NFL doesn't want to be political

[DavidC]

Didn't the NFL become political when players kneeled during the anthem ?.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed this week that "the NFL has denied advertising space in the Super Bowl program for a veterans group that declined to alter language about standing for the national anthem."

That group — American Veterans, or AMVETS, founded in 1944 for veterans of World War II — submitted the full-page advertisement to the NFL, NHL and NBA.

The ad was accepted for use in all-star game programs for the NHL and the NBA, but — according to CNN — the NFL "rejected the ad because it made a 'political statement.'"

McCarthy said the NFL game program "has never been a place for advertising" that could be considered political but added that "the NFL has long supported the military and veterans."

ESPN reported that the NFL has "editorial control over the content" and "asked AMVETS to consider other options for the message," including phrases like "Please Honor our Veterans" and "Please Stand for our Veterans."

But AMVETS national commander Marion Polk wasn't backing down, instead expressing his discontent with the NFL's decision.

He wrote to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that "freedom of speech works both ways. We respect the rights of those who choose to protest, as these rights are precisely what our members have fought — and in many cases died — for. But imposing corporate censorship to deny that same right to those veterans who have secured it for us all is reprehensible and totally beyond the pale."

Dave

 

[GAmes]

It isn't just veterans who should be angry about the disrespect to our flag. it should be every American citizen. Freedom of speech isn't absolute, there are limits. Just as you can't yell FIRE in a theater you can't walk up to a stranger and proclaim "yo mama a two bit ho". The NFL is dead to me.

 

[jhenderson]

I haven't watched a minute of football since all this BS. started. Haven't missed it one bit.

 

[Tractorat]

It isn't just veterans who should be angry about the disrespect to our flag. it should be every American citizen. Freedom of speech isn't absolute, there are limits. Just as you can't yell FIRE in a theater you can't walk up to a stranger and proclaim "yo mama a two bit ho". The NFL is dead to me.

I haven't watched a minute of football since all this BS. started. Haven't missed it one bit.

Same for me. The couple of nfl shirts that I had are now garage rags.

 

[GrantP]

I haven't watched a minute of football since all this BS. started. Haven't missed it one bit.

Exactly, I'm done. According to the ratings we aren't the only ones.

 

[Tuesdak]

Write the advertisers of the Superbowl and explain you are boycotting them as well for their multi million dollar support of the needless political actions of the brains beat out of em from the game gladiators . Include the stations airing it. The Football players and other entertainers are like the monkey dancing with the organ grinder: for my entertainment. When I turn the TV off you can stop dancing. But when it's on "Dance Monkey Dance!" I am not watching the game because I give a damn about the player's political views. I want to see a brutal game and escape from reality. If I wanted political views and disrespect for our country I can watch a news show full of talking heads till I puke.

If the NFL doesn't want to be political they could kick the players and teams out that are being political. DeflateGate really questions their sincere denials of not being political when it suits them.

If this was done before a Soccer game in another country the players would NOT even make it off the field alive and the city would be burned to the ground from the riots.

 

[jgillott]

I haven't watched a minute of football since all this BS. started. Haven't missed it one bit.

I haven't either. I can't believe how much time I wasted on the weekends watching those stupid games. The NFL could go away completely tomorrow and I wouldn't know any different at this point.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Although it failed, there's talk of the XFL coming back yet again. Seems crazy.

I've always watched more college ball than NFL. With all of this show boating recently, all I watch is the college games anymore

 

[fest3er]

I suspect pro sports will implode in 20-30 years. Then pro college sports will follow shortly after.

 

[Wayne M.]

Not a vet. Not a pro sports watcher of any type. However, I am a patriotic American and this- especially- has me angry. My BIL and his boys are typical NFL fanboys with the jerseys and the idolizing. I've always let them watch their games when over. Not anymore. They won't even ask. Come to think, I haven't seen their jerseys out lately either. Maybe they're getting it.

 

[jgillott]

Not a vet. Not a pro sports watcher of any type. However, I am a patriotic American and this- especially- has me angry. My BIL and his boys are typical NFL fanboys with the jerseys and the idolizing. I've always let them watch their games when over. Not anymore. They won't even ask. Come to think, I haven't seen their jerseys out lately either. Maybe they're getting it.

I will not even allow the cable box to scan through a channel with a game on. I will not give them enough credibility to even allow that split second of their garbage programming to enter my home.

When the Steelers were in the playoffs this year, a lot of people wore Steelers shirts to work. I wore a bright pink dress shirt. I called it "protest pink".

 

[Wayne M.]

I will not even allow the cable box to scan through a channel with a game on. I will not give them enough credibility to even allow that split second of their garbage programming to enter my home.

When the Steelers were in the playoffs this year, a lot of people wore Steelers shirts to work. I wore a bright pink dress shirt. I called it "protest pink".

One is a Steelers fan, the other a Cowgirl.

 

[fest3er]

I will not even allow the cable box...

I cancelled cable TV a year ago. Haven't missed it at all. I keep finding interesting stuff (even from far east with subtitles) to watch on Netflix. Don't miss broadcast or cabal TV at all. So I can honestly say I haven't seen pro sports of any kind on my TV in a year.

 

[jgillott]

I cancelled cable TV a year ago. Haven't missed it at all. I keep finding interesting stuff (even from far east with subtitles) to watch on Netflix. Don't miss broadcast or cabal TV at all. So I can honestly say I haven't seen pro sports of any kind on my TV in a year.

Many of my friends have gone that route recently. I've started using Amazon Prime Video fairly often and I can see where you could eliminate cable quite easily.

One of my other pet peeves with many of the cable channels right now is the constant advertisements for shows containing adult or sensitive material placed within an otherwise family oriented program. For example, an ad for "Younger" while watching "The Andy Griffith Show " on TV Land. That's not exactly what you want appearing when watching a show with your family necessarily.

Sorry, off my soap box.

 

[Regcabguy]

All the chest beating and belly bucking doesn't work for me.