Tag Archives: NFL

American Culture In Germany

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On Sunday the NFL played a football game in Munich, Germany. The game was between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. Tom Brady played an outstanding game, and the Buccaneers won, but to me, that was not the highlight of the event.

On Sunday, The Washington Examiner reported:

The NFL hosted its first game in Europe on Sunday to an excited, packed crowd in Munich, Germany.

Allianz Arena, typically the home to the country’s soccer team Bayern Munich, had 69,811 of its 70,000 seats filled for the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. At different points throughout the game, the crowd sang along to American classics such as “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.

What fun!I guess my years in Massachusetts are showing–I have a great deal of respect for Tom Brady; and whenever I hear “Sweet Caroline,” I think of the Boston Red Socks.

The article concludes:

“That was one of the great football experiences I’ve ever had,” Brady told reporters following the game. “It says a lot for 23 years in the league and for a regular-season game. I think the fan turnout was incredible. It felt, like, very electric from the time we took the field.”

There are four other international games scheduled for 2022, with one slated for Mexico and the other three in the United Kingdom. Germany will host three more games across the next four seasons, hosting one more at Bayern Munich and two at Frankfurt Stadium.

Please follow the link to the article to watch the videos of the songs. In a messed-up world, it is wonderful to see people thoroughly enjoying themselves and sharing cultures.

The Subtle Assumptions Of Bias

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I won’t be watching the NFL this year. I will miss it. I really enjoy football and up until last year had an online subscription to The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts so that I could play Beat Fearless with their sports reporter. Beat Fearless was a contest in which you matched your football picks against the sports reporter’s picks. I have t-shirts, coolers, and other items that I won by beating ‘fearless.’ I miss football, but I can’t deal with the lack of respect for the national anthem. I understand that the players have a right to protest, I just don’t think that is the place to do it. I understand that we sometimes have racial problems in this country, but disrespecting the flag does not solve those problems.

The New York Daily News posted an article today about Jim Brown. Jim Brown was a running back for the Cleveland Browns (He also showed up in the movie Mars Attacks! and did a wonderful job.) The title of the article is “Jim Brown, once a hero, maybe never should have been one.”

So what is responsible for Jim Brown’s fall from grace? Possibly the fact that he is a patriot with some common sense (and recognizes how hostile the press has been to President Trump).

The article reminds us that he is not a perfect person:

In 1965, Brown was arrested for assault and battery against an 18-year-old girl before being acquitted.

In 1968, he was charged with assault with intent to commit murder against a model – the charge was later dismissed.

In 1969, assault and battery charges were brought against him from a road rage incident, though he was found not guilty.

In 1985, he was charged with raping a woman, though the charges were dismissed.

In 1986, he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend, but charges were later dropped.

In 1999, Brown was arrested and charged with making terrorist threats toward his wife. He was found guilty of vandalism later that year for smashing up his wife’s car with a shovel.

I would like to remind The Daily News that we currently have players in football proven guilty of some of these same charges. Some of them are probably the ones kneeling, but they are not being called out because their kneeling is politically correct, their political views are in line with the mainstream media, and their football skills make a lot of money for a lot of people.

One paragraph in the article is particularly notable:

Earlier this month, Brown proved to us that he has no idea what the peaceful protests that are taking place in the NFL are actually about, and has fallen victim to the thinking that this is about disrespecting the flag and not about bringing awareness to racism, inequalities, and police brutality.

What authority has declared that is what the ‘peaceful protests that are taking place in the NFL are actually about’? Is this the same authority that criticized Tim Tebow for praying on the field? Is this the same NFL that would not allow the Dallas Cowboys to wear pro-police decals on their helmets?

Whatever the players believe they are protesting, they are dishonoring the flag, the national anthem, and the many soldiers who have given their lives for this country. They are also dishonoring the team unity they are supposed to represent.  I would be much more sympathetic to their protest if I saw them doing something to remedy some of the problems in areas where they believe people are being mistreated.

This paragraph is one of many examples of bias in the press. It is very subtle, and I suspect many people read the paragraph and simply took it as fact. It is not fact–it is propaganda.

Meanwhile, Jim Brown is still one of the greatest football players ever.

 

It Really Is About The Money

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A lot of Americans are not watching the NFL games this year. The kneeling protests by oppressed players making millions of dollars has not really impressed the fans. I miss football, and I may begin to watch it now that everyone is required to stand up and respect the flag. I am sorry that we have not achieved racial equality in America, but we have come a long way, and if we can work together, we can progress even further. One area that would make a big difference would be to strengthen the black family and instill a desire to succeed in school in black children. We will never have equal outcome because everyone is different, but we need to provide equal opportunity. I agree that there are problem areas, but they are problem areas–they are not the whole picture.

At any rate, yesterday The Gateway Pundit posted the following statement by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell:

The NFL will discuss in an upcoming meeting the nationwide dispute over whether players must stand during the National Anthem, Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a copy of a memo obtained by CNBC.

In the memo sent to NFL teams, Goodell said the league must “move past this controversy” and that this has to be done in collaboration with its players.

“Building on many discussions with clubs and players, we have worked to develop a plan that we will review with you at next week’s League meeting,” Goodell said in a Tuesday memo.

While he said the plan would include continued dialogue and promoting the work of its players on key issues, Goodell didn’t provide further details on what that proposed plan would entail.

The NFL comissioner said that the league believes everyone should stand for the National Anthem. Goodell said the NFL also “care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues.”

This is about money. If the viewership is not there, advertisers will not pay what they normally pay for ads. Some advertisers have pulled their ads or threatened to pull their ads. If the revenue does not come in, the NFL cannot meet its financial obligations–players will no longer make millions, and owners will be facing financial problems. The Commissioner did the right thing for the wrong reason. That’s ok. I’ll take it.

 

Actions Have Consequences

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Breitbart is reporting today that the ratings for Monday night football dropped precipitously this week.

The article reports:

“Against a packed Big 4 primetime, MNF snared an 8.4 in metered market numbers. That’s down 10% from the Cowboys and Cardinals game of September 25. Year-to-year, the Chiefs’ fourth straight win this season dipped 8% in the early numbers from the comparable Minnesota Vikings’ 24-10 win over the New York Giant on October 3, 2016 – a season of sliding ratings that the NFL wants to forget, but may repeat.”

Football fans generally respect their flag.

This is Colin Kaepernick‘s original statement as the why he was kneeling:

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Before he protests the American flag, he might want to take a look around the NFL. There are a disproportionate number of players who have been arrested for serious crimes. That might be the place to begin to clean up America.

Wisdom From A Hall Of Fame Football Player

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I was almost ready to give up football this year–I don’t like politics brought into my sports. As the wife of a military veteran, I respect our flag and national anthem. I was resigning myself to high school football this year (one of my granddaughters plays in the high school marching band) so it wouldn’t be too bad.. Well, I may change my mind. Jim Brown, a Hall of Fame running back for the Cleveland Browns, had a chat with the Cleveland Browns after some of them knelt during the national anthem.

The Independent Journal Review posted the story today.

The article reports:

Last week, 12 Cleveland Browns players chose to follow Colin Kaepernick‘s example and kneel during the National Anthem in protest before their game against the New York Giants.

However, on Saturday before their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, every single player and coach stood in respect.

When play-by-play commentator Jim Donovan noticed that they were all standing, his partner, Doug Dieken, gave full credit to Jim Brown who had met with the players right before the game.

Jim Brown, Hall of Fame running back, reportedly told them, “Do not disrespect the flag, do not disrespect your country.”

The article also reported the statement Jim Brown made last week regarding Colin Kaepernick:

“Colin has to make up his mind whether he’s truly an activist or rather he’s a football player. Football is commercial. You have owners. You have fans. And you want to honor that if you’re making that kind of money.

If you have a cause, I think you should organize it and present it in a manner where it’s not only you sitting on one knee, but a lot of people that are going to get behind each other and do something about it.

Let me ask you one question: Who is Colin calling on to follow what he’s talking about?

I would advise the young man, if you’re a football player, play football. If you’re going to be a real activist, use your money, use your notoriety.

You have to understand there’s intelligence that’s involved, OK? I can’t be two things at once that contradict each other. If I sign for money, then the people I sign with, they have rules and regulations.”

“I’m going to give you the real deal: I’m an American. I don’t desecrate my flag and my national anthem. I’m not gonna do anything against the flag and national anthem.

I’m going to work within those situations. But this is my country, and I’ll work out the problems, but I’ll do it in an intelligent manner.”

“Colin has to make up his mind whether he’s truly an activist or rather he’s a football player. Football is commercial. You have owners. You have fans. And you want to honor that if you’re making that kind of money.

If you have a cause, I think you should organize it and present it in a manner where it’s not only you sitting on one knee, but a lot of people that are going to get behind each other and do something about it.

Let me ask you one question: Who is Colin calling on to follow what he’s talking about?

I would advise the young man, if you’re a football player, play football. If you’re going to be a real activist, use your money, use your notoriety.

You have to understand there’s intelligence that’s involved, OK? I can’t be two things at once that contradict each other. If I sign for money, then the people I sign with, they have rules and regulations.”

“I’m going to give you the real deal: I’m an American. I don’t desecrate my flag and my national anthem. I’m not gonna do anything against the flag and national anthem.

I’m going to work within those situations. But this is my country, and I’ll work out the problems, but I’ll do it in an intelligent manner.”

Hopefully we have some current players in the NFL with the courage to speak out against disrespecting our national anthem.

Caught Lying Again

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The problem with The New York Times is that you don’t know whether they are simply misinformed or are deliberately lying.

Yesterday The New York Times article posted an article about the New England Patriots visit to the White House. The headline of the article is “Tom Brady Skips Patriots’ White House Visit Along With Numerous Teammates.”

At the end of the article is a correction:

Correction: April 19, 2017

An earlier version of this article included photos comparing the size of the Patriots’ gathering at the White House in 2015 and the gathering on Wednesday. The photo from Wednesday only showed players and coaches; the 2015 photo showed players, coaches and support staff and has been removed.

So what is this all about? It’s about The New York Times politicizing a visit by the winning Super Bowl team to the White House. The headline states that ‘numerous teammates’ skipped the visit to the White House. That headline is totally misleading, even the facts given in the article do not fit the headline.

The New York Times article states:

A Patriots spokesman, Stacey James, said Wednesday night that 34 players had attended, similar to the turnout when President George W. Bush hosted them in 2004 and 2005. He said that more than 45 players attended the ceremonies in 2002, after the franchise’s first Super Bowl, and that in 2015, when Barack Obama was president, the number of players approached 50.

James said that one reason substantially fewer players showed up this time as compared to 2015 was that some veteran players did not see the need to go twice in three years.

I realize that this is trivial pursuit, but I lived in Massachusetts about five miles from the Patriots’ stadium for thirty-five years and although I am not a Patriots fan (Jets fan), I hate to see the team being used for political purposes when there should be no politics involved. The Super Bowl win in January was spectacular, and the team should be honored for the effort involved in that comeback. Period. This is not the time for The New York Times to make political points, and the New England Patriots office has called them on their fake news.

Sad News From A Former NFL Star

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I have always been a fan of Mark Gastineau. One of my favorite memories is sitting at home on a Monday night watching the Jets play Denver with my middle daughter and seeing Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko sitting on the sidelines while the offense played. Their uniforms were grass-stained and disheveled, but they looked as if they were having the time of their lives. They were an amazing duo.

The New York Daily News is reporting today that Mark Gastineau has been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

The article reports:

Gastineau said he received the diagnoses roughly a year ago and traced his illnesses back to football.

“You know, my first reaction was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” Gastineau told the Daily News in a phone interview Thursday night. “My second reaction was how can I help other people coming in to the NFL? That’s what it’s all about.”

The former defensive lineman believes football can now be played safely and aims to educate young football players.

“I know that there’s techniques out there that if I would have had ‘em, if I would have had the techniques out there that I’m teaching now to these kids, I know I would not be probably…I know I wouldn’t have the results that I have now,” he said on the radio.

Mark Gastineau is an ambassador for USA Football. He is an advocate for the Heads Up Football program–a joint program of the NFL and USA Football to improve the safety of the game.

The article further reports:

The former defensive lineman was enshrined in the Jets’ Ring of Honor in 2012. He gave an eclectic speech during halftime of the Jets’ Monday night loss to the Texans in October of that year when he was inducted alongside former wideout Wesley Walker.

“I think that the Lord put me on this Earth to show that you can be a great player, have all the sacks in the world…and at the end of your life you get news like this and you can turn it into bad, or you can turn it into good,” Gastineau told the News. 

I love football, but am concerned about the toll the game takes on its players. Hopefully the Heads Up Football program can help in this area. Meanwhile, I wish Mr. Gastineau well.

Where Your Tax Dollars Went…

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The Daily Caller posted an article yesterday featuring Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn‘s “Wastebook 2012.”

The highlights:

The annual list of 100 of the most wasteful projects and redundancies includes everything from a $300,000 initiative to market caviar, $516,000 to create a video game simulating a high school prom night, a government funded study to find out if golfers perform better when they imagine a bigger hole, $947,000 spent on studying what food people could eat on Mars, and part of a $325,000 grant spent on a robotic squirrel.

Coburn also points out tax loopholes for professional sports that list themselves as non-profit organizations, pointing out that that status affords the NFL, NHL, and PGA  receive $89.9 million in de facto government subsidies. The report also delves into the mismanagement of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or food stamps — which has resulted in $4.5 billion spent on things like Starbucks, alcohol, guns, and junk food.

After reading this, I wonder if we should be more concerned about taxing the NFL, NHL, and the PGA instead of all this talk about millionaires and billionaires. Guess what, even if all profession sports were taxed more, people would still pay outrageous prices for tickets.
Please follow the link above to the article. Based on this article, any Congressman responsible for these expenditures needs to be given a different job in November. I strongly recommend that those Congressmen should be asked to live in the private sector economy they have created.
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