“No flipping the bird is always the same message. Even if it’s group solidarity it’s group solidarity by flipping off some OTHER group.”
Are you a guy? The bird is often used as banter within the same group.
“But you just outlined the problem. The kneelers can easily say they were praying for justice.”
No they can’t, because that is not what they *did* say.
“Now you’re stuck because they’ve just functionally erased the line between prayer and protest.”
No, they have just revealed themselves to be liars.
“the kneelers will point to the 80% of fans NOT boycotting and say “the reasonable men have no problem with it.”
Is that 70% saying that it’s not disrespectful, or that they don’t care whether it is or not? That dog won’t hunt.
“So in fact at the start NOBODY saw that it was misconduct.”
Until he announced his motives; then it became apparent.
“And most people just aren’t that upset about it.”
Most Germans weren’t that upset about the smells coming from the death camps.
Their ratings are down 25-30%, depending on what article you read. Seems likely to me that the number is fudged substantially, as they usually are.
But that doesn’t matter, as truth is not subject to popular vote. The question of whether they were guilty of misconduct is a question of fact. Player statements constitute a confession that they were.
In a public space, especially not a public space with 20 million TV viewers, there are ZERO good bird flips. Period.
Most of the players haven’t really given descriptions of what they’re doing and why. Also keep in mind there’s a big difference between what you say in a press conference and in court. You’re not under oath in a press conference and it’s not legally binding in any way. So yes they certainly COULD say in court they were praying for justice.
There’s no difference between them saying it’s not disrespectful and not caring if it is or not. The important part, if you’re going to start talking about reasonable men in a court of law, is that the vast majority of fans are not bothered enough by it to change their behavior, they will be the legally defined “reasonable men” and the behavior will be declared not offensive.
Doesn’t matter what they thought after he explained it. The fact that nobody cared means that it was NOT viewed as misconduct from the start.
The ratings are down less than 20%. Meanwhile the revenue looks like it’s going to be up nearly 20%. Ad revenue is actually up. The Verizon contract got renewed at double the price. And if you’re going to go to the “reasonable man” then you’re MAKING truth subject to popular vote. That’s is the point of that structure, the behavior of most folks in most circumstances. Player statements constitute absolutely NOTHING because they were not made in any circumstance under which they are legally compelled to speak the truth.