NFL Anthem Protest: Right, Wrong or Wrongly Perpetuated?

WOULD THIS PROTEST CONTINUE IF NO ONE KNEW IT WAS GOING ON?

With the start of a new NFL season, thoughts of Super Bowl games dance in the heads of all football fans. This could be the year the Browns win their division and go all the way. Can the Eagles repeat? Will a 40 year old Brady get that last ring and ride off into the sunset as the GOAT?

Despite all the hopes of a new season, the elephant in the room is the anthem protest. First, the NFL decrees that the players must either stand for the National Anthem or remain in the locker room. Then the NFLPA cries foul and the NFL walks back the rule and says "let's talk". So, no change and no solution. Is there really a solution?

To be fair to both sides we must remember that the NFL had no "anthem stand" requirement until 2009 when they signed a lucrative contract with the Pentagon to "promote patriotic displays".

Sally Jenkins, sports reporter for the Washington Post, in a column on the 22nd of July, wrote that the "anthem debate is a case of misplaced emphasis". She goes on to say the "enforced patriotism, is not patriotism at all".

But sports in America is indeed rooted in patriotism, as it is in all the countries of the world. Soccer matches in Mexico begin with the their Himno Nacional. The people in the bleachers stand, remove their hats and proudly sing along. The players are all standing, with their hands on their hearts, singing along.

Jenkins asks the question, "How can a mild protest by at most 12 % of the league cause such a stir"?

To answer this, we must agree on two things.
     1. The average NFL fan, whether at the game, or at home is very patriotic.
     2. A player seen kneeling is perceived as being unpatriotic.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos, medalists at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, were loudly and roundly booed for their raised fists on the medalists podium. This action was widely seen as anti-American and unpatriotic. Colin Kaepernick's "pig socks" were similarly seen as divisive and unamerican by the average NFL fan.

When NFL players, in the UK and Mexico stood for the host nation's anthem yet knelt for the Anthem of the United States of America, this too was viewed as unamerican, unpatriotic and a slap in the face to all Americans.

The average American sports fan agree with Tim Suttle, a Pastor and writer from Olathe, Kansas who penned: "The liturgies of sport teach us that America is a singular beacon in a world of hackneyed imposters...The game embodies the belief that this nation stands above all other nations as more powerful, virtuous, righteous and more justified in our actions...".

We, as fans are proud of our nation! All other nations are too. As a group, we desire our athletes to be like us. We don't say, so and so the black football player, or so and so the ballplayer from the Dominican republic. No...we say my teams pro bowl Safety or our All Star shortstop. Sports fans everywhere want an escape. We turn to sports.

So..what is my solution to this morass the NFL has created? Let the protests continue. Do nothing. What can it hurt if just 12%, a figure attributed to Jenkins, of the league protest a perceived injustice.

But, the league needs cooperation from the media. Are the protests worthy of attention? Without the television constantly covering the sidelines during the anthem, there would be no attention brought to the subject. Censorship you say...during the 2017 season the networks, and even local coverage, deliberately avoided showing the empty stands. The league "suggested" coverage of this was detrimental to the ratings. Constant badgering of the players by the print media on how they "felt" about the kneeling served no purpose but to inflame an already agitated fan base.

The owners should press Goodell to minimize the effect on ratings and league attendance. The Green Bay Packers reported in their annual report to stockholders that revenue was up year-to-year and that 99% of the season ticket holders had renewed with a waiting list of 137,000.

The league is in fine shape!

So...can the Eagles repeat or what?

 

NFL Picks Week 8

I went 8-6 for the second week in a row. The Bills should have been a shoo-in but put themselves in a 21 point hole they were almost able to climb out of...almost! The Steelers lose to the Chiefs...who would have thought? Colts and Cowboys looked horrible in loses and it's a good thing the Ravens lost QB/OC communications or I would have been 7-7.

By the way, why can't Joe Flacco call his own play if there is no communication? Don't the Ravens anticipate problems and have alternative plans?

Here goes this week. Make sure you check back to see how I did against you!

Miami @ New England   (W)Patriots 28-20   Can't see the Patriots losing to the revitalized Dolphins
Detroit @ Kansas City   (L)Lions 17-13   Only because no Charles makes things tough
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta   (L)Falcons 31-30   Atlanta rights the ship and sets sail
Minnesota @ Chicago   (W)Vikings 21-20   Vikes overcome much to beat Da Bears
Arizona @ Cleveland   (W)Cardinals 31-17   Cards defense too much for the Brows
San Francisco @ St. Louis   (W)Rams 21-10   I like the Rams "D" at home
NY Giants @ New Orleans   (W)Saints 17-16   Out on a limb pick here
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh   (W)Bengals 21-17   Steelers mistake prone; Bengals capitalize
San Diego @ Baltimore   (W)Ravens 24-22   I'll give you 1 more chance Baltimore
Tennessee @ Houston   (W)Texans 14-10   TJ Yates off the bench to lead TD drive
NY Jets @ Oakland   (W)Raiders 28-21   Let down from NE game and Raiders are tough
Seattle @ Dallas   (W)Seahawks 24-17   Randall AWOL, Romo out, no Bryant...Oh oh
Green Bay @ Denver   (L)Packers 31-17   The shine comes off the Broncos
Indianapolis @ Carolina   (W)Panthers 27-17   Undefeated season for Panthers?

The Bills, Jaguars, Redskins and Eagles have the week off. They all need it.

I changed my mind at the last second and picked the Lions to best the Chiefs...oh well that one is on me. But the Falcons losing to the Bucs, in OT no less, is all on the up and down Falcons. The Broncos held Aaron Rodgers to 77 yards passing on a 14 for 22 game. That's right 77 yards for an entire game. The Broncos "D" really looked good and Peyton Manning had a pretty good game too.

Okay...I called the game with the Panthers beating the Colts but how does a professional, undefeated team such as the Panthers take a 17 point lead with 10:51 to play in the game and turn it into a nail biter that has to be won in OT? Who knows!

I had a pretty good week, finishing 10-3 to bring my overall record to 71-47.

NFL Championship Games Set

COLTS v PATRIOTS and PACKERS v SEAHAWKS

The teamswho will compete for the AFC and NFC Championship games have been decided on the field of play. The Colts will travel to New England to take on the Patriots while the Packers will head west to face the defending Super Bowl Champion, Seattle Seahawks.

The Colts upset the reigning AFC Champion Denver Broncos, in Denver, 24-13 behind Andrew Lucks' 265 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and the running of Daniel Herron who ran for 63 yards and a TD. The Indianapolis defense held Peyton Manning to just 211 yards and a touchdown while limiting the Broncos to 88 yards on the grond with no touchdowns.
Read the Grantland.com Piece here.


The upset minded Ravens were unable to overcome the play calling, Coach Harbaugh called it cheating, in the 35-31 loss to the Patriots. This despite having lead the Patriots twice by 14 points. Joe Flacco threw for 292 yards and 4 touchdowns but threw 2 interceptions, the last with 1:39 left on the clock and the Ravens driving. The Ravens defense held the Patriots to 14 yards on 13 carries but allowed Tom Brady to score on a 1 yard QB keeper. Brady meanwhile, threw for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns and Julian Edelman threw a 51 yard TD strike to Danny Amendola.

In the NFC, the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks used 3 touchdown passes from Russell Wilson and a smothering defense to defeat the 8-8-1 Carolina Panthers 31-17. Wilson threw for 268 yards with no interceptions and the the Seahawks rushed for 100 yards. Jermaine Kearse, Luke Willson and Doug Baldwin caught the TD passes from Wilson.

The Cowboys came up 1 play short of defeating the Green Bay Packers, who won the game 26-21. Aaron Rodgers threw for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions while Tony Romo tossed the ball 19 times and completed 15 of them for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Demarco Murray carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards and a touchdown but the play that will be remembered will be Dez Bryant's non catch of a 4th and 2 pass from Romo that turned the ball over to the Packers on downs and let Green Bay run out the clock.

Packers Beat Dolphins with :03 on the Clock 27-24

Aaron Rodgers threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless with 3 seconds remaining in the game to overtake the Dolphins 27-24.

Rodgers threw for 264 yards on a 24 for 42 passing day with 3 TDs and no INTs. Jordy Nelson caught 9 passes for 109 yards and 1 TD. Rodgers has 15 TDs on the year with 1 INT

The Dolphins failed on a 4th and 1 at the Packers 1 yard line in the third quarter. The Dolphins have attemped a league leading 9 4th down plays but have only succeded on 2 of them.

The Packers remain tied with the Bears atop the NFL Central with a 4-2 record.

Read the ESPN article here

Packers Send Vikings Packing

The Green Bay Packers had an easy time with the Minnesota Vikings with a 42-10 drubbing of the Vikes on Thursday night. Aaron Rodgers was 12 of 17 for 156 yards and 3 TDs in his short time on the field. Rodgers reached 200 TD passes for his career in 99 games. On;y Dan Marino reached 200 TD passes quicker as he accomplished the feat in 89 games.

Read the ESPN Rapid Reaction to the Thursday Night game here