Posted on 05/23/2018 2:44:39 PM PDT by detective
‘My prediction is this: any team that doesn’t feel confident that all of their players will stand for the national anthem is going to keep all of their personnel off the field until after the anthem is played.’
I am so d@mned sick and tired of these spoiled a$$hats. Absolutely no manners or gratitude for those who sacrificed, and who continue to sacrifice every day to make possible their getting paid for a playground game. How about PFC Smith getting shot at somewhere on the backside of nowhere in Crapistan? Where does he get to stay in a nice cozy safe locker room? How about the 600,000 Americans who died to establish freedom for the ancestors of many of these “players”?
How about this (and the NFLPA and CBA be damned): If you don’t want to be on the field to properly render respect to the concept of America, as presented in the Flag and the National Anthem, as of the start of playing the Anthem, it’s okay for you to stay in the locker room. Your choice.
That said, if you’re in the locker room for the start of the National Anthem, here’s what your future is: You’re in the locker room for the entire game and you’re not coming out. Your paycheck is adjusted accordingly (and double for lack of decorum and expressions of disrespect while on the field during the Anthem):
1st offense = lose pay for that game and 30% of endorsements and any honoraria for public or private appearances; 2nd offense = lose pay for that game and the next one (total of 2 games), plus lose the next 30% of endorsements etc. for the season; 3rd offense = lose pay for that game and the next two (3 checks zeroed out), plus 100% of all external bennies. Better yet, out for the season and any playoffs. Any future offense after the first season - out of a job. Period.
Each player infraction also has the same effect on the assistant coach on that player’s unit (line, defense, offense, QB, special teams, etc), as that assistant coach is obviously failing to require and instill discipline in their charges.
Any 1 assistant coach protesting on their own at any game is out of a job as of the start of the National Anthem. Any second assistant coach - they’re fired and the head coach as well (head coach obviously failing to demand and instill discipline in his subordinates). Those in leadership positions set the example for the organization, and must be held to a higher standard.
I’m sure there are a lot of other Real American players who respect and love this Nation, just waiting to fill the brat’s position.
To minimize brats and teams gaming the system:
*Individual offenses follow the individual (player or any level coach). No resets by way of trades/transfers to another team, on- or off-season.
*Any single brat on a team acting out after mid-season is out for this season, and all of next season, including playoffs. No play, no pay, including the external benefits.
*Any 2 brats on a team act out in any game or combination of games during the season, the team is done for the season, along with playoffs and any profit sharing, as well as all individual endorsements. After mid-season - team is out for the remainder plus next season, including any playoffs, any profit-sharing, endorsements, etc. Includes all the team coaches, owners, and management. Team makes full restitution to all season-ticket holders.
*Any 1 team out: and the NFL loses 40% of TV money and what’s left of ticket revenue. NFLPA pays that season’s projected dues to certified Veteran-assistance organizations. By not exerting a positive influnce on their members, the NFLPA is ipso facto in cahoots with the players.
*2 teams out at any time: NFL loses all TV money and ticket revenue, incurs responsibility for and repays forthwith all taxpayer-provided funding arising from any public-private scam partnerships. Reimbursements are repaid directly to the taxpayers (tax-free) and not to the public entity involved. Anything left can go to any shareholders. NLFPA liquidated, all proceeds to Veterans’ support organizations.
*Paychecks adjusted accordingly, and claw back any signing or other bonuses from the start of their career (for the individuals, and in the case of team penalties, for everyone on the team - coaches and management included). Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing.
Severe? Yes. Draconian? Yes. Nobody has these guys on a chain gang or at the overseer’s whip here - it’s all their choice to even play the sport. However, these measures may be the last and only chance the NFL has to stanch the bleed-out. Much less gain back the entirety of the lost fan base and advertisers.
And not near as bad as the Soldier’s (and their families) sacrifices. USMC, USAF, USN, USCG, Police and Fire responders included.
As with many other situations, once you have them (and their teammates, union, coaches, management and owners) by the wallet, their hearts and minds will follow. Understand the person’s motivation, and that person is putty in your hands.
On the flip side, tickets (and other associated infrastructure - parking, food, etc.) should wind up costing what they’re actually worth (if not actually free), rather than the current extortionate and confiscatory levels that prevent families from attending more than once in a blue moon.
influnce = influence.
I need to remember to do these in Word before posting.
Alliance of American Football begins play this coming February. I wish them well.
That’s what you get when it is so easy to make a decent pro-footballer. MLB has the hardest time making an elite pro. Then NBA. The power of the unions reflect this, I think. It is the difference in the sports between learned skill and pure athletic ability. At the highest level, among the best of the best in the world, you need more learned skill for baseball, and more pure athletic ability for basketball and football. In MLB, a lot of the best players still look like regular humans. In NFL and NBA it is rare to look average and be really good in the sport at the highest level. There are less that can play baseball at the highest level, learned skill is generally more rare and time consuming than pure athletic ability.
FReegards
“…NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there was “incredible engagement” with players about the anthem issue and said any response to the union would come in direct conversation with them. He was also asked who would be the arbiter of what it means to “show respect” and said the “general public has a very good feel” for what that is without delving into a detailed discussion of what that might mean beyond kneeling.”
Here’s a clue, Roger, you spineless puke:
Personnel on the field (as should fans in the stands and other auxiliary personnel) stand at attention, facing the Flag (or music if there is no Flag). Without headgear: right hand over the heart. With headgear: right hand holding the headgear at the left shoulder, with the right hand over the heart. No smoking, joking, or grab-ass.
Ask any Drill Sergeant.
Maybe you could hire a few of them to illuminate you and the brats what “show respect” means.
Me too.
It’s too bad I’ve been in Heavy NFL Boycott mode the past 2 years.
I’d like to be able to start a boycott.
Fair enough. Point taken. I don’t begrudge players making a decent salary, although I guess that’s somewhat subjective. As a consumer, I would like to see more of a uniform merit based pay schedule. For those players who achieve star status popularity, make all the money you can make from endorsements. More power to them. The problem is the system too often encourages bad or selfish behavior from players.
The whole system is a myriad of conflicted interests. For example, why do you think it’s so hard to discipline players regarding something that should normally be completely uncontroversial? (i.e. making them stand for the national anthem). Companies in every industry enforce basic behavioral standards on their employees without any controversy. One of the problems is you have individual team owners in charge of disciplining their own teams. What might be good policy for the league as a whole (making players stand for the national anthem) might be bad for an individual team if it means sidelining one of their better players. An owner whose team has a chance to make the playoffs is unlikely to willingly sideline a key player even if doing so would be the right thing. So, there’s all kinds of conflicts of interest like this in the NFL, which players have learned to exploit.
If the NFL were really serious, the penalty for not standing would be a 6 week suspension, not some fine that these overpaid brats can easily afford to pay.
The NFL, as it’s currently constructed, will never be responsive to the wishes of fans. It’s structurally flawed. That’s what happens when you have a virtual monopoly on a given market. When that happens, being good enough is good enough.
The current NFL inherited their current market position from past owners. Major league sports is one of those products that only has room for one supplier. There can only be one premiere league in any given sport, where the best in their respective sports compete. The oligarchs who run the major leagues have inherited a privileged market position, and have been poor stewards.
How about just playing the first quarter without the players who stayed in the locker room. Don’t let them on the field until the second quarter.
If they are unable to field a team, they forfeit, and return all ticket proceeds at the gate.
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