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NFL owners struggled to retain control after Trump's attacks, rise of player protests
http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/20865444/inside-story-happened-players-took-control-nfl-national-anthem ^

Posted on 10/01/2017 8:55:00 AM PDT by Bigtigermike

"It certainly was my takeaway that the commissioner was looking for a way for the protests to end," Smith said Friday when asked about his 30-minute conversation with Goodell, while declining to offer specifics about what was discussed. Goodell declined to comment, but a league source did not dispute Smith's account. "Knowing the league the way I know the league, they are first and foremost concerned about the impact on their business," Smith said. "That's always their first concern. I mean, who are we kidding?"

Nobody was kidding when many of the NFL's highest-profile owners, including Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, expressed concerns last week that the optics of hundreds of players kneeling, sitting or remaining in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem had alienated many fans at a particularly perilous moment for the NFL. TV ratings for many of this year's games have continued a slide that began last season; some league sponsors have grown skittish about the backlash; and most surveys have shown that a majority of NFL fans are turned off by the politicization of the game.

To the commissioner's suggestion that the protests should end, Smith said, "My only response was, 'I don't have the power to tell our players what to do.' ... At the end of the day, this is a group of players who are exercising their freedom. There is no room for me to snap my fingers and tell our players, 'It's time for you to give up a freedom.' Just the idea offends me.

(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: anthem; drivingawaycustomers; espn; football; goodell; hypocrisy; kneelers; kneeling; lazysonsofbitches; nfl; protest; sports; trump; trumpwins; trumpwinsagain; whiningmillionaires
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To: VanDeKoik

That’s hilarious!


41 posted on 10/01/2017 9:45:37 AM PDT by pepsi_junkie
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To: Bigtigermike

Trump gave them the answer, fire the sons of bitches. Done and done.


42 posted on 10/01/2017 9:48:05 AM PDT by freedomjusticeruleoflaw (Western Civilization- whisper the words, and it will disappear. So let us talk now about rebirth.)
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To: SaxxonWoods

Pro football has been faking it for years now.

There was a time when nobody in football would dare wear long hair. If for no other reason than the defense would tackle you by your hair.

Now half the black players go off and have their hair braided in ‘dreds’ just to be stylish, and none of the opposing linemen have the guts to rip it out.

NFL is closer to Hulkmania wrestling league.

They really aren’t sportsmen and half left their athleticism in the weightroom.


43 posted on 10/01/2017 9:49:46 AM PDT by Cvengr ( Adversity in life & death is inevitable; Stress is optional through faith in Christ.)
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To: Bigtigermike

Smith said, “My only response was, ‘I don’t have the power to tell our players what to do.’ ... At the end of the day, this is a group of players who are exercising their freedom. There is no room for me to snap my fingers and tell our players, ‘It’s time for you to give up a freedom.’ Just the idea offends me.

Uhmmmm....you are a Pussy and a liar


44 posted on 10/01/2017 9:52:01 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: immadashell

“...they don’t get very far out of the Hood.”

You can take the rat out kf the hood but you can’t take the hood out of the rat.


45 posted on 10/01/2017 9:54:48 AM PDT by oldvirginian (The older i get the less i care what people think of me, therefore the more i enjoy life.)
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To: Bigtigermike

Owners and coaches have no control! Players running wild! It’s total pandemonium!!!


46 posted on 10/01/2017 9:56:04 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Bigtigermike
You can be penalized for taunting another player, but you can't for taunting your country.

Really?

47 posted on 10/01/2017 9:56:15 AM PDT by AmusedBystander (The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next)
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To: Bigtigermike
TV ratings for many of this year's games have continued a slide that began last season; some league sponsors have grown skittish about the backlash; and most surveys have shown that a majority of NFL fans are turned off by the politicization of the game.

People don't want to watch PC Thugball? I'm shocked I tell you - shocked.

Do you know anyone who has been struck by lightning?

Neither do most people.

Yet each year an average of about 300 Americans are killed or injured by lightning.

That’s approximately 40 more than the number of blacks killed by the police in 2015. Is there an “epidemic” of Americans being struck and injured by lightning? We don’t know the number of black men injured by lightning every year, but let’s assume the number is 7 percent of the total people struck by lightning, mirroring the percentage of the black male population in America.

Above from link:

http://www.larryelder.com/column/national-anthem-protests-facts-matter/

48 posted on 10/01/2017 9:56:41 AM PDT by GOPJ (Black men are 6% of the population - - they murder 42% of all cops killed in the line of duty.)
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To: Bigtigermike
At the end of the day, this is a group of players who are exercising their freedom license.
49 posted on 10/01/2017 9:56:42 AM PDT by Stentor
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To: Cvengr
Gotta secure them dreds a little better. Hosted on Fotki
50 posted on 10/01/2017 10:01:12 AM PDT by Ronald_Magnus
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To: Bigtigermike

“NFL owners struggled to retain control after Trump’s attacks”

Lead with the lie - it was Trump’s fault. Even though it was in it’s second season before he commented.


51 posted on 10/01/2017 10:07:07 AM PDT by BeauBo
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To: Bigtigermike

From the article. “Many owners immediately argued otherwise. “We need to find a way where Trump doesn’t win,””

That eloquently states the ulterior motive of this asinine “protest”.


52 posted on 10/01/2017 10:11:29 AM PDT by chief lee runamok
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To: yoe
"There is no room for me to snap my fingers and tell our players, 'It's time for you to give up a freedom.' Just the idea offends me."

Apparently none of these twits have ever been in the military to know how many rights our 'finest' give up just to protect their funky behinds.

53 posted on 10/01/2017 10:15:29 AM PDT by Parmy
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To: Bigtigermike

Smith said, “My only response was, ‘I don’t have the power to tell our players what to do.’ ... At the end of the day, this is a group of players who are exercising their freedom. There is no room for me to snap my fingers and tell our players, ‘It’s time for you to give up a freedom.’ Just the idea offends me.

That is a lie and he knows it. Employers have the right to tell employees how to behave at work and this is no exception. The truth is the owners are afraid to upset their players.


54 posted on 10/01/2017 10:18:25 AM PDT by Jonny7797
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To: Bigtigermike

If I owned a business and was afraid of my own employees I’d either fire those employees and get agreeable replacements or sell the business and wash my hands of it. I certainly wouldn’t throw my hat in with whatever cockamamie BS they decide to do on any given day to run off paying customers, which is what the NFL decided to do.


55 posted on 10/01/2017 10:19:33 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Bigtigermike
little_pigs_nfl
56 posted on 10/01/2017 10:19:45 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: SoFloFreeper

... in very liberal Asheville, NC believe it or not.


57 posted on 10/01/2017 10:21:39 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Bigtigermike
Smith said, "My only response was, 'I don't have the power to tell our players what to do.' ... At the end of the day, this is a group of players who are exercising their freedom. There is no room for me to snap my fingers and tell our players, 'It's time for you to give up a freedom.' Just the idea offends me.

It's like Smith is recruiting for the Republican Party...

Here's the truth about the issue behind the 'kneel'..

Do you know anyone who has been struck by lightning?

Neither do most people.

Yet each year an average of about 300 Americans are killed or injured by lightning.

That’s approximately 40 more than the number of blacks killed by the police in 2015. Is there an “epidemic” of Americans being struck and injured by lightning?

Above from link:

http://www.larryelder.com/column/national-anthem-protests-facts-matter/

58 posted on 10/01/2017 10:23:21 AM PDT by GOPJ (Black men are 6% of the population - - they murder 42% of all cops killed in the line of duty.)
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To: ilovesarah2012

I think that by abolishing sports scholarships there would be a tremendous amount of money freed up for disadvantaged and low income students. The teams would still make money for the programs, parity would be eventually achieved.

One of the things that minorities acknowledge is that the thug culture keeps the minority community disadvantaged. Let’s stop the thug culture in majority and minority music, sports and entertainment. Quit funding them into that lifestyle in their youth.


59 posted on 10/01/2017 10:26:14 AM PDT by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: GOPJ
That’s approximately 40 more than the number of blacks killed by the police in 2015.

And most of them were violent gangbangers.

Then there's the glaring number of blacks killed by other blacks. (oh no, can't mention that)

60 posted on 10/01/2017 10:27:46 AM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (RATs and RINOs...same thing)
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