You graduated high school in 2011. Your teenage years were a struggle.

You grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Your mother was the leader of the family and worked tirelessly to keep a roof over your head and food on your plate.

Academics were a struggle for you and your grades were mediocre at best. The only thing that made you stand out is you weighed 225 lbs and could run 40 yards in 4.2 seconds while carrying a football. Your best friend was just like you, except he didn’t play football. Instead of going to football practice after school, he went to work at McDonalds for minimum wage.

You were recruited by all the big colleges and spent every weekend of your senior year making visits to universities where coaches and boosters tried to convince you their school was best. They laid out the red carpet for you. Your best friend worked double shifts at Mickey Ds. College was not an option for him.

On the day you signed with Big State University, your best friend signed paperwork with his Army recruiter. You went to summer workouts.
He went to basic training.

You spent the next four years living in the athletic dorm, eating at the training table. You spent your Saturdays on the football field, cheered on by adoring fans. Tutors attended to your every academic need.

You attended class when you felt like it. Sure, you worked hard. You lifted weights, ran sprints, studied plays, and soon became one of the top football players in the country.

Your best friend was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. While you were in college, he deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. He became a Sergeant and led a squad of 19 year-old soldiers who grew up just like he did. He shed his blood in Afghanistan and watched young American's give their lives, limbs, and innocence for the US.

You went to the NFL combine and scored off the charts. You hired an agent and waited for draft day. You were drafted in the first round and your agent immediately went to work, ensuring that you received the most money possible. You signed for $16 million although you had never played a single down of professional football.

Your best friend re-enlisted in the Army for four more years. As a combat tested sergeant, he will be paid $32,000 per year.

You will drive a Ferrari on the streets of South Beach. He will ride in the back of a Blackhawk helicopter with 10 other combat loaded soldiers.

You will sleep at the Ritz. He will dig a hole in the ground and try to sleep. You will “make it rain” in the club. He will pray for rain as the temperature reaches 120 degrees.

On Sunday, you will run into a stadium as tens of thousands of fans cheer and yell your name.

For your best friend, there is little difference between Sunday and any other day of the week. There are no adoring fans. There are only people trying to kill him and his soldiers. Every now and then, he and his soldiers leave the front lines and “go to the rear” to rest. He might be lucky enough to catch an NFL game on TV.

When the National Anthem plays and you take a knee, he will jump to his feet and salute the television. While you protest the unfairness of life in the United States, he will give thanks to God that he has the honor of defending his great country.

To the players of the NFL: We are the people who buy your tickets, watch you on TV, and wear your jerseys. We anxiously wait for Sundays so we can cheer for you and marvel at your athleticism. Although we love to watch you play, we care little about your opinions until you offend us.

You have the absolute right to express yourselves, but we have the absolute right to boycott you.

We have tolerated your drug use and DUIs, your domestic violence, and your vulgar displays of wealth. We should be ashamed for putting our admiration of your physical skills before what is morally right.

But now you have gone too far. You have insulted our flag, our country, our soldiers, our police officers, and our veterans. You are living the American dream, yet you disparage our great country. I encourage all like minded Americans to boycott the NFL.

National boycott of the NFL for Sunday November 11, 2020 “Veterans Day“ Weekend. Boycott all football telecast, all fans, all ticket holders, stay away from attending any games, let them play to empty stadiums.

Pass this post along to all your friends and family. Honor our military, some of whom come home with the American Flag draped over their coffin.

Therese M LeMay

Indy, we’re way past that point of respectability.

A long ways past and never shall we ever return to it.

Sadly.

Yep

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
AMEN Rio7

Varmint Guy needs to fire one off too. He is good at those types of letters.

SHEESH. !!!

Fart into the wind.

I've been boycotting the NFL since 2012. There's nothing wrong with football. I just got sick of NFL Drama Theater and all their left wing Hollywood crap. I watch some high school football here occasionally on a local cable access station and find it much more real and down to earth than a typical NFL theatrical sports production.

Amen, Indy.

Fugg the Negro Football League! 😡

I am a little surprised there aren't more folks here calling BS on this op-ed.

This country is about making the most of what you have. Making personal choices about your path, how you live your life, how you spend your money....... Personal freedom. Taking advantage of a God given gift (athleticism) even if you weren't blessed with a genius IQ. Flip the script: no one is lambasting the folks who are PhD's who throw a baseball like a girl.

What about the NFL players that SERVED? What about Alejandro Villanueva? What about Pat Tillman, who gave his life? What about the kids (back, white, or otherwise) who won a scholarship to an Ivy League school and made it to the NFL?

And then there is this..... It is really the crux of the author's ENTIRE intent:



The author is painting the ENTIRE NFL player pool with one, broad stroke. Pretty revealing.

Pizz poor attempt, but some here are all aboard, hook, line, and sinker. We (conservatives) think the left is the "cancel culture" but half the folks here jump on board with this drivel and prove it goes both ways.

Surprise! There are PLENTY of well educated, respectful, law-abiding, God-fearing, conservative players in the NFL.

But you've never know it.

The majority takes precedence for the whole of the nfl and the nba. Kneeling for BLM is condoning a lie and nurturing that lie

Not all here fully appreciate fantasy football. We can all justify what we do.

Well, it's not what I am witnessing.

Rockies home opener "ceremony" was tonight and I didn't see a single player kneel between the Rockies and Padres. The PA announcer even said, "please remain STANDING" as we play our National Anthem....." .........and everyone did.

Even with the BLM crap on opening day, I only saw a few players kneel. The MAJORITY of the black players stayed on their feet.

But hey, according to the article, every NFL player is a druggie, DUI convict, and domestic violence aggressor. And everyone falls in line.

duck,

You love football. You'll find reasons to overlook the NFL's message and social engineering, just to get off watching a GAME. Are you easily addicted to anything else?

This isn't a personal attack on you. It's a blanket attack on anyone with twisted loyalties. The NFL's attack on America and its traditions should be met with an attack on their purse that funds the propaganda blitz.

Really ?

As far as the nfl goes you only named 2 patriots. Were there anymore that were overlooked?

Did you see the nba game where all took a knee including the coaches and the referees? Can you name any patriots in the nba either.

Your enjoyment and fantasy football is fine if that’s what you enjoy as is your watching nfl games and fully supporting the nfl. But don’t expect others to follow your lead or buy any part of your rationale.

Hope the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NASCAR all go bankrupt!

I’m not supporting any sport at any level that does not support the US. My family gave up football years ago. The other sports are dead to us as well. Those overpaid athletes can choke on the vile anti-American values. They have killed their golden calf.

I’d say it’s more about the Organizations than the sports, per se,

Of course they’re joined at the hip.

No, I reject the stereotype generally accepted here, that 100% of the folks associated with the NFL and other sports are racists thugs.

BTW, I **love** PGA golf... Fugg, those are the most white-privileged rich kids on the planet. So do I get a gold star? Hint: Plenty of golfers are massive pricks, too....

Well, as a free market economist and a big fan of this country and our economy, I will disagree.

The loss of a few billion in GDP, in this economic and political climate, would sting.

What kind of american ROOTS for the collapse of multiple major industries and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs?

Most of these guys can't read so writing them a letter is not going to have much impact.

I don’t think that anyone here at any time said that 100% are racist thugs. The problem is with the organization itself that tolerates such blatant disrespect, even aligns with it and encourages it.

That is the problem.

Been boycotting the NFL for years. Never watched NASCAR, MLB or the NBA anyway. If colleges start doing this [bleep] will stop watching them. No problem at all.

Wish I could help, but I'd just as soon watch grass grow as watch mostly black folks fight over a ball. Never understood the fascination of watching ball games. Shooting and fishing I'm into, but never a ball game unless I'm trapped somewhere that has one on TV. Can't boycott something you never bought in the first place.

Yep...

I agree not all professional athletes are spoiled pricks. It is just easier to identify them now, they are the ones squatting during the National Anthem when they should be standing. We all should be free to express ourselves and stand up for what we believe in but disrespecting our country and the brave ones who protect us is not the way to go.

Would it be more entertaining if they were mostly white?

Very serious question.

Very well said. I agree.

Well said. And idiots like Kaperdick who can't find a job make me smile!

Not all are but there is a majority that are.

They seem to forget that the folks with enough money are the ones that are pissed at this.

Nascar lost me when Bubba did his thing because i never thought of him as just a black driver.

Now because of things the bosses did i no longer want to have anything to do with them.

They have a right to express their opinion but folks have the right to spend their own money the way they see fit.

Any protests should have been off the field because there is no place for that there.

They will learn.

Free market, are you kidding? Goodell makes 40 million dollars a year and he and his office/workers have tax exempt status. You’re joking right. He sucks at the helm and I would also blame the owners. We all know what BLM is, a Marxist anti American Org and Goodell thinks this view is pro America. Good luck selling that. You’re going to see the death of professional athletics as we know it. Do you actually think Antifa and BLM work hard for their money and spend $8k on season tickets or even watch sports on TV. Goodell is an idiot as he doesn’t even realize his audience. There is no place for political protest at work, I dare others to try it in their place of employment. Professionals in sports can buy an editorial page and write thousands of words on their political and social views on their own dime and time, that’s fine with me. Don’t bring it to the job, just shut the F up and play ball.

Ditka told TMZ Sports: “If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country. That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say what I feel.”

Ditka has done more for FORMER NFL players (even the black players), than the NFL and NFLPA with his own organization.

He's been labelled a racist now...

David Mulugheta, who is the president of Athletes First which represents Aaron Rodgers, Derwin James, and Earl Thomas among others, took issue with Ditka’s comments.

“This doesn’t surprise me at all. Mike Ditka traded his helmet in for a white hood as soon as he retired from football. Racism hiding behind faux patriotism is still racism"

[bleep] the NFL and its greed.

When the National Anthem is played, and the entire team now kneels, how do you determine which are the Conservative ingrates?

No, I'm not, and you are about to make my point:




Hey. If you don't like it.................. Don't watch it. It is REALLY that simple. And free market 101.

Ask me when an entire team kneels.

No, I don't like ball games, and while I once felt bad for black people (I was raised in cotton country in the 50s) I am very fatigued with them now as a group. But I just don't like watching ball games. You apparently do, that's ok.

I won’t be attending or watching. My team won the SB and I have forfeited my season ticket purchase and will not be watching. Like you say that’s my choice I do not have to pay to attend a re-education camp weekly prior to kickoff, to that I say to the NFL [bleep].

Sporting leagues don't make anything tangible, they are entertainment, so they are just another venue to moving money from one set of hands to another. All the beer and hot dogs that are sold at sporting events will still be sold, just in different places, as we will soon see when the games are played in empty stadiums. COVID-19 might kill professional sports 'cause fans will see how much they're getting screwed by the teams for tickets, parking, and concessions when they can't go to games and get out of the habit.

The only professional sport that I follow is the NFL and I only follow the NFL for betting purposes. I don't care what the players do on the field, I just care about the teams that I bet on that week win for me.

I like watching football.

To be 100% clear:

I 100% support anyone who does not like sports, for any reason. IDGAF.

And I 100% support someone who likes any sport, for any reason. More power to you.

And I 100% disagree with anyone who judges anyone else for their decisions, above. It is a free country.

Pretty much sums up my position. To each his own.

It's not like we are debating the KKK vs. Black Panthers ping pong world championships.

Oh man. You have not seen the attacks on me for the exact same position????

Buckle up!!!

No conservative here thinks others should wager their money as they feel fit.....

Boomers have boycotted lots of stuff with no affect. Nike, Yeti etc

My guess is an NFL boycott by anger old guys won’t matter.

I took issue with the NFL when they denied the request of the Dallas Cowboys to wear a decal on their helmets to honor the officers killed in their community. They said it violated a strict uniform policy. But its totally ok to wear social justice themed decals. The NFL drew that line in the sand and I won’t cross it.

THE ONE thing Americans should never do is disrespect the American flag...But those players have the right to do that and we fans or ex fans, have the right to boycott the players.

I stopped watching over a decade ago and haven't missed it for a moment.

Since the NFL supports BLM with cash donations .I have no use for them.Since The Players who kneel during the Anthem and their owners do nothing about it.I have no use for them.Since they are overpaid spoiled individuals who have been catered to for most of their life.I have no use for them.This would not have been put up during the Lombardi era.All participating would have been chit canned.JMHO,Huntz

I'm sure the marketing team in the head office has done the homework, and realize they don't need the audience that they might lose, and they will gain more young audience.

The sports and entertainment worlds have pretty much merged. It's a different thing now.

Myself, I've never been a sports fan of any type, but I see a big change even from my seat.

Some people can literally rationalize anything. It's like listening to Democrat politicians arguing for welfare programs. Yeah a bunch of people are just stealing free schit from the rest of us but some people really need it... You have to take a stand one way or the other. The organization as a whole is condoning and sometimes celebrating absolutely disgusting and anti American behavior- period. Oh, but everyone doesn't do it. So what??? Many do and will, and nothing is done about it because people keep enabling the behavior with their money. As long as people keep rationalizing and financing the behavior the NFL will never change. And you will always be part of the problem, not part of the solution. Man up and at least take ownership of your role.

Sports has merged with Disney, and names like Beyoncé and Jay-z.

It's all about selling merchandise, and mindsets. And it's not targeted to us boomers (dinosaurs).

I heard heroin addicts like heroin.

LOL.

You piece of dog poop.

Will the NFL be responsible hero's and wear masks while they play? After all this deadly, exponential, virus can only be combated by universal adherence to social distancing and mask use.
As the honorable athletes they profess to be, this surely will be the new normal.
Lol

With all due respect you're really out of touch. Your justification at this point in the current world events shows epic idiocy ...

The NBA shows you a glimpse you dipshit. The ones who actually stand (like 2 dudes out of 6 teams or something) are the ones having to defend their stance, their lives, their income amidst blatant BS you're defending. Get a clue you dumbass....

For anyone to defend MLB, NFL or the NBA at this time is really really enlightening.

There are "good" pro football players. Drew Brees and J.J. Watt come to mind and I am sure there are others.

However, the situation has two problems. The players kneeling, as bad as that is, is the minor one. The fact that the NFL as a corporate entity FUNDS BLACK LIVES MATTER which is a Marxist terrorist organization openly intent on destroying our country is the MAJOR one.

I say everyone do what you want to do. I am not a big believer in the effectiveness of boycotts but I simply DO NOT want to watch them anymore.

Thank you, my thoughts as well. Fugg the Duckofdeath and Fugg the NFL.

I'm not watching anything with an empty stadium.

Period.

The Duck O' Kghunt is a flaming homo.

Fugk the NFL and that Flaming Elton John loving Q ueer Duck911 !!!

If we quit going to and watching games, they won’t have as much as a revenue source. Stop buying products that are advertised on games. Write those companies and let them know that.

Teach young people that the NFL cares little for the American veteran, alive and deceased. Show them why.

There is nothing saying that another league can be built. In the meantime, go to a high school game. I didn’t see a single act of disrespect all of the last two years in going to them.

Because they kowtow to the rest and kneel right along side of 'em... I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see a patriot come down on the field, stand at attention with hand over heart facing these a-hole kneelers and stare right at 'em while the Anthem's played.... RIGHT at 'em..

Amen. To hell with them

Lol
Punk

One of the reasons HISTORY must be changed. As I understand it. Slave owners bred the biggest and strongest to improve the laborers. Today that gives us a lot of professional athletes. Now I never heard that the smartest were bred. And that’s proven every day by black athletes killing the golden goose that makes them rich . Hasbeen

I'm loyal to my Packers, and I'll watch their games again. But that's all. If the rest of the NFL - players and league - feels it is proper to inject extraneous political/social issues into the game, then so do I. And that means I'll protest by pointedly avoiding them.

Amen Greg. Professional spsorts could fall of the planet and I wouldn't care.

From someone who actually played pro sports.

They're all eyeing or are already committing to international markets, where their Anti-American Socialist message plays well.

They have little use for you and me.

You proved me right. And, yes, there are exceptions, BUT the organization...ORGANIZATION...is attacking America with their BLM (Communist) message and stance. Your ploy doesn't work.

Well - OK - since you act as if you are thus knowledgeable - how many is "plenty"? Got a number, or a percentage? Or a clue?

I’ll second that! I’m not going to miss one Packer game if is on!!!

I have walked away from a couple good paying jobs when I did not agree with the direction things were headed or how business was being conducted. The fact that there are many "good, conservative, patriotic," NFL players still playing for the NFL tells me that their greed overrides their moral compass. If they were truly bothered by all the chit being posited by the NFL, they would not be there. They are complicit by association...

Have not watched a single down of NFL football since CrapperDick started kneeling. NFL is dead to me...

Same here..............& hopefully it will be officially dead for good.

Almost a certainty that they won't be playing this year.

MM

I haven't watched a single second of pro football since kaepernick first kneeled when the National Anthem was played.

It may be good to observe that some are still watching NFL games - will give better contrast with those many who refuse to do so.

Yep, MLB is just about done with all the Covid 19 outbreaks. It’ll soon hit the NFL & NBA when they get rolling.

Hope their seasons are canceled and bankruptcy soon follows.

Wonder how long the different sponsors and advertisers will hold on with mostly empty venues??

Yep.

Shouldn't be any shock that regional stupidity and [bleep] on fans keep the cheer up. For the team....that plays a game.

I’ll drink to that and add Drew Breeze to the pussy list.

Breeze is not only a member of the puss list, he’s the president.

Here's another metric for assessing the ideology (Conservative or regressive) of NFL players. Which player or players have openly denounced the lack of respect shown by players kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem? Which player or players have publicly expressed their pride in being an American and thus stand when the American flag is spotlighted during the playing of the National Anthem?

Sounds eerily like someone justifying their addiction to child porn.

I have much better things to do....than watch any sports.

I am not a spectator.

If the losing team captain was sacrificed .........I could have a little interest.

I still watch sports on occasion. Except the NFL no longer qualifies as that. In my previous post I mentioned watching high school football on a local cable access station. It's nice to see a good, down to earth football game instead of a bunch of multi millionaire social justice theater actors on their big national stage trying to influence America to believe in whatever the latest liberal, Hollywood mantra is being decreed.

For those who wanna watch any sports player disrespect the flag, you do your thing, I will do mine.

I used to watch sports because they entertained me. And I view them as entertainers. No different than any entertainer be it a music, movie star, or any other entertainer.

But if any entertainer disrespects my flag, I have no need of them in my life. The flag they were born under, gave them life, and freedom. By disrespecting the flag, they are no longer entertaining me - they are pissing me off.

That’s how I see it.

https://www.bookwormroom.com/2020/08/02/america-is-engaged-in-a-religious-war/

Good article. And look up Johnathan Isaac of the NBA. He’s got it figured out.

Yes sir! Thank you!

I boycotted the NFL years ago but for some unknown reason a lot of people who claim to be Patriots continued to support them

WHERE IS duck911 WITH THE ANSWER FOR THIS ONE??

NHL had 1 kneel. Fans are pissed that the players aren't kneeling.

If you are an economist you should get your tuition back...

In my home the only pro sports that get watched are the bass tournaments. The Mrs. is a big fan. If she's not going to be home, she'll DVR them.

Who is the one that kneeled? I can tell you this fan and all of the NHL fans I know are not pissed that players aren't kneeling. Matter of fact NHL is the only sport I and most I know will watch any more.

To all those NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL players professing to be Christian: Jonathan Isaac. He is the modern equivalent of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

For those who don't recall this Sunday School lesson, these three men were cast into a fiery furnace for refusing to kneel before the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 3.
This also ties into the First Commandment. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me.

My First Commandment takes precedent over your First Amendment.

I wonder if the high school players will be kneeling this fall. I don’t expect it to happen in our neck of the woods, but it bet it happens in other areas,

Just food for thought. If this country becomes the socialist hellhole that so many want it to become, I will show no reverence to the flag. We are perhaps one election away from that.

If President Trump is not re-elected I will probably fly my flag upside down. It is an international distress signal not not disrespectful. Sure looks bad though.

If the idiots win I will not respect anything.

No sports for me other than hunting and shooting. My time is to valuable to bother to watch any over paid idiots.

Slumlord: I will indeed, but just got a line on a nifty S&W revolver being offered privately for sale - back in three or four hours.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I guess technically dumba didn't kneel during the anthem, just before and then he held a fist up.

Just my opinion but hockey players are generally a higher class of athletes.