With the NFL finding itself trapped in a vise of sliding viewership on one hand, and a sudden plunge in its favorability as a result of the ongoing "kneeling" feud with President Trump, which according to a just released POLITICO/Morning Consult poll has plunged from 30% on September 21 to just 17% on September 28, the most unfavorable in history...
... other sports franchises are desperate to avoid the backlash that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appears to have unleashed upon his league.
As a result, the NBA which has seen a similar steep drop in viewership in recent years is taking emergency proactive measures, and according to the Associated Press, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he expected players would stand for the anthem, followed up by a memo in which the NBA "recommended teams address fans or show videos expressing themes of unity before their first home games," while again reminding them of the rule that players must stand for the national anthem.
In the memo, obtained by the Associated Press, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum suggested teams use their opening games “to demonstrate your commitment to the NBA’s core values of equality, diversity, inclusion and serve as a unifying force in the community.” He recommended an address by a player or coach to fans before the anthem, or a video featuring players or community leaders speaking about important issues and showing photos from past community events.
Tatum said the league supports and encourages players to express their views on matters that are important to them, while reminding of the rule that players, coaches and trainers stand respectfully for the anthem.
"The league office will determine how to deal with any possible instance in which a player, coach or trainer does not stand for the anthem. (Teams do not have the discretion to waive this rule)," the memo says.
The memo comes as the NBA's preseason schedule is set to begin on Saturday with two games, including the NBA champion Golden State Warriors hosting Denver. As a reminder, the feud between Trump and certain sport players escalated last Saturday when Trump withdrew an invitation to Warriors' Stephen Curry:
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
This in turn prompted the entire Warriors team to announce that "while we intended to meet as a team at the first opportunity we had this morning to collaboratively discuss a potential visit to the White House," the statement read, "we accept President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited."
As the AP adds, the memo builds on discussions held by the NBA's Board of Governors this week, and follows up on one Silver and players association executive director Michele Roberts sent to players recently. It recommends that teams organize internal discussions to hear the players' perspectives, if they haven't already, and to start or expand programs within their communities.
"The players have embraced their roles in those efforts and we are proud of the work they do in our communities," Tatum wrote.
While the NFL never made an explicit demand of players to stand for the national anthem, prompting many teams to do the opposite, or simply not leave the locker room, now that the NBA has taken the extra step of reminding players of what the rules are and that they "do not have the discretion to waive this rule", it will be especially interesting to observe how many players will flaunt the commissioner's demand, what the NBA's response to said rule violation will be, and whether the NBA's viewership and ad revenues will see a similar sharp decline which ultimately will have an adverse impact on the players' own bank accounts.
Nipped that in the bud....
i'm not tired of winning yet. anyone? buhler?buhler?
Ya this isnt really winning for the people this is winning for Tump's ego. Winning for the people would be a border wall, mass deportation of iilegals, lower taxes and repealing healthcare fraud forcing citizens to pay for something they dont want or need. Of course auditng and ending the FED, but I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery that I never play.
Talking about an empty burger.
Anyway, these players made their point already. Hope these players move on.
Society has other priorities, such as the promises of Making America Great Again without spending.
Ohh. Yea. Sure.
what point? and moved on without solving anything?? whats the point in that point?
Finally a sports association with balls
http://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=84900
You write as if Trump hasn't been trying to do those things you mentioned. Remember, HE IS surrounded by enemies who have power. He can't just walk in and say "I want this, this, and this" and they will do it."
Then he should learn from his predecessor's ability to write executive order after executive order. I am/was a Trump supporter, but based on his actions, he is either incompetent or he has been infected. He didnt have to surround himself with swamp creatures he chose to. He didnt have to release his MAGA staff, he chose to. He chose to isolate himself with swamp dwellers.
So he should conduct himself in an unconstitutional manner and that would ok now becuase he is our guy and Obama isnt?
In war, by any means necessary. Is this not war for the future of America? Is this not war against globalist that would like to have a one world government? You cant defeat a corrupt opponent by not getting your hands dirty. Theyve shown their willingness to go as low as required. Would you like to play poker with me where I can chose not follow the rules, but you must?
End the NFL and NBA.
Do other worthwhile things that build your knowledge or your muscles. Spend time with family. Go have fun instead of watching these ungrateful millionaires trash you and spit on the nation that gives them the change to be millionaires.
These players should have been kneeling when BLM slaughtered all those cops or when Soweeto Hussein bombed the hospitals or Hillary invaded Libya and killed 300,000 people.
No, but he caved like a big pussy when he had the constitution behind him.
Take the travel ban for example. Regardless of the issues with the travel ban the cords that have ruled on it had no constitutional Authority whatsoever to do so. That is spelled out in the Constitution. If I remember correctly article 3 paragraph 2 section 2. To paraphrase it it clearly says that the Supreme Court has the original jurisdiction over any case where a state is involved.
This means that all the district courts and appeals courts have overstepped their bounds. Very likely the Attorneys General that brought those cases committed legal fraud as well. After all they are lawyers and these are basic legal Concepts that they all should be aware of.
Trump should have simply pointed out the fact that these courts have no authority to even hear the cases and ignore them. If the court decided to pursue this any further he should have arrested the judge and prosecuted him for sedition. That would be using his full constitutional Authority and showing that he has a pair of balls.
He is both, incompetent and infected. The dotard is in way over his head.
Fake-liberty-lovers showing their colors, putting the President up against an Authoritarian measuring stick and making fun of him for coming up short.
Memo to the NFL: You just fkd yourselves for years to come.
You might need to re-think who is the blame for those failures. Congress RINOs are the core problem here.
I support Trump. At least he's taking it to the Elites' pocket book.
Well, let's start with watching Lebron James squirm during the anthem.
Hit them where they understand it. Email their sponsors:
NFL Sponsors List 2017:
§ Anheuser-Busch
§ Barclaycard US
§ Bose
§ Bridgestone
§ Campbell’s Soup Company
§ Castrol
§ Courtyard Marriott
§ Dairy Management, Inc. (Fuel Up to Play 60)
§ Dannon
§ Extreme Networks
§ FedEx
§ Frito-Lay
§ Gatorade
§ Hyundai Motor America
§ Mars Snackfood
§ Microsoft
§ Nationwide
§ News America
§ Papa John’s
§ Pepsi
§ Procter & Gamble
§ Quaker
§ Verizon
§ Visa
§ USAA
Sorry bud, satisfying his ega is all YOU are ever going to get. The no-nation, globalist, fatcats? They'll do much better, that much is certain.
We live in san diego, the prototypes for the wall are being built starting this week. It may take a miracle to get it built, but there is still forward progress.
I still want to see Hillary hang for her crimes, but what have I really won?
You have to keep these bitches in check or they will get out of line. The NBA knows this. The NFL is learning this.
Dictating patriotism.
So that's what fighting and dying for LIBERTY and FREEDOM gets you.
Dale Jr. seemed to hit the nail on the head pretty much. Even though he's retiring NASCAR won't say boo.
Wrong. On the job, you do as your boss says or else quit. It's respect, not patriotism. They can protest on their own time.
No one is dictating patriotism. It's fucking TV show. Advertisers, vendors, networks etc have built a script, signed contracts and invested money and secured an expensive venue. And you Mr NBA Player have cashed the checks.
Now follow the fucking script or get fuck out. And don't give the process server any shit or we're tacking that on too.
Have a nice day.
Muricans are fat,stupid pigs.They better hope they never have to fight white people ever again.
Flagwankgate is alive and well! 'Murica!!!FUCK YEAH!!!!!USA!!!!USA!!!!$$$$!!$$$USA!!!!!NASCAR!!!!!!FIREWORKS!!!!!EAGLES!!!!!!BACON!!!!!!$$$$$REMEMBER DIABETES!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Flagwankgate is alive and well! 'Murica!!!FUCK YEAH!!!!!USA!!!!USA!!!!$$$$!!$$$USA!!!!!NASCAR!!!!!!FIREWORKS!!!!!EAGLES!!!!!!BACON!!!!!!$$$$$REMEMBER DIABETES!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
All EMPLOYEES will stand for the anthem or be dismissed.
This has always been about the lack of specific 'rights' when employed. These athletes like to think of themselves as elite individuals plying their trade as contractors of free will and body.
NOT.
They are no better, but less worse, that average Joe working down at the local 7-11.
Yep, you don't get to "protest" at your place of employment or you run the risk of being fired.
Stand for the National Anthem... Today... or Else...
Tomorrow... Stand for All USA Wars of Aggression or Else... !
Brilant psychological manipulation of the Goy... Genuis Evil...
WTF ?
Edgey...
All EMPLOYEES will stand for the seig heil salute or be dismissed.
Goose-stepping norks w/ lots of bright,shiny crap junked you.
Or they can quit. Nobody is forcing them to support any political view
If they don't like it. quit. I they don't obey their employer, "Your're Fired. And then find yourself a better paying job.
That's how Freedom works.
Why don't they make a point by rejecting that multi-million dollar check they get each month?
I'll decide how freedom works porch monkey.
Agreed. A protest in labor issues involves strikes, sit ins, et al. I fucking dare these prima donnas to do something along those lines. They won't. So they're just full of shit like most everyone else. NOT A SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE.
Yeah, the celebrity and athlete worship for decades has apparently made them think they aren't employees at a busienss even though they constantly say "it's a business" whenever contract shit comes up.
Typical humans who think they can have it all ways.
But the cucks let their wives and girlfriends wear a jersey with another man's name across the back like she is owned
Those have to be some of the stupidest white people out there.
Is there any other kind?
I cant imagine an OWNER of anything taking shit from employees who use a private brand for their own agenda
the actions of Jerry Jones allowing this nonsense makes him the worst offender - pure propaganda
Now we await the NFL's response to the recent disruption of owner/employee relations.
Trump is a genius. He is truly the first shit lord president!
Andrew Jackson:
-Fought in a duel to protect his wife's honor
-Pickled a British military officer after winning the Battle of New Orleans
-Defeated Nicolas Bindle's Bank to free America from Central Banking
NBA is rigged too little too late...
anyone remember 'Cassius Clay,.. aka Muhammad Ali...
way ahaed of his tyme!!!
but that was boxing in the 60s and 70s which was ranked #1 Sport on Saturday Nights