THE NFL HAS GONE THROUGH MANY PUBLIC PERCEPTION CHANGES
MAINLY BECAUSE OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE REAL ISSUE.
I AM SORRY
FOR SAYING SPORTS ARE NOT A REAL ISSUE.
THEY HAVE BEEN
ADDRESSING/NOT ADDRESSING NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS,
SPECIFICALLY WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK.
I THINK WE HAVE AN
IMAGE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE ONE OF THESE NFL OWNERS WHEN SOMEONE
DISRESPECTS OUR FLAG SAY GET THAT SON OF A BITCH OFF THE
FIELD RIGHT NOW, IT OUT, HE IS FIRED.
HE IS FIRED.
TRUMP HAS
HIS OWN WAY OF HOW HE THINKS THAT PEOPLE THAT PROCESS SHOULD
BE DEALT WITH.
IN PARTICULAR, COLIN KAEPERNICK IS VERY FAMOUS
FOR KNEELING DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AS A PROTEST AGAINST
BRUTALITY, WHICH SEEMS FAIR, BUT IT'S REALLY GOTTEN UNDER A LOT
OF PEOPLE'S THIN SKIN, INCLUDING OUR PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS THIS,
THERE WAS A LARGE MEETING OF ABOUT 30 PEOPLE, NFL OWNERS AND
PLAYERS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN, THIS CAME ABOUT A
MONTH AFTER TRUMP STARTED ON THE NFL THEY HAD TO ADDRESS IT
BECAUSE HE WAS RILING PEOPLE UP, GETTING PEOPLE ANGRY AND THEY
HAD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
THIS WAS RECORDED AS A
THREE-HOUR RECORDING AND THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS A, HOWEVER IT WAS
NOT RELEASED TO US.
INSTEAD, THERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM IT.
IN PARTICULAR, SOME OF THE OWNERS WERE A KIND OF A LOSS AS
TO WHAT TO DO AND SOME OF THE OWNERS ACTUALLY WHO HAVE
PUBLICLY SUPPORTED DONALD TRUMP PRIVATELY DID NOT DO THAT.
MAYBE YOU CAN JUDGE FOR YOURSELF.
ROBERT K. KRAFT THE
PATRIOTS OWNER WHO IS PUBLICLY VERY FRIENDLY WITH TRUMP SAID:
JEFFREY LURIE, THE EAGLES OWNER SAID:
THE BUFFALO BILLS OWNER TERRY PEGULA SAID:
AND BOB MCNAIR, THE HOUSTON TEXANS OWNER SAID:
EMPHASIS ADDED BY ME.
WELL, THIS IS ABOUT MONEY, AND ASSAULT ON THEIR BUSINESS
RIGHT, THAT YOU WEAPON NICEST ANTHEM THING TO THE POINT WHERE
IT IS AFFECTING THEIR BOTTOM LINE SO THE NFL OWNERS ARE
CONCERNED ON THE ONE HAND ABOUT THAT BUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT
THE DIVISIVENESS IN THE COUNTRY AND ALL THESE THINGS, I WOULD
GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR BRINGING UP ISSUES THAT ARE LEGITIMATE, BUT
I THINK THEY ARE MOTIVATED I BEING IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF A
COMMERCIAL CONCERN.
THAT IS TO SAY PEOPLE NOT GOING TO THE
GAMES OR PROTESTING THE GAMES BECAUSE OF THE TREATMENT OF AN
ANTHEM.
THEY CLEARLY HAVE CONSPIRED AGAINST POOR COLIN
KAEPERNICK.
THIS IS AN ASTOUNDING ATHLETE WHO DESERVES
TO BE ON ONE OF THESE TEAMS IN SOME CAPACITY OF NOT A STARTING
QUARTERBACK, BACKUP ONE BUT MORE TO THE POINT, THIS IS A SORT OF
ONE-DIMENSIONAL PATRIOTISM ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTHEM, HOW
LOUD USING A, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART, DO YOU
KNOW ALL THE WORDS, DO YOU HAVE TO STAND AT ATTENTION.
IT IS ALL
PAPER PATRIOTISM.
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING AN ACTUAL
AMERICAN PATRIOT.
THE THINGS THAT ARE CELEBRATED ABOUT THIS
COUNTRY, THAT REALLY MAKE YOU A PATRIOT, FREE SPEECH AND CIVIL
RIGHTS, IT IS NOT HOW LOUD YOU SEEING THIS GED AND THUMB SO I
JUST AND THIS IS THE STUFF THAT TRUMP IS GREAT AT, THE PAPER
PATRIOTISM, THE FLAG THAT IS THE BIGGEST, THE PENS THAT ALL OF
THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THEM THAT HE HANDS OUT TO EVERYONE.
THAT
IS CRAP AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A PATRIOT.
BUT THEY
HAVE WRAPPED THIS ISSUE OF PATRIOTISM WITH RESPECT FOR THE
LITERARY AND ALL THE REST ON THIS ANTHEM.
I THINK THE ANTHEM GETS PAID PLAYED TOO MUCH AND
PROBABLY SHOULDN'T EVEN BE PLAYED AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE SPORTING EVENTS.
I THINK THAT IT IS INTERESTING TO BRING UP WHAT
PATRIOTISM MEANS TO PEOPLE BECAUSE FOR ME, PATRIOTISM ISN'T
IDOLIZING OR WORSHIPING A FLAG OR ANY INANIMATE OBJECT.
FOR
ME, PATRIOTISM IS LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS.
LOOKING AT THE COUNTRY AS A COLLECTIVE AFTER TO TAKE CARE OF
ONE ANOTHER AS OPPOSED TO THIS INDIVIDUALISTIC SOCIETY THAT WE
ARE NOW KIND OF LIVING AND TAUGHT EVERYMAN OUT FOR HIMSELF,
ALWAYS LOOK DOWN AT THE LITTLE GUY, IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT WE
HAVE KIND OF LOST SIGHT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO REALLY BE AN
AMERICAN DOCTOR IT IS BECOME KIND OF THIS UNILATERAL VIEW OF
THIS EXACT VERSION OF MODERN UNITED STATES CONSERVATISM BUT
THERE IS A SAYING THAT DISSENT IS PATRIOTIC AND I BELIEVE THAT
IS TRUE.
WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER I WAS A REGULAR
JOURNALIST.
WE NEED THE FOURTH ESTATE, WE NEED SOMEONE TO
QUESTION.
WE NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE SURE EVERY AMERICAN IS
BEING LOOKED AFTER IN THE RIGHT WAY, THAT WE DON'T HAVE A TYRANT
OR A NARCISSIST RUNNING THINGS POORLY.
IF THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
ABSOLUTELY.
I GENUINELY THINK THAT REAL PATRIOTISM IS
PUTTING YOURSELF IN AN EMPATHETIC PLACE WHERE YOU WANT
TO HELP YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS, WHERE YOU WANT TO CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM, THE SAME TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU
WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GROWING UP.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
IN MY OPINION NO LONGER EXISTS AND IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE
SHIFTED AWAY FROM A COLLECTIVIST SOCIETY INTO THIS
INDIVIDUALISTIC EVERYMAN OUT FOR HIMSELF KIND OF SOCIETY.
THE
AMERICAN FLAG IS ONE THING.
IF YOU LOVE THE AMERICAN FLY, HERE
YOU.
BUT I THINK IT IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT WAYS
THAT WE CAN UNITE OURSELVES AS OPPOSED TO GIVE INTO THIS
DIVISION THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION KEEPS
PUSHING FOR THE.
TRIBALISM IS SO EASY.
IT IS.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT PART OF OUR BRAINS IS TO
JOIN A TRIBE AND BE PART OF IT.
IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THAT
WAY.
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO GRAPHIC 66.
SO WHAT WE HAVE
HERE IS COLIN KAEPERNICK AND ONE OF HIS TEAMMATES ERIC REED.
HE
IS THE FIRST TEAMMATES NEIL WITH HIM AND THEN YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
THE VIDEO OF THIS.
THERE ARE OTHER TEAMMATES AND OTHER PEOPLE
ON THE OPPOSING TEAM SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT, PUTTING UP THE
FIST, KNEELING AS WELL.
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS WHAT CAME FROM
THE PLAYERS IN THIS MEETING.
THEY WERE IN SUPPORT OF COLIN
KAEPERNICK, IN PARTICULAR, GRAPHIC 64 IF WE COULD GO TO
THAT.
ERIC REID SPOKE OUT ON HIS BEHALF.
AFTER THAT, ANOTHER PLAYER CHRIS LONG SPOKE UP FOR HIM:
TO THAT THEY WERE MET WITH
REALLY NONCOMMITTAL RESPONSES,
NOTHING MUCH FROM THE OWNERS THEMSELVES, WHICH DOES SEEM
TO SHOW YOU WHERE PRIORITIES DO LIE AT THIS POINT.
THE PRIORITIES LIE IN NOT WANTING TO ROCK THE BOAT
WITH THE FANS.
IT IS A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE AS I SAY, THAT IS WHAT IS
REALLY MOTIVATING THE REACTION AND THAT IS WHY COLIN
KAEPERNICK IS NOT ON THE TEAM.
IT IS PRETTY DEVASTATING AND I DO GIVE HIM A LOT OF CREDIT
BECAUSE I DO THINK HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS
WOULD BE AND HE STILL DID WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS RIGHT AND KEEP
IN MIND, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING HE JUST DID WITHOUT CONSULTING
ANYONE.
HE MADE SURE THAT HE WOULD CARRY OUT THIS PROTEST IN
THE MOST RESPECTFUL WAY POSSIBLE AND IT STILL DID NOT MATTER.
GOING BACK TO MY POINT ABOUT THE VISION, YOU HAVE THIS DIVISION
WITHIN THE NFL.
EVERYTHING TRUMP TOUCHES EXPERIENCES
DIVISION, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY.
I KNOW THIS IS
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE I GUESS TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT BUT I
WOULD ARGUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WHEN
THEY GO TO SPORTING EVENTS.
I WENT TO A DODGERS GAME WITH MY
HUSBAND RECENTLY AND WE WENT EARLY ENOUGH TO HEAR THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE JUST WALKING AROUND, AT
THE CONCESSION STANDS, IN THE BATHROOM.
YOU HEAR TOILETS
FLUSHING, AND IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE THAT YOU HAVE THIS
ONE PERSON WHO IS CARRYING OUT THIS PROTEST FOR A VERY
LEGITIMATE REASON THAT IS CLOSE TO HIS HEART AND HE HAS LOST HIS
CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE AS A RESULT OF THAT AND SO WHY
DO WE NOT ALL LOOK AT A HARD LOOK AT OURSELVES IN THE
WAY WE BEHAVE DURING THE NATIONAL IN THE BEFORE WE
ROOT FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF SOMEONE ELSE'S CAREER
BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE A LEGITIMATE POLITICAL POINT.