Anyone who knows me understands that I eat, sleep and breathe NFL Football at the start of each and every year, so the first thing that I must impress upon you is the fact that I understand fully that what I am doing and asking others to do is a sacrifice. If you choose not to do so then that's your prerogative and I can't be mad at you for refusing to boycott. The only thing that I will say is this, If you don't want to join then stay on the sidelines and try not to discourage others to do what you won't do. In other words, stay out of the way or get run the fuch over... It's time to get to work! "Can You Hear Me Now Verizon?"
About a month ago a friend posted that boycotting and rallying was a great waste of time and challenged me to find a reason why I thought his post was bullshit. Tiff, my man here it is! Feeling that there's no need to thoroughly rehash the why of my boycott (look at the pictures) I'm jumping directly to the how and how I think we all may do so successfully after lightly touching on the why.
The Why: It's crazy that on August 24th, 2017 just two weeks away from the start of the 2017-2018 NFL Season that this man still has not been offered a job in the NFL. Call it performance related as much as you wish, but his ranking places him far ahead of at least 12 starting QB's and at least 32 backups. This being the case it's clear that he is effectively being blackballed by the NFL powers that be. It's a shame that in a country where even the KKK is defended by the highest ranking official, this man is scorned for speaking up for the voiceless. I'll leave it at that...
The Blackball: One thing that I know is that in matters of money, and costing rich folks to lose out more of it, shit changes rapidly. According to the numbers NFL viewership dropped by an average of 8% last year for the regular season, with Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football 12% & 10% respectively. While the reasons for the drop are multifaceted, one of the narratives thrown around is the notion that true blue-blooded Americans stopped watching it as a result of Kaepernick and his protest. I won't bother to try to prove or disprove it, I'll just take folks at their word and say kudos to you. Protest are as American as apple pie and often times as misguided as (Americanized) Mexican Food... Once there's a face to blame for a decline in viewership, there will be action taken to recoup those losses. Getting rid of Kaepernick is the catalyst for bringing the good ole boys back to the fray. Think I'm off base? I beg to differ, and submit to you the fact that Hank Williams Jr. (yeah the guy that likened then President Obama to Hitler in a rant) and his ironic iconic Monday Night Football theme song "Are You Ready For Some Football?" will be back on Monday Night Football starting this year. All of this after being booted and banned from the NFL since 2011 for that aforementioned rant. If one doesn't recognize this as an attempt to recapture an audience thought long gone, I'm not sure that you are thinking straight. I don't see this as a Black or White thing, this is simply a Green Thing. Money, money, money, money.
The Altering of a Narrative: Kaepernick was painting all police as racist. Kaep was never saying that cops are bad. He's saying that bad cops are out there and they are the ones that need to be addressed. What's the controversy in that? What about the socks he wore that had pigs in police uniforms? That was his attempt to bring light to the scandal that took place with the Oakland PD & The San Francisco PD. Please click on the links to be enlightened and perhaps you'll get the point of the socks he wore. Now think about what recently was uncovered in Baltimore with the police planting drugs on supposed criminals before arresting these young men for possession with intent to distribute (a felony). I feel that it's disrespectful to our Armed Forces to kneel during the anthem. Kaep addressed this issue last year with those in the armed forces and many of them have come out and said that they served for his right to protest injustice as he sees fit and thanked him openly for explaining himself and his stance. Come on folks, we can't just change the narrative as we see fit to justify our own uninformed mis-understanding. His taking a knee was a way to bring attention to the situation and create a conversation. Which leads us to where we are now... Keep politics out of my damn sports. Fuch off, the NFL owners and affiliates donated a record $107 Million for the Trump inauguration. So tell that shit to them first, then come run tell that to me as I laugh and tell you to fuch off once again.
1) Stop supporting those that don't support you or respect your interests: If the owners don't support things that are in line with your standards call them out on it and pull your support if they fail to address your needs or concerns
2) Stop watching the NFL on TV: Viewership means dollars to these folks, hit them where it hurts by turning off the tv and start donating that time to a worthwhile charity or cause.
3) Stop going to the games at the stadiums: The NFL games make most of there monies in stadium, off of vending sales. Food, Jerseys, Beer, Soda, all of these things add up, if you are not there then they can't bank on your money.
4) Refuse to buy any merchandise from the NFL and their partners: Look below and you can see the list of the major partners of the NFL. Call them to action by pulling your support in every single way possible until your issues are addressed to your satisfaction. Trust that if there's a significant loss of revenue then these entities will do all that they can to get your business back.
5) Refuse to buy Madden or Play Madden Online: EA sports has been a sponsor since 1993. Switch out of Verizon for your cell service, they've been down since 2010. Look over the list and let each of these companies know how you feel and where you stand before threatening to pull your business.
6) Donate your time usually spent watching 12 hours of football on Sundays to a worthy cause. Donate your money to a worthy cause. Save your money. Just don't spend it on anything NFL or NFL related.
At the end of the day, I want to be counted as I stand in support of something that is not a Black Rights issue, but a Human Rights issue. If you think that we are all policed in the same way please look at the video in this link (listen to the man's voice as he describes for himself what he sees) and try to tell me that you disagree... Be sure to compare it to any protest that happened in Ferguson or Baltimore. Notice the lack of Army-like equipment used in this case while certainly present in both Baltimore and Ferguson.
As Far as I am concerned NFL owners and affiliates you are on notice. I and others like me will pull our patronage from you unless the following things are addressed to our satisfaction.
1) Colin Kaepernick gets a fair shake at making a team in the NFL if he chooses to do so.
2) Publicly promote and support a peaceful union between police departments in your city and all of the communities that they serve, particularly minority and areas with limited resources or any areas where there is a perceived discord between the police and the community they serve.
3) Donate money and time to promote the "olive branch" of peace and understanding to help bridge the breakdown between the police and these communities.
4) Discontinue blackballing players that don't fit into a narrow minded view of the world. Michael Sams is a victim of this issue to this day and it's a shame. Players that can play, should be allowed to play regardless of their sexual orientation or political views. *Riley Cooper played for 3-4 years after calling a Black man a nigger, as it was captured on video. Not to mention the scores of players that have committed actual crimes and are somehow allowed to remain on your rosters, often times without so much as a suspension from the NFL or the team.
This list is short and doable NFL, the clock is ticking...
 |
| C. Kaepernick |
The Why: It's crazy that on August 24th, 2017 just two weeks away from the start of the 2017-2018 NFL Season that this man still has not been offered a job in the NFL. Call it performance related as much as you wish, but his ranking places him far ahead of at least 12 starting QB's and at least 32 backups. This being the case it's clear that he is effectively being blackballed by the NFL powers that be. It's a shame that in a country where even the KKK is defended by the highest ranking official, this man is scorned for speaking up for the voiceless. I'll leave it at that...
The Blackball: One thing that I know is that in matters of money, and costing rich folks to lose out more of it, shit changes rapidly. According to the numbers NFL viewership dropped by an average of 8% last year for the regular season, with Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football 12% & 10% respectively. While the reasons for the drop are multifaceted, one of the narratives thrown around is the notion that true blue-blooded Americans stopped watching it as a result of Kaepernick and his protest. I won't bother to try to prove or disprove it, I'll just take folks at their word and say kudos to you. Protest are as American as apple pie and often times as misguided as (Americanized) Mexican Food... Once there's a face to blame for a decline in viewership, there will be action taken to recoup those losses. Getting rid of Kaepernick is the catalyst for bringing the good ole boys back to the fray. Think I'm off base? I beg to differ, and submit to you the fact that Hank Williams Jr. (yeah the guy that likened then President Obama to Hitler in a rant) and his i
The Altering of a Narrative: Kaepernick was painting all police as racist. Kaep was never saying that cops are bad. He's saying that bad cops are out there and they are the ones that need to be addressed. What's the controversy in that? What about the socks he wore that had pigs in police uniforms? That was his attempt to bring light to the scandal that took place with the Oakland PD & The San Francisco PD. Please click on the links to be enlightened and perhaps you'll get the point of the socks he wore. Now think about what recently was uncovered in Baltimore with the police planting drugs on supposed criminals before arresting these young men for possession with intent to distribute (a felony). I feel that it's disrespectful to our Armed Forces to kneel during the anthem. Kaep addressed this issue last year with those in the armed forces and many of them have come out and said that they served for his right to protest injustice as he sees fit and thanked him openly for explaining himself and his stance. Come on folks, we can't just change the narrative as we see fit to justify our own uninformed mis-understanding. His taking a knee was a way to bring attention to the situation and create a conversation. Which leads us to where we are now... Keep politics out of my damn sports. Fuch off, the NFL owners and affiliates donated a record $107 Million for the Trump inauguration. So tell that shit to them first, then come run tell that to me as I laugh and tell you to fuch off once again.
The Fix: If there is one thing that I learned looking over this last year's worth of events it is that showing up matters, but even more effective than that is a refusal to show up. Below you can find a list of what I'm going to do unless the NFL brings Kaepernick back and supports programs that bring the police and the communities that they serve together.
1) Stop supporting those that don't support you or respect your interests: If the owners don't support things that are in line with your standards call them out on it and pull your support if they fail to address your needs or concerns
2) Stop watching the NFL on TV: Viewership means dollars to these folks, hit them where it hurts by turning off the tv and start donating that time to a worthwhile charity or cause.
3) Stop going to the games at the stadiums: The NFL games make most of there monies in stadium, off of vending sales. Food, Jerseys, Beer, Soda, all of these things add up, if you are not there then they can't bank on your money.
4) Refuse to buy any merchandise from the NFL and their partners: Look below and you can see the list of the major partners of the NFL. Call them to action by pulling your support in every single way possible until your issues are addressed to your satisfaction. Trust that if there's a significant loss of revenue then these entities will do all that they can to get your business back.
5) Refuse to buy Madden or Play Madden Online: EA sports has been a sponsor since 1993. Switch out of Verizon for your cell service, they've been down since 2010. Look over the list and let each of these companies know how you feel and where you stand before threatening to pull your business.
6) Donate your time usually spent watching 12 hours of football on Sundays to a worthy cause. Donate your money to a worthy cause. Save your money. Just don't spend it on anything NFL or NFL related.
At the end of the day, I want to be counted as I stand in support of something that is not a Black Rights issue, but a Human Rights issue. If you think that we are all policed in the same way please look at the video in this link (listen to the man's voice as he describes for himself what he sees) and try to tell me that you disagree... Be sure to compare it to any protest that happened in Ferguson or Baltimore. Notice the lack of Army-like equipment used in this case while certainly present in both Baltimore and Ferguson.
1) Colin Kaepernick gets a fair shake at making a team in the NFL if he chooses to do so.
2) Publicly promote and support a peaceful union between police departments in your city and all of the communities that they serve, particularly minority and areas with limited resources or any areas where there is a perceived discord between the police and the community they serve.
3) Donate money and time to promote the "olive branch" of peace and understanding to help bridge the breakdown between the police and these communities.
4) Discontinue blackballing players that don't fit into a narrow minded view of the world. Michael Sams is a victim of this issue to this day and it's a shame. Players that can play, should be allowed to play regardless of their sexual orientation or political views. *Riley Cooper played for 3-4 years after calling a Black man a nigger, as it was captured on video. Not to mention the scores of players that have committed actual crimes and are somehow allowed to remain on your rosters, often times without so much as a suspension from the NFL or the team.
This list is short and doable NFL, the clock is ticking...
I agree with you 100%
ReplyDelete