The future of the NFL, is there one?

[Subber]

Very well said SUP Leave.


And now the NFL is flushing itself down the toilet.

[headmount]

There are empty seats in some stadiums but in others like here in New england it’s sold out as usual no matter what the ticket prices are or who the teams are pkaying.

I would agree that TV viewership is declining as your seeing that in revenue reports.

It most likely has somewhat to do with the politics but also the game itself, bad officiating, bad commissioner decisions, players committing crimes and barely being fined or suspended, other players being fined and suspended for ridiculous things, changes to rules are ruining the game, etc etc.

I would add to this that steroid use is causing at least some of the above mentioned crimes.  It's so prevalent and poor to criminal behavior often follows.  If anything is killing the game, it's that.

I personally feel that some guy bringing up an issue that he was only a draft pick from being saved from, gives these players much more dimension than before and makes me more inclined ( if there is no wind or surf) to watch.  I never had any affection for boxing until Ali came along.  He made it interesting to me while many people back then were much more harsh about his actions than they now are about Kap.   

Pono Bill put it in a nutshell.  We sit here safe and sound in our comfort and some get indignant about a freakin' knee?  While inner city people are going, right on, that player still cares and listens to what not only concerns us but is killing us. 

[pdxmike]

In the furor over the knee thing, Trump's criticism got lost about the increased penalties for roughness got pretty much lost.  I'm sure the NFL wasn't happy to hear that.  They take some steps to address concussions, then the president tells them publicly that they're ruining the game.  I guess you could tell the NFL, "The bad news is the president just said you're ruining the game with your roughness penalties.  The good news is nobody's going to notice he said that.  The OTHER bad news is they're not going to notice because of what he said next about the NFL, which involved telling fans to boycott the games."

[headmount]

In the furor over the knee thing, Trump's criticism got lost about the increased penalties for roughness got pretty much lost.  I'm sure the NFL wasn't happy to hear that.  They take some steps to address concussions, then the president tells them publicly that they're ruining the game.  I guess you could tell the NFL, "The bad news is the president just said you're ruining the game with your roughness penalties.  The good news is nobody's going to notice he said that.  The OTHER bad news is they're not going to notice because of what he said next about the NFL, which involved telling fans to boycott the games."

Lost in the message and messenger.

And what about a President chiming in about a game?  It's not like there's nothing else important going on. 

[PDLSFR]

Boycotting seems to be spreading as today there where at least 10 different Facebook videos of fans, season ticket holders, etc burning all their NFL teams tickets jerseys flaggs and other team related crap. Most made references to military and that freedom the overpaid players are exercising was fought for and paid for with American Patriotic lives. Its sad that kids and some adults look up to these guys as heros, but they forget that that veterans sitting in a wheelchair that lost his legs fighting for that flag is the real hero and would stand up in a heartbeat if he only could and the fact that that veteran can’t is all the more reason to stand up for him.

Funny how it’s only the NFL with this National Anthem protest bullshit, youd never see it in Hockey or other pro sports (Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing), and remember our Hockey players stand and even sing the Canadian Anthem during their games....its just plain RESPECT, something the younger generation has forgotten, I blame the participation awards and all the cry babies with their feelings hurt over things that are actually meaningless, unlike what the National Anthem means.

[Tom]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

[headmount]

Boycotting seems to be spreading as today there where at least 10 different Facebook videos of fans, season ticket holders, etc burning all their NFL teams tickets jerseys flaggs and other team related crap. Most made references to military and that freedom the overpaid players are exercising was fought for and paid for with American Patriotic lives. Its sad that kids and some adults look up to these guys as heros, but they forget that that veterans sitting in a wheelchair that lost his legs fighting for that flag is the real hero and would stand up in a heartbeat if he only could and the fact that that veteran can’t is all the more reason to stand up for him.

Funny how it’s only the NFL with this National Anthem protest bullshit, youd never see it in Hockey or other pro sports (Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing), and remember our Hockey players stand and even sing the Canadian Anthem during their games....its just plain RESPECT, something the younger generation has forgotten, I blame the participation awards and all the cry babies with their feelings hurt over things that are actually meaningless, unlike what the National Anthem means.

The NBA was fairly on fire with tweets as of the last several days.  Yes maybe the respect we grew up with has been forgotten or disregarded but there is also an increased frustration with the way things are right now within the inner city world that we have no experience with.  Outside of our comfortable online world where we have the time to banter about these assaults on our patriotic sensitivities, there is another world where they're at the end of their ropes and don't care if they bring something up at an inopportune time during the anthem.  Where they might be saying to their TV sets as these guys kneel, 'hey he came from the hood and has made himself successful but he hasn't forgotten about us and the things that are pissing us off.  Right on.'  Those people don't care if the moment is uncomfortable and inconvenient for us.  And I'll tell you, it has been much worse.  In the late 60s cities across the US were rioting and in flames.  If these 'protestors' are supplying an iota of hope for pissed off inner city people, they're doing us all a big favor. 

I remember inconvenient protests in college about Vietnam.  Those people were disrupting classes and I heard all this same argument against what they were doing back then.  But they were a significant part of our finally exiting a truly worthless war.  And make no mistake.  There are people that believe what is going on in some parts of the US is a war.  I personally have little skin in the game since watching anything is just a recipe for an adrenaline junkie like me to go to sleep.  I, as you are, am addicted to doing stuff.. in the water.

[pdxmike]

Boycotting seems to be spreading as today there where at least 10 different Facebook videos of fans, season ticket holders, etc burning all their NFL teams tickets jerseys flaggs and other team related crap. Most made references to military and that freedom the overpaid players are exercising was fought for and paid for with American Patriotic lives. Its sad that kids and some adults look up to these guys as heros, but they forget that that veterans sitting in a wheelchair that lost his legs fighting for that flag is the real hero and would stand up in a heartbeat if he only could and the fact that that veteran can’t is all the more reason to stand up for him.

Funny how it’s only the NFL with this National Anthem protest bullshit, youd never see it in Hockey or other pro sports (Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing), and remember our Hockey players stand and even sing the Canadian Anthem during their games....its just plain RESPECT, something the younger generation has forgotten, I blame the participation awards and all the cry babies with their feelings hurt over things that are actually meaningless, unlike what the National Anthem means.

Many veterans and current military personnel (and all that I know personally) are sympathetic to the protesting players.

[PDLSFR]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

Thats pretty ignorant as since when did this become just a black issue? There’s plenty of oppressed white folks and other nationalities as well.

@ pdxmike, not the ones I know (both active military and veterans young and very old), they’re pissed.

[headmount]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

Thats pretty ignorant as since when did this become a black issue?

I might be wrong but from what I've taken in this kneeling is about race and what many believe is unwarranted police behavior. towards blacks.  I'm not weighing in on whether that's valid or not.  But the ones that are protesting think it is.

[Tom]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

Thats pretty ignorant as since when did this become a black issue?

@ pdxmike, not the ones I know (both active military and veterans young and very old), they’re pissed.

Are you serious?

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people, and people of color," Kaepernick said in a press conference after first sitting out during the anthem. "To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave, and getting away with murder.

[PDLSFR]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

Thats pretty ignorant as since when did this become a black issue?

@ pdxmike, not the ones I know (both active military and veterans young and very old), they’re pissed.

Are you serious?

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people, and people of color," Kaepernick said in a press conference after first sitting out during the anthem. "To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave, and getting away with murder.

And have you seen some of the T Shirts he’s also worn... dictators and true oppressive leaders.

[SaMoSUP]

Interesting how the original issue of protest against police brutality towards the black community has been twisted to be about patriotism. Seems like a form of deflection to avoid facing the real issue.

[pdxmike]

Hell even Nascar showed everyone standing

Name one black Nascar driver, present or past.

Thats pretty ignorant as since when did this become just a black issue? There’s plenty of oppressed white folks and other nationalities as well.

@ pdxmike, not the ones I know (both active military and veterans young and very old), they’re pissed.

I'm sure there are plenty of military on both sides of the issue, which is why it's best not to think of them as acting as a unified block--i.e. being on one side or the other of this, standing if they could, etc.

[lucabrasi]

It's really a hard topic to discuss...it's just really all over the place with so many different thoughts. There are points all around. Some good, some awful......from all sides.
Kind of like the Ken Burns documentary running now from what I have seen of it......points all around.....stuff to think about.

I do wonder if the coaches for the kids leagues who got the kids to take knees (this was a week ago, not this past weekend) really talked to the kids so they REALLY knew what they were kneeling for and were able to truly decide for themselves?

"My grandpa is a 97 year-old WWII vet & Missouri farmer who wanted to join w/ those who #TakeaKnee: "those kids have every right to protest," Gilmore tweeted on Sunday.
                  I thought that was really cool. Look up the story.

Boy......I wish drinking and gambling were the only reasons I watch football or play golf but by golly if they aren't near the top. 

I don't want politics in my sports, I feel it is part of the problem as said first by Weasel.....but for some reason I am with this guy on the A's.....just the same as I am with this guy on the Steelers. Maxwell's timing was perfect and he may be the perfect person to have done it first.
 
I sure hope all this blows over.