right-wing agitators posing as protestors to make the protests look bad."
Spare me the nonsense. Kellerman provided no evidence for his claims.
NBA
Finals Game 2 Ratings Crash by 68%, Least Watched Finals Game in History. Both Game 1 and Game 2 of the NBA
Finals between the L.A. Lakers and the Miami Heat have suffered the worst ratings crash in the league's entire TV broadcast
history. Despite the matchup including two of the league's biggest stars (LeBron James and Anthony Davis), Game 1 of
the Finals on Wednesday was a huge ratings disappointment for the NBA.
How
esports is quietly spawning a whole new generation of problem gamblers. Most large sports events came to an
abrupt halt during the pandemic, but one category was not only unaffected but enjoyed accelerated growth: esports.
Esports is the competitive playing of video games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and Fifa Football. The audiences
for the biggest titles are now enormous. Fortnite alone has around 78 million monthly players and professional
tournaments draw in many millions of online spectators. League of Legends World Championship attracted over 100 million
viewers in 2019 with a peak of 44 million. In comparison, the Wimbledon men's final 2019 peaked at around 9 million
viewers.
Obama
Crashes NBA Finals to Push Democrat Party Propaganda. On Wednesday night [9/30/2020], the NBA held a 'More Than
A Vote' campaign during the first game of the NBA finals — because the NBA is now a political arm for the DNC
first and a basketball league second. President Obama crashed the party to push for the Democrat cause —
during the NBA finals! What a complete turnoff. During the NBA Finals the NBA worked in tandem with radical
liberals of the Democrat Party in an effort to get out the vote.
Game
1 of NBA Finals sees lowest viewership in recorded ratings history. A trend of low ratings throughout the NBA
postseason has now reached the NBA Finals. And hit it hard. Game 1 of the Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers
and Miami Heat brought in only 7.41 million viewers to ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That is reportedly the
lowest viewership seen for the Finals since at least 1994, when total viewers began to be regularly recorded. The number is
down 45 percent from last year's Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, which had 13.51 million
viewers. This is the fourth straight year Game 1 viewership has gone down compared to the previous season.
American
cyclist suspended by team after pro-Trump comments. American cyclist Quinn Simmons was suspended by the
Trek-Segafredo team on Thursday after posting antagonistic comments on social media in support of President Donald
Trump. The 2019 junior road race world champion replied to a journalist from the Netherlands who had criticized Trump
on Twitter. "Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and
detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport,"
Trek-Segafredo said in a statement. "(He) will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice."
College
football coach leaves 'All Lives Matter to Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ' note, quits team. An Illinois State
football coach abruptly quit the team Thursday, leaving a note on the door while exiting the facility. Kurt Beathard,
who was the Redbirds' offensive coordinator, told The Pantagraph he let a note that said "All Lives Matter to Our Lord &
Savior Jesus Christ" before he left. Officials told the newspaper Wednesday he was no longer a part of the team and
declined to comment on why he abruptly left. His departure apparently followed an incident involving a "Black Lives
Matter" poster in the locker room.
Language
and Thought. Some of the greatest language mischief is related to terms such as racial "disparities," "gaps"
and "disproportionality." [...] For example, blacks are 13% of the population but 80% of professional basketball players and 66%
of professional football players, and on top of that, they're some of the most highly paid players. To be consistent with leftist
ideology, those numbers seem to suggest that there is some kind of injustice toward Asian, white and Hispanic basketball and football
players. But before we run off thinking that everything is hunky-dory for black players in football, how many times have you seen
a black player kick an extra point in professional football?
NFL
teams, 3 coaches fined over $1 million over masks. The NFL has fined teams and head coaches over $1 million
over their failure to wear protective face masks during games on Sunday [9/20/2020]. Following a memo last week with a
strong reminder about wearing face coverings during games, three head coaches and teams were hit with hefty fines totaling
$1.05 million, sending a clear message about how seriously the coronavirus guidelines are being taken by the league, CBS
Sports reported.
The Editor says...
[#1] Wearing a mask while playing football is like competing in a NASCAR race with a restrictor plate in the carburetor.
[#2] Does anyone at the NFL think the players are at risk from virus exposure during a football game, and that such a risk
is greater than the risk of concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments?
Two
Weeks of Loud Silence at this Year's US Open. Although the location of the U.S. Open has changed over time, it
has been played in some form or another every year since 1881. While change is nothing new for the tournament, one constant
has always remained: there have always been fans in the stands — until this year.
NBC's
Sunday Night Football Ratings Crash Nearly 30% for Woke Opening Weekend. The Sunday Night Football clash
between the Rams and the Cowboys [9/13/2020] was supposed to halt the ratings crash the NFL has experienced so far in the
2020 season. Spoiler alert, it most certainly did not halt the ratings crash.
NFL
ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' sees sharp decline in initial ratings. Initial ratings are in for the NFL's
Sunday [9/13/2020] slate of games, and the ratings decline evident from Thursday's kickoff continued through to the league's
marquee telecast, "Sunday Night Football." However, Fox Sports recorded its best ratings since 2016 for its Game of the
Week. (Further ratings for other games are not yet available.) Sunday afternoon's marquee game pitted two of the
NFL's most notable players, Tampa Bay's Tom Brady vs. New Orleans' Drew Brees. They played in an almost exclusive
window as only two other games were airing at the time. The result was a major payoff for Fox. Saints-Bucs drew a
16.2/35 overnight rating, which was Fox's highest such rating for a Week 1 game since 2016.
Is Athlete-Role Model
Concept Destroying Sports And America? Nearly 30 years ago, in a 1993 Nike commercial, professional basketball
legend Charles Barkley fired the first shot at the "role model" concept popularized by Columbia University sociologist Robert K.
Merton in the aftermath of the 1960s counterculture movement. "I am not a role model," Barkley proclaimed in the half-minute
spot. "I'm not paid to be a role model. I'm paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role
models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." [...] On the surface, the argument that young
people tend to model their behavior after high-profile, successful adults is harmless. However, in retrospect, the elevation
of athletes and other celebrities as primary figures in the formation of behavioral norms for young people helped create the
conditions that are powering the destructive Black Lives Matter movement today.
Ratings
Drop 16 Percent From Last Year For Opening Game Of The NFL Season. The ratings dropped for the NFL opener
between the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans from last year's season opener. The Thursday night
battle where the Chiefs beat the Texans 34-20 saw a 16.1% drop in the ratings when compared to the 2019 opener for the season
in the age demographic of 18-49, per Deadline in a piece published Friday [9/11/2020].
Gallup:
Public Favorability Towards The U.S. Sports Industry Has Collapsed. Gallup data out Tuesday shows public
devotion to America's great cultural pastimes has collapsed in the last year as political turmoil has infected what used to
be an escape for millions of Americans. According to Gallup, the sports industry now boasts a negative image among U.S.
adults: 30 percent see the sports industry positively, compared to 40 percent reporting a negative image.
This year's survey illustrates a 30 percent decline from American views on the sports industry a year ago, when the corporate
sports enjoyed a net positive 20 percent rating, with 45 percent of Americans reporting a favorable opinion compared to
25 percent who said otherwise.
NFL
ratings plummet in Chiefs-Texans season opener. The NFL is back. Spread the word. Thursday night's
[9/10/2020] season-opening matchup between the Chiefs and Texans attracted 19.3 million viewers between 8 and 11 p.m.
That marks a 12.3% drop from last year's ratings, which ended with an audience of 22 million. Deadline noted that the
key 18-49 demographic pulled in a 5.2 rating, falling from last year's 12.8 mark. It is likely that multiple factors
played into the drop, including social justice messages, which have been present, while audience sizes have reduced across
all sports in recent months.
Beyond
the Ratings a New Poll Shows Professional Sports Are in Real Trouble With Americans. Within a week, MLB, NBA,
and the NHL all came back with scheduled games, leading to unexpected results. League officials and media experts all
anticipated pent-up fan interest and the lack of live attendance at games would lead to higher-than-average
ratings — except the opposite has proven out. It is becoming a concern, as the NBA alone has had sharply
lower ratings, including a -20% drop for the start of their playoffs. Expectantly, the insistence of the leagues has
been that this is all a result of the pandemic — despite their early promise of rabid fan interest. The
truth is the overt anti-American activism from the athletes, coaches, and even the broadcasters has been the main deterrent.
Will
ESPN spoil college football for conservatives? On Saturday [9/5/2020], I watched football for the first time
since February. The game was Arkansas State vs. Memphis. ESPN carried it. I was having a fine time
watching a reasonably well played and closely contested game. But then, in the second quarter, the announcing
team — Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky — suddenly turned away from football to racial politics.
The two began by saying how wonderful it is that college football players have become politically engaged. [...] Are we
supposed to care? The two went on like this for at least five minutes, I think (it seemed even longer). During
that time, there was a considerable amount of action on the field including a turnover, if remember correctly.
Wischusen and Orlovsky largely ignored all of it while they riffed on political activism, racial justice, and their youthful
ignorance.
NBA Ratings In Free
Fall After Brief Boycott. The NBA's ratings are in an inexplicable free fall after a brief player-led boycott
last week. Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers was the least viewed game of the entire
series, drawing 2.92 million viewers. Last year, a showdown between the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs drew
3.49 million viewers in a comparable time slot.
77
Positive NFL Coronavirus Tests Were a False Positive Due to 'Isolated Contamination'. Over the weekend, 77
individuals from 11 NFL teams, including players, coaches and staff, tested positive for COVID-19. The results led to
altered practice schedules on Sunday, with affected players and coaches staying home and attending team meetings virtually,
ESPN reported. Then, the NFL retested the samples. Retests of all 77 samples came back negative. The NFL is
currently testing its personnel daily using a firm called BioReference, which claimed the false positives were the result of
an "isolated contamination" incident while the tests were being prepared.
Good
Riddance: NBA May Cancel Remainder of Season to Protest Jacob Blake Shooting. The NBA's COVID-shortened
season may soon get even shorter. It all began Wednesday afternoon when the Milwaukee Bucks announced that the team
would be boycotting Game 5 of its first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. [...] Professional basketball has
become such a watered-down, almost defense-free game that there are a lot of old-school basketball fans who wouldn't miss
the rest of this season at all. The ridiculous thing here is that anyone involved with the National Basketball Association
fancies themselves to be occupying any kind of moral high ground. The league is so in bed with communist China that players
and coaches are afraid to say anything in support of Hong Kong's anti-government protesters. It's been embarrassing
watching them kowtow to the ChiComs, especially during the Chinese bat-flu pandemic.
The Editor says...
Why not go whole hog and cancel next year's season, too?
As
Sports Media Cheers On Athlete Boycotts, Fans Will Walk Away. It is sometimes underappreciated how new
professional sports is as a dominant cultural phenomenon. For the vast majority of human history, sports has been
overwhelmingly played by amateurs. And even in America, it is only in the past fifty years that this professionalized
version of sport became a route to wealth. Baseball, which has the longest professional sports history in the United
States, illustrates this: the average MLB salary is up an inflation-adjusted 3,000 percent since the late 1960s.
Professional sports only became big money in the era of television, as a form of mass entertainment that did not require you
to even go to the games to have a rooting interest, and for the multinational corporations to sell you beer and trucks and
sugary gas-infused water.
The
NBA Is Done. [Scroll down] Tens of millions of Americans would love to go to work today. They want to
return to the restaurant where they wash dishes. Or the theatre where they clean the toilets. They'd love to go back
to working at the airport where they unclog the toilets. They sell hot dogs and beer at arenas where basketball games are
usually played in front of tens of thousands of fans. The players were allowed to go back to work at those arenas but not
the ticket-sellers and janitors and security guards. They can't work. [...] The players have forgotten all about those men
and women. They've forgotten about all of the people who buy those tickets and buy those shirts and buy those shoes and
watch those games giving the network all those ratings so the league can get all those millions for broadcasting all those
games. They've forgotten about me. And now, I've forgotten about them. I'm done with the NBA because
they're done with me. And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.
First week of NBA
playoff ratings down 20 percent from last season. The NBA playoffs inside the Orlando bubble averaged 1.875 million
viewers for the first week, down 20 percent from last season, per data from RealGM and ShowBuzz Daily. Industry insiders mostly
chalk up the decline in viewership to the abnormal season, with games being played in August and often during the daytime hours,
when television viewership is generally down across the board.
NBA
cancels three playoff games after players boycott over Jacob Blake shooting. I can't remember a wildcat strike
ever happening by a pro sports team, let alone an entire league, let alone during the playoffs. My guess is that it'll
alienate more people than it'll win over, but alienation never lasts very long in sports. A million fans will vow today
that they'll never watch the NBA again and most will be back next week, or at least for the Finals. And everyone who
isn't will be back next season.
Black
NBA player appears to call white player profanities during game, prompting call for his suspension. Los Angeles
Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell, who is black, appeared to make a racially-charged comment to white, Slovenian Dallas
Mavericks player Luka Doncic on Friday night [8/21/2020]. [...] Outkick columnist Gary Sheffield Jr. wrote in a piece
published Saturday that Harrell should be suspended over the alleged comment. [...] "The solution here is simple, even if
many won't like it: the NBA has to suspend Montrezl Harrell and send a message that race-based derogatory comments like
his on the basketball court won't be tolerated. The NBA has already set this precedent with gay slurs on the court, why
not with racial-based insults as well?"
Churchill
Downs says Kentucky Derby to be run without fans. There will not be any fans at this year's Kentucky Derby
after all. After previously announcing that up to 23,000 fans would be allowed to attend the world's most famous race,
Churchill Downs switched gears Friday by announcing that the Sept. 5 race will be run without spectators because of the
coronavirus pandemic.
How
the NFL is shooting itself in the foot, over and over. The NFL is on the verge of precipitous decline due to a
weakening of the three legs of the stool upon which the league's empire sits: attendance, viewership, and revenue. All
of these items are interrelated. All three are being eroded. Taken together, it is likely that the NFL has
reached its high water mark and instead of expanding, as it dreams, the league will instead diminish in importance from here
on out. As to the underlying causes for the NFL's problems, start with the most glaring: the Wuhan virus. [...] A
second reason for the NFL to be concerned is the number of fans the league's preachy leftward tilt has angered. This
factor affects not merely attendance, but also and more importantly the critical TV ratings. It is hard to say how many
fans are alienated due to the NFL's "wokeness" and its embrace of Black Lives Matter, but I hope it's significant. [...] As
advertisers see a falloff in viewership, they will cut back on spending for NFL games, hurting the league's revenue even
further.
Major
League Baseball games set to add cameras in stadiums that detect fans who are not wearing a mask. Major League
Baseball teams are looking into introducing camera technology to ballparks that could detect whether or not fans are wearing
masks in the stands. The software could also flag attendees who are wearing them improperly, like leaving their nose
uncovered or dangling them around their neck. Several teams are in talks with Airspace Systems Inc, a California
security firm with technology that can scan security footage for mask 'hot spots.'
The Editor says...
How is a baseball fan supposed to drink
a six-dollar beer
and eat a five-dollar hot dog
while wearing a mask?
Sources:
Big Ten votes to cancel football season; no games for Michigan, Michigan State in 2020. The Big Ten is expected
to cancel the 2020 college football season in a historic move that stems from concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic, multiple people with knowledge of the decision told the [Detroit] Free Press. "It's done," one high-ranking
source in the Big Ten said Monday afternoon. Sources said the presidents were in agreement Sunday to end fall sports in
the conference. Michigan and Michigan State — which both have physicians as presidents — were
among the schools in favor of ending the fall seasons, sources said.
ESPN
Subscriber Losses Accelerate as Network Returns to Woke Programming. The subscriptions and revenues for ESPN
are plummeting at an increasingly fast rate, as the network has replaced its sports coverage with leftist propaganda.
Analyst Rich Greenfield recently looked at Disney and ESPN's reports and found very troubling numbers for the sport network
and its parent company.
ESPN
investigation finds coaches at NBA China academies complained of player abuse, lack of schooling. Long before
an October tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters spotlighted the NBA's complicated relationship with China, the league
faced complaints from its own employees over human rights concerns inside an NBA youth-development program in that country,
an ESPN investigation has found. American coaches at three NBA training academies in China told league officials their
Chinese partners were physically abusing young players and failing to provide schooling, even though commissioner Adam Silver
had said that education would be central to the program, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the
complaints. The NBA ran into myriad problems by opening one of the academies in Xinjiang, a police state in western
China where more than a million Uighur Muslims are now held in barbed-wire camps. American coaches were frequently
harassed and surveilled in Xinjiang, the sources said. One American coach was detained three times without cause; he
and others were unable to obtain housing because of their status as foreigners.
Rob
Manfred warns of MLB shutdown if coronavirus spread can't be contained. Commissioner Rob Manfred reached out
Friday to union executive director Tony Clark to urge that a redoubling of efforts to adhere to COVID-19 safety and health
protocols is necessary or shutting down the season could become a strong possibility. ESPN originally reported the
conversation and multiple sources confirmed it for The [New York] Post.
ESPN
exposes human rights abuses in the NBA's China program that the NBA refuses to acknowledge and is covering up!
The ESPN just dropped a huge article exposing human rights abuses within the NBA's own program inside China and how the NBA
refuses to acknowledge it and is trying to silence current and former employees from talking about it to ESPN.
Hypocritical
Major League Athletes Wear Uniforms Made By Slave Labor. Major league athletes who kneel during the National
Anthem are wearing Nike uniforms made in Communist China using slave labor. Uniforms worn by all 30 major league
baseball teams are part of a 10-year deal between MLB, Nike, and the sports retailer Fanatics. The deal is valued at
more than $1 billion, a Forbes article reported. These uniforms are made in China by laborers who are virtual
slaves. Working conditions in forced labor camps are atrocious and would never be tolerated in the U.S. But Nike and
major league baseball teams are mute on the subject.
NBA
Commissioner Adam Silver Makes Maximum Donation to Biden Campaign. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made the
maximum personal donation allowable to Joe Biden's campaign for president, according to Federal Election Commission
records. The donation appears on the FEC's website of itemized receipts for donations to the Biden for President
committee, OutKick the Coverage reported.
UIL
pushes start of Texas high school football season back to end of September. The University Interscholastic
League has pushed the first games of the Texas high school football season for its biggest districts to the end of September
due to the coronavirus. The modifications to the 2020-2021 UIL calendar and updated COVID-19 risk mitigation guidelines
are set to take effect August 1st.
The Editor says...
Football itself is far more dangerous than the coronavirus. An average of twelve high school and college football players die every year.
[1]
[2]
[3]
If the UIL wanted to save lives, they'd do away with football.
Watch:
Dr. Fauci Throws Out First Pitch at Nats Game. If you missed Dr. Anthony Fauci throw out the first
pitch for the Washington Nationals Opening Day game against the New York Yankees, it's probably because you were looking
where the catcher sets up at home plate. Fauci's first pitch did not go to home plate. Let's say it was juuuuust
a bit outside.
Basketball
Coaches Accuse SAT Of Racism So They Can Recruit Dumb Jocks. A proposal recently released by The National
Association of Basketball Coaches requests the NCAA remove an eligibility requirement to submit SAT or ACT scores. In
the proposal, put forth by the Committee on Racial Reconciliation, the NABC decries the two tests as wicked forces of
institutional racism that should be "jettisoned for that reason alone." The committee was formed last month, and the proposal
shows it. Their argument runs like this: the SAT was created in 1926 by the eugenicist Carl Brigham. Brigham
intended the test to demonstrate the racial superiority of white blood. His project, of course, failed. Brigham
himself admitted that the test did not measure innate ability but "a composite including schooling, family background, and
familiarity with English." Unsurprisingly, Brigham's conclusion is rather convenient for his position. It does not
admit that black students contain the capacity to succeed, nor does it admit that white students are not innately superior,
only accidentally. In other words, Brigham lamented that his test was not racist enough.
Coronavirus
prompts NFL to mandate face masks for fans attending games. NFL fans will be required to wear protective face
masks while attending games this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several NFL teams, including the Cleveland
Browns, had already announced individual mandates for face masks. The league's 32 franchises are preparing to play
games with reduced attendance levels this fall.
The Editor says...
The roar of the crowd will be muffled, won't it? How will anyone guzzle beer with a mask in the way? How will anyone in the TV
audience (if any) see your painted face? Here's a better idea: Have all the fans (if any) sit six feet apart.
Attendance was already sparse last year, with all the kneeling and stuff. There's probably enough room in the stadium for six-foot
spacing. You see, six feet away from you there's a magic force field, which the coronavirus cannot penetrate!
Jason Whitlock says NBA
'doesn't really care about' US audience: 'Real agenda' is China revenue. Outkick.com contributor Jason Whitlock
on Wednesday [7/22/2020] explained why the National Basketball Association does not care about its United States audience as
the league pursues massive financial interests in China. "They've put the goals and the agenda of China ahead of the
American agenda and that's why it is so easy for them to sit on their thrones and smear America while overlooking the fact
that there is Asian slave labor, and the Communist China Party are using a Lebron James, a Colin Kaepernick, a Nike to smear
America," Whitlock told "Ingraham Angle." Whitlock said that China's plot to undermine American values is similar to
the role Communist countries played against Western civilization historically.
The
NFL Is On The Brink. The National Football League celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. This should
be a time of self-congratulation for the brutal sport, which has no similar counterpart outside the United States. The
NFL's megaprofits dwarf those of other professional sports in the U.S. The Super Bowl, not the World Series, is America's
national sports event. The league survived all sorts of crises in the past. It was one of the first professional
sports to integrate its teams, doing so in the 1920s. But the integration unfortunately ceased, and the NFL didn't
reintegrate until the mid-'40s, becoming one of the last sports leagues to embrace fully a racially blind meritocracy.
The NFL successfully absorbed the rival American Football league in 1966. So far, the NFL has avoided federal
safety regulations that could curb the incidence of physical trauma inherent in the sport. The league's owners are a
cross-section of America's most successful entrepreneurs and old-money families — many of them politically
well-connected. Yet the NFL is in deep trouble like never before.
Throw the ball. Hit the ball. Catch the ball.
I don't
miss professional sports, do you? As for baseball, let's be honest. It's boring to watch and it's even
boring to play. Ordinary people who aren't being paid to play baseball cannot endure it except by playing it co-ed with
beer, which makes practically anything endurable including watching paint dry. About 90% of baseball consists of the
players standing around while touching their privates whenever the TV camera is pointed at them or sitting around the dugout
pretending to watch the other team while touching their privates. They often spit. Why do people pay to see
millionaires lolling about in a park and hiding in a little concrete bomb shelter while spitting and touching their
privates? I can get that from the vagrants who live in the park and under the viaduct. For free. If you're
a baseball fan, your life is very small.
The
Texas Rangers' team name must go. To know the full history of the Texas Rangers is to understand that the
team's name is not so far off from being called the Texas Klansmen. I grew up in Dallas, raised on myths about Texas
Rangers as brave and wholesome guardians of the Texas frontier, helping protect innocent settlers from violent Indians.
At church, boys could sign up to be Royal Rangers, the Christian equivalent of the Boy Scouts. I still remember the
excitement when Chuck Norris himself, star of the television show "Walker, Texas Ranger," came to visit my elementary school
class. My dad sometimes took my younger siblings and me to Arlington Stadium to watch the Rangers play. No state
mythologizes itself quite like Texas, so of course, it made sense to have a team name that embodied that gauzy,
self-regarding history. At the same time, being from a Ghanaian immigrant family, we weren't that invested in baseball,
or the team name.
The Editor says...
If you don't like the Rangers, or America in general, go back to Ghana.
Washington
Post editor says Texas Rangers name 'must go,' gets slammed by critics. Washington Post Global Opinions editor
Karen Attiah argued on Monday that the Texas Rangers as a team name "must go." On the heels of the Washington Redskins
retiring its name and mascot amid pressure from critics and corporate sponsors, an op-ed written by Attiah made the case that
"to know the full history of the Texas Rangers is to understand that the team's name is not so far off from being called the
Texas Klansmen."
The Editor says...
Only a left-wing black troublemaker (and ungrateful foreigner) would look at the Texas Rangers — the cops or the
baseball team — and see Klansmen.
The
left should talk about Chicago rather than changing team names. Talk about messed-up priorities.
Apparently, Washington, one of the legendary NFL franchises, will retire the name "Redskins" to please people who get angry
about stuff like that. Seriously, have you ever met anyone who got that worked up about a team mascot?
Lou Holtz
decries push to scrap college football, other sports: 'What has happened to our way of life?'. Hall of Fame
college football coach Lou Holtz joined "The Ingraham Angle" Thursday to respond to the likelihood that the 2020 season will
be severely curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic — if there is a season at all. Holtz, who guided Notre
Dame to its most recent football national championship in 1988, told host Laura Ingraham that what Ingraham called the "war
on American life" brought by the outbreak will likely end "when we have the election."
Tone-Deaf
NBA Players Complain About Meals And Hotel Rooms Most Americans Can't Afford. As America's basketball
superstars head into the National Basketball Association's isolation "bubble" at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando,
Florida, for their delayed and shortened season, some have shared tone-deaf complaints on social media about their new living
conditions. Players are required to quarantine for two weeks before the league's July 30 relaunch, meaning they must
limit contact with others and will have all meals delivered directly to their hotel rooms. Nearly immediately after
entering "the bubble," players began sharing their complaints on social media about everything from the food and WiFi to
their resort lodging accommodations.
'Blackhawks'
name honors Native American leader, say Chicago. The NHL's Chicago Blackhawks said on Tuesday they will not
change their name or logo despite growing pressure on U.S. sports teams with Native American names and symbols to do so amid
a push to eliminate racially insensitive material.
Mark Cuban: NBA Players Kneeling
During Anthem Is 'a Beautiful Thing'. But the declining revenues for the NBA will not be a beautiful thing,
Mark! The NBA and the NFL are going to learn the hard way that insulting millions of their customers is very bad for
business. BTW, Sean Hannity is right. How did Mark Cuban become a billionaire?
Oklahoma
State's Gundy takes pay cut in wake of T-shirt flap. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy took a $1 million pay cut
and had his contract shortened by a year as part of an internal review prompted by sharp criticism from his star running back
for wearing a T-shirt promoting a far-right news channel.
The Editor says...
I wonder if that Associated Press writer has ever called any outlet a "far-left news channel."
Cleveland
Indians say they are open to discussions about future of team name. For years protesters have been calling for
the Cleveland Indians to change their team name, and now it may finally be happening. The team announced in a statement
on Friday that it's open to the possibility.
Turning
Left — The Equality of Misery, NASCAR Edition. Socialism destroyed NASCAR, now the corporation is
marketing racism for a new audience. [...] Throughout the process of extra safety, speed-limiting regulation and
corporate-driven equality, guess what else happened... yup, NASCAR races became vanilla. All drivers were created equal
by corporate decree; audience share started dropping along with speedway attendance. The racetracks saw more and more
empty seats because corporate socialism was sucking the vibrancy out of an exciting and competitive sport.
NCAA
Football Star Says He's Boycotting Team Over Coach's Shirt. Oklahoma State star running back Chuba Hubbard on
Monday launched an attack against head coach Mike Gundy's choice of T-shirts by saying he would refuse to play for the team
because of a picture that showed Gundy wearing a shirt with the logo of a network Hubbard does not like. Hubbard ran
for more than 2,000 yards and scored 21 touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2019, making him an All-American and the Big 12
Offensive Player of the Year, according to KFOR-TV.

OAN T-shirt. Only $9.95 - Order now!
Star
Running Back Threatens To Quit After Oklahoma State Coach Spotted In OAN Shirt. Oklahoma State Cowboys football
coach Mike Gundy was recently spotted wearing an OAN shirt while on a fishing trip.
The Editor says...
That's it? He wore a promotional shirt from an internet news site? If that's all you've got on
Coach Gundy, you've got nothing! If you're such a "star running back," you should be able to take
your services elsewhere.
Oklahoma
State Football Coach Mike Gundy Apologizes For Wearing An OAN Shirt. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy
has apologized for wearing a One America News Network shirt. Gundy has been under an intense firestorm after a
photograph circulated of him wearing an OAN shirt, and star player Chuba Hubbard threatened boycott the team.
The Editor says...
Big mistake. Don't ever apologize when you've done nothing wrong.
Leftist
Boycott Jobs to Force Political Agendas. [Scroll down] In the case at Oklahoma State, the cable news
t-shirt worn by Coach Gundy on a fishing trip away from the team had absolutely nothing to do with the football
program. The player just didn't like the way the cable news channel reported news. He liked a different channel
better. So, in his mind, the Head Coach is not allowed to wear a t-shirt having the logo of that channel. Which
sounds ridiculous, but Gundy and the university agreed with that sentiment. So, in reality, the players do have that
veto power.
Judge
to unseal letter that allegedly shows MLB hid Yankees' sign stealing. A federal judge on Friday [6/12/2020]
said he would unseal a letter that allegedly shows that the Yankees engaged in a "more serious, sign-stealing scheme" than
Major League Baseball revealed publicly in 2017. But the Yankees want the letter to remain secret because it would cause
"significant" damage the team's reputation, U.S. District Court judge Jed S. Rakoff wrote in a memorandum order filed Friday
in the Southern District of New York. The judge defused that part of the Bombers' argument. "Embarrassment on the
part of MLB or the Yankees about the precise contents of the letter is not particularly weighty," Rakoff wrote.
NASCAR
announces ban on Confederate flags from all events and properties. NASCAR is finally showing a red flag to the
confederate flag. In a major move for the sport of stock-car racing, NASCAR announced it is banning the confederate
flag. "The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming
and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said in a statement on Wednesday
[6/10/2020]. "Bringing people together around a love for racing and community that it creates is what makes our fans
and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
The Editor says...
Banning the Confederate flag due to political correctness is not going to bring people together. And here is another bad idea...
NASCAR
Removes Rule Mandating Team Members Must Stand During National Anthem. NASCAR has decided to remove a rule that
mandated team members must stand during the playing of the national anthem following George Floyd's death. NASCAR
eliminated the previous rule before last weekend's race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway therefore allowing for peaceful
protests during pre-race ceremonies when the "Star Spangled Banner" is played, per YahooSports.com in a piece published
Wednesday [6/10/2020].
Ray
Ciccarelli quitting NASCAR over Confederate flag ban. NASCAR turned off some fans on Wednesday by announcing it
was banning Confederate flags from all of its events. It also lost a driver. In a Facebook post, Ray Ciccarelli
wrote he was ending his NASCAR Truck Series career after this season because of the decision.
The Emperor's New
Mask. The NFL is testing face masks, not for the fans in the stands, but for the players. Is there a face
mask in the world that will stop virus particles from being inhaled when the players are inches apart and slamming into each
other at high speeds? Probably not. But masks have become a cultural symbol. That's why masks are being
deployed in environments where they're ridiculous and useless. [...] What a mask says is more important than what it does.
Yamaha's
"Remote Cheerer" brings fan applause back to empty stadiums. This week, Yamaha announced a plan to put fans
back in the stadiums for major sporting events this summer — virtually, at least. The company's new
smartphone application, Remote Cheerer, is designed to allow sports fans to cheer from home in a way their teams can hear in
the stadium. The app itself looks and functions much like a typical soundboard app you might use to summon up a Homer
Simpson D'oh! — but instead of just making a noise on your phone, it integrates the cheers of potentially tens of
thousands of fans and plays them on loudspeakers at the stadium where their teams are playing.
The Editor says...
Yes, but the stadium is still empty. Nobody is buying beer or souvenirs. Nobody is paying $25 to park the car.
Broncos
coach Vic Fangio apologizes after comments that he doesn't 'see racism at all in NFL'. Denver Broncos coach Vic
Fangio said Wednesday that his remarks about racism and discrimination in the NFL were "wrong" and apologized, saying in a
statement, "I should have been more clear and I am sorry." "After reflecting on my comments yesterday and listening to
the players this morning I realize what I said regarding racism and discrimination in the NFL was wrong," Fangio said in a
statement. "While I have never personally experienced those terrible things first-hand during my 33 years in the
NFL, I understand many players, coaches and staff have different perspectives.["]
NBA
announcer Grant Napear fired over 'All Lives Matter' comment. Grant Napear was fired by his radio station and
resigned as the Sacramento Kings TV play-by-play announcer Tuesday after his tweet that said "All Lives Matter" amid the
George Floyd protests was met with backlash. Napear, a graduate of Syosset High School on Long Island, tweeted "All
Lives Matter... Every Single One!" on Sunday after former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins asked the 60-year-old for his view on
the Black Lives Matter movement. The phrase, "All Lives Matter," is seen by many as mocking the Black Lives Matter
movement, which began in 2013 as a campaign against systematic racism and violence toward black people.
The Editor says...
If you lose your job over a perceived insult, it wasn't a job worth having.
Boston
Marathon Canceled for 1st Time in 124-Year History. Organizers said Thursday [5/28/2020] that they instead will have a
"virtual event" in which participants who verify that they ran 26.2 miles on their own will receive their finisher's medal.
The race had originally been scheduled for April 20 before being postponed for five months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In
the NFL, cowardice drives grievance. The NFL recently announced several proposals to increase diversity.
A few years ago, the NFL demonstrated its commitment to pleasing leftists by donating $100 million towards "social justice"
causes. But the left is insatiable. Shelling out truckloads of cash to grievance groups attracts more predatory
behavior than Bill Clinton and Joe Biden at a high school cheer competition. There's an abundance of white people
naïve enough to believe that appeasing Democrats will bring about a ceasefire — but it never does.
Cowardly compliance creates new targets for future shakedowns.
Kentucky
Wildcats fire cheerleading coaches after hazing, nudity probe. The University of Kentucky, which has won 24
national cheerleading titles in the last 35 years, fired all of its coaches on Monday [5/18/2020] following an investigation
into allegations of hazing and nudity. Head coach Jomo Thompson and assistants Ben Head, Spencer Clan and Kelsey LaCroix
were let go after a three-month probe into the program revealed they failed to oversee off-campus events that included hazing,
alcohol use and public nudity.
New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks
players stole $73,500 in watches, cash, cops say. NFL players and Miami natives Deandre Baker and Quinton
Dunbar have warrants out for their arrests on charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault, Miramar police announced
Thursday night [5/14/2020]. Baker, a 22-year-old starting cornerback with the New York Giants, has been charged with
four counts of armed armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault. Dunbar, a 27-year-old cornerback formerly
with Washington, now with the Seattle Seahawks, was charged with four counts of armed robbery.
Audit:
Brett Favre was paid $1.1M in Mississippi welfare funds for appearances he didn't make. Hall of Fame
quarterback Brett Favre's name has surfaced in an alleged multimillion-dollar welfare fraud scheme in his home state of
Mississippi. An audit of funds intended to assist at-need Mississippi residents alleges that the state's Department of
Human Services oversaw more than $94 million in improperly spent federal money. According to the state audit released
on Monday, $1.1 million of those funds went to Favre for appearances he did not make.
Pete
Rose accused of using corked bats by former Expos groundskeeper. Pete Rose, already banned from Major League
Baseball for gambling, is now accused of breaking another of the sport's rules. A former groundskeeper for the Montreal
Expos recently told the Montreal Gazette that Rose routinely had an Olympic Stadium staffer cork his bats in 1984. Rose
played most of the 1984 season for the Expos before he was traded back to his original club, the Cincinnati Reds, that August.
Weightlifting:
'The Mountain' Bjornsson deadlifts 501 kg to set world record. Icelandic actor and strongman Hafthor Bjornsson set a
world record for the deadlift on Saturday [5/2/2020] when he lifted 1,104 pounds (501 kg) at Thor's Power Gym in Iceland.
Bjornsson, best known for his portrayal of Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, broke
the record previously held by Briton Eddie Hall who in 2016 became the first man to lift 500 kg.
Sports
Illustrated fires star writer for 'incomprehensible, me-first' behavior during coronavirus pandemic. Sports
Illustrated has fired one of its most well-known journalists, Grant Wahl, for what parent company Maven claims is
"incomprehensible" and "me-first" behavior amid the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News has learned. In an email obtained
exclusively by Fox News, Maven CEO and founder James Heckman, said the decision to let go Wahl was borne from the
"coronavirus-driven declines in advertising revenue," resulting in a $4 million reduction in compensation from senior
leaders and what it call