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Politics Have Invaded Football

He Who Must Not Be Named said:
I like how that opinion piece where the author gives their guess on what is causing the ratings drop is titled "CONFIRMED", as if they conducted any polls or got any feedback from the NFL or ratings firms about what's causing the decline. The author may very well be right, but that's a misleading title.

There is something amusing about people who are so fragile that they can't even handle some athletes conducting a protest for two minutes being on their TV screen because it's getting in the way of the multiple concussions and debilitating injuries.
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It's also amusing that the voices for these protests are privliged athletes who make millions of dollars and drive fancy cars just because they play a game.
And then they dismiss frequently unarmed and unprovacational black people being shot by police at alarming rates as unimportant on top of that.
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Speaking of facts, got any to show that the people who have issues with these NFL protests also ignore the police and BLM violence that is splashed all over the T.V and internet on an almost daily basis?
 
ichab said:
It's also amusing that the voices for these protests are privliged athletes who make millions of dollars and drive fancy cars just because they play a game.

Speaking of facts, got any to show that the people who have issues with these NFL protests also ignore the police and BLM violence that is splashed all over the T.V and internet on an almost daily basis?
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This whole thing is primarily about people of privilege (mostly white) not wanting to be confronted in their sacred bastion of football with the ugly reality of the plight of black Americans and other minorities who face police abuse and the risk of being shot at the hands of police, so trying to use the privileged athletes argument is particularly laughable in that context. The athletes are well aware of their privilege, and thankful for all they've been given, and they are using it to raise awareness of a problem that primarily (but not exclusively) affects those less fortunate then them.

As I pointed out in my first post in the thread, being a privileged athlete with wealth, fame, and a fancy car is no guarantee of protection from police harassment, abuse, and violence, which has affected many of them. It also affects their families and friends and fans who ask them to speak out, giving it a more personal context. Bear in mind that few of these athletes grew up wealthy, so they spent most of their childhood, teen years, and early adulthood facing the same treatment by police as the average minority citizen faces.

But besides all that, athletes have long used the bully pulpit of their fame to advocate for social causes, from Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali to the raised black power salutes at the Mexico City Olympics to more modern participation in charitable foundations and events, so why should these athletes not use their position to advocate for a significant problem facing America right now?

Veterans deciding not to watch football can't account for the numbers you allege are no longer watching because of this protest alone, and as it happens many veterans are more understanding and supportive of the protests than non-vets are, because they understand the value of the rights they or their fellow soldiers risked or sacrificed their lives for. So that leaves a lot of privileged, fragile, mostly white people whining about the fact that even if they ignore the news they still have to be confronted with the horror of black athletes briefly, peacefully, and quietly protesting a grave injustice. Let us have a moment of silence for their brave sacrifice of not spending two minutes holding their hands over their eyes and going "Nanananananananana! ALL LIVES MATTER! Not watching!" Imagine if they had to face some real difficulties like worrying that if you call the police for help or if your car breaks down they might end up being shot and killed.
 
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I don't understand why anyone is surprised that politics is invading football, or any team sport for that matter. Politicians are most definitely not the brightest bulbs in the box, and athletes run a close second.


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LordMudd said:
I don't understand why anyone is surprised that politics is invading football, or any team sport for that matter. Politicians are most definitely not the brightest bulbs in the box, and athletes run a close second.
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It's hard to take an assessment of intelligence seriously that comes in the form of generalizing tens of thousands of people indiscriminately and with no relation to the subject at hand. There's nothing happening in this protest that indicates a lack of intelligence on the part of any of the participants, and there are no politicians involved, so other than an apathetic and cynical assessment of a couple groups you don't like that I suspect was made without actually reading beyond the title, what's the point of your comment?
 
He Who Must Not Be Named said:
It's hard to take an assessment of intelligence seriously that comes in the form of generalizing tens of thousands of people indiscriminately and with no relation to the subject at hand. There's nothing happening in this protest that indicates a lack of intelligence on the part of any of the participants, and there are no politicians involved, so other than an apathetic and cynical assessment of a couple groups you don't like that I suspect was made without actually reading beyond the title, what's the point of your comment?
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There is a saying in politics: The best person for the job is the one who does not want it. I learned a long time ago in the army to recognize those who took the stripe for the money and could not handle the job

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LordMudd said:
There is a saying in politics: The best person for the job is the one who does not want it. I learned a long time ago in the army to recognize those who took the stripe for the money and could not handle the job.
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That's nice folksy-sounding wisdom that doesn't really have any practical application in the real world. Getting someone who is completely disinterested in public service to be a politician leaves you with nitwits like Donald Trump running for President.

And again, no politicians were involved in this protest, so other than just ranting about politicians, what's your point?
 
The title of this thread says Politics invades football, and politics is about politicians, so exactly which politicians are not involved? Football players are not very smart, which is a big part of the reason they have agents to negotiate their contracts. Actors aren't much better at keeping their noses out of politics, but at least make better politicians than football players do. As for Trump, I still don't believe he really wants the job, but he is a successful businessman which makes him better qualified than anyone else currently under consideration. Maybe not the best man for the job, but the best one currently applying for it. If you really need a point, it is obvious that it is not smart for a football player to get involved in politics, and politicians are living proof of that.

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LordMudd said:
As for Trump, I still don't believe he really wants the job, but he is a successful businessman which makes him better qualified than anyone else currently under consideration.
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Trump Taj Mahal Closes After 26 Years (that's happening today).

Also, he suggested people get into the mortgage market at the worst time in history to do so. Then there's also Trump Steaks and Trump Airlines that went under. Oh, and the multiple bankruptcies. Oh, and the time he took a loss of almost a billion dollars in one year in the middle of the largest peacetime expansion of the economy in history by running fucking casinos.

Jesus Christ, people. He's not good. He got a million dollars from his racist father and played the 80s real estate market in New York City. A blind chimpanzee could have done that.

If he put that first million into a fund that followed the Dow and just sit on it he'd be even richer than the 3 billion than he currently is.

His name is actually worth something, that's how he's rich today - but his name is valuable because he's an attention whore in a media market where that pays off. If he wasn't such a fucking clown he wouldn't have been asked to do The Apprentice and he'd be forgotten today.

He's famous because he's famous. He's the Kim Kardashian of politics.
 
Word is that he's probably not even a billionaire, either, if you were to put together his cash assets (not estimated to be worth much) and the values of his properties.
 
LordMudd said:
The title of this thread says Politics invades football, and politics is about politicians, so exactly which politicians are not involved? Football players are not very smart, which is a big part of the reason they have agents to negotiate their contracts.
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I'm pretty sure that most football players know the difference between politics as a concept and politicians as a profession, so maybe you're not the best judge of their intelligence.

Also, if you think negotiating multiyear, multimillion dollar contracts without the help of an agent with dedicated education and experience in contract law and the time and logistical support necessary to go up against the lawyers representing multi-billion dollar football organizations makes someone smart, you're a hopeless cause. You can be a genius and still be left befuddled by an extensive contract full of legalese and fine print if that's not your area of expertise. You seem to like downhome folksy wisdom. Have you ever heard the proverb: "A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client"? Bear that in mind next time you think about representing yourself.

Actors aren't much better at keeping their noses out of politics, but at least make better politicians than football players do.
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Why don't you work us up a flowchart of which professions are more qualified to comment on political happenings than others. We'll all be waiting for your insights with bated breath.

As for Trump, I still don't believe he really wants the job, but he is a successful businessman which makes him better qualified than anyone else currently under consideration. Maybe not the best man for the job, but the best one currently applying for it.
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He's a shit businessman and a two-bit charlatan staying afloat through multiple bankruptcies and tax evasion, million dollar "small" loans from daddy and god knows how much from the Russians (who he undermines our interests and our allies for), conning entrepreneurial students out of money with his fake university, ripping off contractors and workers, selling various failed Trump snake oil products, exploiting undocumented labor while demonizing the immigrants, using racist and sexist housing and hiring practices, illegally using his foundation which he doesn't contribute to to supplement his income, pay legal fees, bribing attorney's general's in states where they're trying cases against him, and not paying veterans what he promised.

Hillary Clinton is a better businessperson than he is, and The Clinton Foundation, which is A-rated and legitimate, helps save millions of people. And she actually gives a damn about the working class and has spent nearly half a century in some form of public service, while Trump has spent a half-century helping himself.

And that's without even getting into Trump being a sociopathic fascist white supremacist sexual predator yet. But really, quality choice all around.

If you really need a point, it is obvious that it is not smart for a football player to get involved in politics, and politicians are living proof of that.
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That doesn't even make sense.
 
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He Who Must Not Be Named said:
We'll all be waiting for your insights with baited breath.
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Bait generally stinks, which is why I don't fish.

When I was in Germany, I learned something about American politics. When Republicans are in power, the world fears us, when Democrats are in power, they laugh at us. I haven't looked at politics seriously since.


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LordMudd said:
When I was in Germany, I learned something about American politics. When Republicans are in power, the world fears us, when Democrats are in power, they laugh at us. I haven't looked at politics seriously since.
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That implies that you were looking at politics seriously when you came up with that stupid generalization, which is doubtful.
 
LordMudd said:
Bait generally stinks, which is why I don't fish.

When I was in Germany, I learned something about American politics. When Republicans are in power, the world fears us, when Democrats are in power, they laugh at us. I haven't looked at politics seriously since.


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Speaking as a non American, how did you learn this momentous fact? Because I can't say I've noticed the same, not when i was in England, Poland, Scotland or America.

The truth is many around the world do look at America with a little trepidation, but also the occasional well earned belly laugh, but not particularly when the left are in power, which is when we tend to see you as reasonable and enlightened. It's more often the right wing politicians that serve to confirm some of the worst stereotypes of the stupid, gung ho, gun loving wannabe John Wayne types.

Some laughed nervously when Bush came into power, it stopped being funny pretty quickly. Many here are feeling pretty much the same now at the possibility of "Bush on steroids" in the form of Trump. In the UK many have watched the sheer horrible spectacle of Brexit and had their bubbles burst. We don't fear thoughtful people who act responsibly, regardless of how much power they wield. We fear immature brats who can't handle that power, throwing temper tantrums on a global scale.

We realise now that democracy can produce darkly comical farces and thus Trumps ascension has an ominous air of inevitability to it. Not because hes the best candidate. There are frankly better candidates sleeping rough with needles sticking out of their arms, the man is a joke on every possible level. Rather because we've been shown how little difference things like intelligence, fact checking or any sort of measured consideration for the public good actually makes in the face of slogans, ranting and unrealistic simplicity.
 
LordMudd said:
Bait generally stinks, which is why I don't fish.

When I was in Germany, I learned something about American politics. When Republicans are in power, the world fears us, when Democrats are in power, they laugh at us. I haven't looked at politics seriously since.


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Sorry, you got that wrong. See, when Democrats are in power, we laugh with you, because most Democrats have enough self-aware humor to know when they said something silly. When the Republicans are in power, we laugh at you, because that's the only way we can deal with the fear of choleric idiots commanding the world's most powerful military.

But that's just from a German perspective. I can't really see why you think you know how the world sees you from visiting Germany.
 
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