Every summer for over forty years I eagerly looked forward to the start of football season. Football has always meant so much more to me than just the game my father taught me to love. To me, football has always been the antithesis of politics, and the most American sport of all. I always looked forward to Sunday afternoon, when I could block out the insanity of politics and just enjoy the excitement on the gridiron.
Then two years ago everything changed.
On November 30, 2014, a few members of the St. Louis Rams walked out on the field in a “hands up” gesture to protest the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. I turned off the television in disgust. The last thing I wanted to see during an NFL game was a political “statement” made by a bunch of highly (over)paid athletes who were supposed to just shut up and play football.
Needless to say, lots of football fans were turned off by their inappropriate behavior. Even more people were outraged when the Vice President of the NFL refused to discipline the players for their unsportsmanlike conduct.
The St. Louis Police Officers Association condemned the actions of the “members of the St. Louis Rams football team who chose to ignore the mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury this week and engage in a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.”
As a result of this ridiculous stunt, I literally couldn’t bring myself to watch football for the next two seasons.
This season I honestly tried to summon up some interest in professional football again. But that desire quickly faded after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick exhibited blatant disrespect for the very country that gives him the right to be a flaming asshat.
By refusing to stand for the National Anthem, this grossly overpaid athlete (worth $22 million) decided to stupidly protest economic inequality.
Or oppression.
Or something.
Whatever.
But then he really crossed the line of all civility when he wore police pig socks to a practice.
Because “rogue cops.”
Or something.
Despite condemnation by the executive director of the National Association of Police Officers, Bill Johnson, the NFL refused to discipline or fine Kaepernick for his disrespectful, and thoroughly despicable, attire.
As it turns out, for the second season in a row, Kaepernick is still second string behind starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Yeah, karma’s a bitch!
Even more reprehensible, when the Dallas Cowboys planned to pay tribute to the murder of five police officers by sporting a decal on their helmets, the NFL denied their request.
Apparently, in the National Football League, helmet decals supporting law enforcement is forbidden, but wearing police pig socks is perfectly acceptable.
Alrightly then.
Even closer to home, four Miami Dolphins players took a took a knee before today’s game during the National Anthem.
Several Dolphins players, including Arian Foster, knelt during the national anthem. https://t.co/VJj8eRRXu7 pic.twitter.com/MXdCI4uI0t
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 11, 2016
This is unacceptable. You should be proud to be an American. Especially on 9/11 when we should support each other. https://t.co/qFozwaH9Bu
— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) September 11, 2016
Needless to say, as a result of all this ridiculous political posturing, there were no football games on my television today.
Then again, I would have loved to watch the Tennessee Titans game this afternoon to show my support of linebacker Avery Williamson.
Despite being threatened with hefty fines by the NFL, “Williamson came out of the tunnel wearing his custom patriotic cleats for the season opener against the Vikings on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,” according to The Tennessean.
Even more heartening, the article also reported, “Williamson originally planned to wear the cleats to honor those who died, changed his mind when an NFL representative called to inform him about a looming fine for violating uniform code, and changed his mind once again Saturday night after The Tennessean’s report about the situation went viral. Several of his teammates offered to help pay the fine if he wore the cleats, as did four New York and New Jersey police associations, including the union that represents the police department that patrols the World Trade Center complex.”
Police unions have vowed to pay for Avery Williamson’s fines for wearing 9/11 shoes
Read: https://t.co/PGsrh7PZZo pic.twitter.com/0Lm3zryDmm
— Everything TN (@Everything_TN) September 11, 2016
In addition to the Titans, the great state of Tennessee is home to another football team worthy of my television screen.
This 911 tribute during the National Anthem at the University of Tennessee’s Volunteers game last night brought me to tears.
God Bless Tennessee!
And God Bless America!
Stephanie
Overpaid urban athletes, who should be grateful they live in a country which permits them to be paid as much as they get (since most have no other abilities or skills, being illiterate), should be booted for insulting America! We are fast becoming a nation of entitled misfits.
Hey Judge….What a racist comment! You didn’t say sh!&T, when “urban” vets come home and they are not given opportunities for decent employment! you didn’t comment when the NM cop shot an innocent “urban” staff member trying to help his patient. Judge, being grateful is not always a privilege that “urban” men in our society don’t the luxury of!
I served as a Naval Officer in this country so “Urban” men have the right to protest……. Even Muhammad Ali……….
Thank you for your service!
Why were people not turned off or believed it was inappropriate when Black people fought in Germany and came home to discrimination and segregation. Or when Black people are shot in the back or when the therapist in North Miami was shot why taking care doc his patient? I am reminded by a statement by Judge Seraphin, he sates, “you don’t know justice until you suffer injustice.”
sod you don’t know whats its like to put your life on the line for the flag of the United States and its people but that same flag and people turn their backs on you! I can think of so many disproportionate incidents that are occurring in this country but it’s OK unless you are Black or Muslim or Japanese, or Hispanic.
Until you walk a mile in another mans shoes you have no right to criticize or tell him what pain he is suffering.
What are you talking about?
Read below.
The “Oh, please stop whining” comment was supposed to be a reply to this.
Gotcha.
Oh, please!
Enough with the whining. Enough with the self pity.
Anyone who calls themselves Hispanic, or Black, or Muslim, or Martian or Klingon, BEFORE calling themselves American, and then goes on to complain about injustice is simply because they are attached to their own chains.
Those chains are in their minds, and serve only as justification for their own lack of effort or determination. Don’t come complaining about suffering.
Do something for yourself.
Do something for your family.
Do something for your community.
Do something for your country and stop blaming and accusing everybody else for your own shortcomings.
Stop blaming the white man! The President of The United States is Black for Christ sake! Who elected him?
Wasn’t it millions of Americans?
Americans! Weren’t they all Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, Christians and Muslims?
How can anyone talk about injustice when this country made a fatherless black child become the most powerful man in the world!? Please!
And if you want to talk about Black people being shot in the back, go ask who’s doing the shooting. And the stabbing, because there are stabbings too. Go ask who killed more than 500 people so far this year in Chicago alone. Go ask who killed more than 20 children under the age of 12 since 2006 in Miami-Dade alone.
Where’s the outrage? Where are the protests?
Where is the outrage for those innocent lives? Don’t they matter?
Where is the outrage for the drugs in our schools and in the communities?
Where is the outrage?
Oh! But a criminal ends up shot by the police, and the criminal happens to be Black, there will be hell to pay. And the self proclaimed leaders will come forward and announce the end of the world. And there will be cries for justice, the same cries that we do NOT hear when children are killed or injured in drive by shootings. Then it’s the code of silence. Then it’s “snitches get stitches”.
Want change?
Change yourself!
Thank you, Ricardo! Very well said.