NFL players kneeling during National Anthem

[Candor]

I don't have any problem with players exercising their 1st Amendment rights to free speech, but if I were an NFL owner, I would tell them to do it on their own time. When you are in an NFL stadium, you are now on MY time.

Granted, I think what Trump said didn't help the situation out and I expect a bunch of players kneeling today..

Kneeling this way before the flag is a sign of severe disrespect for the flag and the nation it represents. Yes this is protected under the 1st Amendment. But anyone who does it is scum.

[~Rocktar~]

NFL players (and other athletes) are forced to make a political statement because the national anthem is played in their workplace. Sit, stand, kneel, salute, don't show up... all of these are political statements. If the national anthem was played in your workplace, you would logically be afforded the same acceptance.

If you work at a Catholic Health Hospital, you are aware that you will hear Christian prayers and see Christian symbols about your workplace. If you work at the DNC then you are aware that you will see Liberal/Socialist stuff about. If you work at a titty bar, you are aware that you will see titties. All of these places have parts of their workplace that express religious, political and/or social views and people are free to work there or not. If you work for the NFL or other organization where the standard of performance is the playing of the national anthem in your workplace and that standing during it is a previously expected standard of performance, then you again can make the choice to work there or not. If you work in a profession with certain standards of performance and you do not meet them, then you should lose your job. The only reason this is an issue is that a mediocre NFL quarterback of mixed racial origin chose to self identify as black and as a self entitled, spoiled brat, like many other "celebrities" before him, chose to make an asinine political "statement" without thinking about the repercussions. Now people have called him out about it and his response is the typical "racism".

Others have chosen to join him and they too can face the repercussions. If you won't stand for the anthem, then perhaps you need to not reap the rewards of the nation who's anthem you refuse to respect. He has the right to do what he wants, no one has questioned that other than the Left imagining it in their fevered little brains. We also have the right to not watch, pay for or subsidize him. And just like the advertisers that can remove advertising from so called "controversial" youtube channels, we can do the same. NFL stars, celebrities and politicians are all our employees and we can hold them to a standard with our money and votes if only we are strong enough to do so.

[Parkbandit]

Trump is only making such an outrage to rally his uneducated 'Murica base.

It almost feels like Trump (and the Republican party in general) is focusing on fringe, divisive issues so that people don't talk about the many elephants in the room.

I'm from Texas and am sick of having bathroom bill bullshit take center stage when there are waaaaaaaay more important discussions we should be having.

I know... standing up for the American flag is such a fringe issue. Only an uneducated, alt right would even do that.

Since when is that such a divisive issue? Oh yea, when the left made it one.

[Parkbandit]

Kneeling this way before the flag is a sign of severe disrespect for the flag and the nation it represents. Yes this is protected under the 1st Amendment. But anyone who does it is scum.

It's so edgy and cool though!

[Tenlaar]

He's really riled up today, and still at it. Not acceptable! RATINGS!

[Wrathbringer]

Kneeling this way before the flag is a sign of severe disrespect for the flag and the nation it represents. Yes this is protected under the 1st Amendment. But anyone who does it is scum.

You're retarded.

[Gompers]

Hey PB, just curious - did you ever serve in the military?

[~Rocktar~]

You're deplorable.

ftfy

[Parkbandit]

Hey PB, just curious - did you ever serve in the military?

No.

Hey Gompers, just curious - did you ever graduate from a real university?

[Latrinsorm]

If you work at a Catholic Health Hospital, you are aware that you will hear Christian prayers and see Christian symbols about your workplace. If you work at the DNC then you are aware that you will see Liberal/Socialist stuff about. If you work at a titty bar, you are aware that you will see titties. All of these places have parts of their workplace that express religious, political and/or social views and people are free to work there or not. If you work for the NFL or other organization where the standard of performance is the playing of the national anthem in your workplace and that standing during it is a previously expected standard of performance, then you again can make the choice to work there or not. If you work in a profession with certain standards of performance and you do not meet them, then you should lose your job.

There are a couple things wrong here. First, at no point has any NFL player ever had in their contract (i.e. their expected standard of performance) that they would stand during the national anthem, any more than any NFL player has ever had in their contract that they be an American citizen. Sebastian Janikowski is playing in his one thousandth year in the NFL and is a Polish citizen, for example. Second, the NFL has a monopoly, which cannot be said for any hospital, political organization, or adult entertainment facility. Monopolies are not comparable to free markets, because they are monopolies, not free markets.

The only reason this is an issue is that a mediocre NFL quarterback of mixed racial origin chose to self identify as black and as a self entitled, spoiled brat, like many other "celebrities" before him, chose to make an asinine political "statement" without thinking about the repercussions. Now people have called him out about it and his response is the typical "racism". Others have chosen to join him and they too can face the repercussions. If you won't stand for the anthem, then perhaps you need to not reap the rewards of the nation who's anthem you refuse to respect. He has the right to do what he wants, no one has questioned that other than the Left imagining it in their fevered little brains. We also have the right to not watch, pay for or subsidize him. And just like the advertisers that can remove advertising from so called "controversial" youtube channels, we can do the same. NFL stars, celebrities and politicians are all our employees and we can hold them to a standard with our money and votes if only we are strong enough to do so.

Neither NFL stars nor celebrities are strictly speaking our employees, but your point stands. Why do you suppose, then, that no NFL player has suffered any repercussions for this behavior? You declare Kaepernick a mediocre player, so his current lack of employment is irrelevant. Isn't the simplest explanation that the majority of the country actually doesn't mind this? The NFL is before anything else a business, and it is run by the owners, approximately half of whom have amassed over a billion dollars.
Surely you can concede that they know more about the business of business than you or I, yes?
Surely you can agree they have taken no steps whatsoever to litigate this behavior, yes?
Surely you can recognize that they have even sent their mouthpiece to criticize your criticism, yes?

How long until you realize that this is not a left vs. right issue? Not a 50/50 proposition? That you are in fact in the dwindling minority?

Step out of the echo chamber from time to time. It will do your ears good, at least.