My Letter to the Kansas City Chiefs / NFL

[BSO Dave]

Let's keep this in perspective: The clueless IDIOT who started this is the same idiot that has worn "pig-police socks" and a t-shirt paying homage to Fidel Castro arguably one of the most notorious oppressors of human rights in modern history. The mere fact that the media or any human being on this planet is giving this guy any credibility whatsoever is a pathetic statement on the world we live in.

If circumstances were different, I might actually have pity for Kaepernick, for being so misguided, misinformed, and naive to the real world around him. The remarkably shocking and sad take on this for me is that Kaepernick's actions, with the help of the media, has now encouraged many more of his peers to display the same ignorance in the most un-American, disrespectful manner possible. It's reprehensible, and disgusting, behavior and I am embarrassed to share a country with individuals like these or any others that condone their ideology. This is no longer simply an issue of Americans with a common cause and values having a mutually respectful disagreement. These are blatant, radical ideological differences of what America represents.

Two NFL teams that recently played in Great Britain stood for the British national anthem, but decided to kneel in protest when the American national anthem was played. I guess that historical British oppression of black African slaves is okay with these players?? Their hypocrisy is no doubt a product of their ignorance of factual history, but it doesn't make it any less sad or pathetic.

I have been done with the NFL and professional sports in general for a while now. The wonderful memories I have of growing up as a loyal fan of the hometown team and the role model athletes that used to lead them has been deformed into this mess of spoiled, clueless millionaires who many of which would otherwise likely be in jail if it were not for their ability to throw or catch a ball. Professional sports used to be entertainment that gave us a great diversion from our "real" problems and galvanized the country if only for a few hours. Sadly, it has fallen into the abyss of the new ideology of "victim-hood". The new NFL slogan should be "rebels without a clue".

PS: Great letter @Wheels! I plan on writing my own version to the Dolphins and the League office.

 

[cpr0312]

Well said @BSO Dave !

Let us all also remember that the NFL threatened to fine players (dont recall the outcome of fines or not) for paying homage and tribute to victims of 9/11 and the Dallas police officers last year (2016) on opening day because it would be a "uniform violation"

 

[edward]

im sure rocketman would love to take all these overpaid nfl,ers that hate this country so much on board and i wouldnt mind getting rid of them.

 

[tarbe]

im sure rocketman would love to take all these overpaid nfl,ers that hate this country so much on board and i wouldnt mind getting rid of them.

He can get Dennis Rodman to set it all up!

 

[Dee S]

I agree. Dallas Cowboys fan here. I attempted to cancel my NFL package with DirectTV last night. Was told that couldn't cancel in mid-season but they are getting flooded with similar requests and they are keeping track and reporting it to the NFL. I then sent an email to the NFL and voiced by issues about all this political crap.
On the ban wagon with you.

 

[Ragman]

Very sad. I'm a Canadian who loves the NFL. I wait for opening week with the same anticipation of opening day of deer season. I think this would have remained a minor issue until Trump regurgitated his comments last Friday. Whatever the reasoning, though, there is no excuse for having their protest during the national anthem. One of the things I admire the most of my neighbors in the U.S.A. is your patriotism. I wish we in Canada were more outward with ours.

I wonder how former New England Patriot, Joe Andruzzi is feeling about this demonstration? I'll never forget watching him come onto the field with the American flag right after 9/11 with his New York City firefighter brothers. Choked me up bad. These players need to look back to how the NFL players presented themselves in the 2001 season. Would be a valuable lesson for them.

 

[Brent in Az]

Everything that came out of the Obama administration was bad. Kaepernick, and his antics, are just an extension of that mess.

 

[Rick Cox]

I just read a report that said Jerry Jones and the team kneeled during the anthem. This is the same man who said, "anyone caught kneeling during the anthem will not be wearing a Cowboys uniform the next day"?
I also have through family connections a copy of the Conduct Code for NFL Players that is a part of the player's collective bargaining agreement. It states, "All players, staff and coaches during the national anthem will stand at attention, with right hand over heart, helmet or head covering in left hand, for the duration of the anthem." I agree that we have the right to kneel, but they gave up that right when they agreed to those ridiculous salaries.
I also feel Trump was way out of line with the language used and he needs to apologize for that part.
Such a sad day for everyone, this should not even be a subject to discuss. Find a way to protest your cause without using the flag or anthem as a prop.

Finally an opinion I can endorse.

 

[Philip Glass]

Due to the Golden State Warriors refusing to go to the White House I have cancelled my NBA League Pass subscription. I enjoy football from time to time but I am a big NBA fan. I have had it with these spoiled sports stars who think the are oppressed in America. I won't support them anymore. I'd like to take them to Zimbabwe for a month to live with their long lost relatives and see if their attitude changes!

 

[BSO Dave]

I think this would have remained a minor issue until Trump regurgitated his comments last Friday.

I agree with your statement except for this one line above. This issue was festering and growing and more players were kneeling each week. The media salivates all over their camera lenses cutting back and forth to those players and staff kneeling, and those who are standing during the anthem. How is that Trump's doing? President Trump would have been blamed for this by the left regardless. Trump merely stated what the majority of the fans were thinking. I know he echoed my sentiments perfectly! It's about time we had a leader that calls out these actions instead of condoning them. If you are looking for a President that was a race-baiter, he is the one who occupied the office for the previous 8 years.

The NFL is a joke, and the joke is on the fan and the consumer. They have a double standard on multiple issues and selectively enforce their own league rules as it benefits them. To your point about 9/11, you may recall that the NFL forbade players from wearing anything honoring the fallen. More recently, they took the same stance on other players who wanted to honor the police. Yet, they have no problem with players, and now coaches and staff spitting in the faces of the majority of their fans by publicly disrespecting our anthem and flag? That is a huge kick in the nuts to all taxpayers considering that these professional sports franchises are one of the few private entities that happily take billions from state and federal coffers to build and refurbish their stadiums.

The NFL and all of the other professional sports associations are gambling that the average fan places more value on their product than they do about their own values and dignity as citizens. If we keep going to the games and watching them on TV, we will prove them right.

 

[cpr0312]

 

[Royal27]

I'd like to take them to Zimbabwe for a month to live with their long lost relatives and see if their attitude changes!

This!

The guys on the ground in Zim are simply flabbergasted about this whole NFL thing. They can't comprehend and I don't blame them. Wonder what those oppressed sports stars would think if the millions they had in the bank couldn't be withdrawn at more than $100 every few days and if then the value of the money dropped to almost zero overnight?

I think this display is one of the saddest things I've seen in the United States in my adult life.

 

[tay50]

I have heard people want to boycott the NFL on Sunday, November 12, the day after Veterans Day, don't go to any games, turn off the TV. I'm in on that day for sure, to honor of my late son who was a combat medic for the Army, who tried to save any injured he came across, never questioning their nationally, color, political beliefs or his own personal safety.

 

[Ragman]

To your point about 9/11, you may recall that the NFL forbade players from wearing anything honoring the fallen. More recently, they took the same stance on other players who wanted to honor the police.

To my embarrassment, that fact seems to have slipped my mind. I apologize.

 

[JGRaider]

Screw the NFL, all of 'em, and the horse they rode in on. Bunch of overpaid prima donnas anyway. I'm out.

 

[Bhfs300]

I have heard people want to boycott the NFL on Sunday, November 12, the day after Veterans Day, don't go to any games, turn off the TV.

Sounds good. If the stands are empty and TV ratings are way down that would be better than numbers down 10-20% on other weeks.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Yeah I am huge sports fan, but I didn't watch football this past week and don't think I am going to watch the NBA. I love watching the NBA, but with warriors saying we are going to make a decision about going to the whitehouse, Trump had every right to revoke the invitation. It is a honor and should be considered as such.

To me it is ironic they don't want to talk politics and just want to play a game. Then they make a political statement and are upset they are involved with politics.

The whole thing makes me sad, a lot of good memories regarding sporting events with friends and family. More time for hunting and the gym.

 

[PARA45]

As a military member, I am done with the NFL, and any other sport organization that promotes this type of behavior. If these players have a beef with the issue of "oppression", these players have every right to protest and voice their opinion. But, how in the world is the National Anthem and our Flag the issue here? Do it on your own time, and do it the right way. Try to disrespect the flag or the national anthem of North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, or any other oppressive country, and see how it goes. Also, the NFL sanction players for doing certain things on the end zone, but do nothing to them for disrespecting our flag and National Anthem. I hate their double standards! F*ck it, I am done with them!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

American sniper's wife Taya Kyle: An open letter to the NFL

Taya Kyle pens open letter to NFL on unity
Widow of Navy SEAL sniper weighs in on national anthem debate


Editor's note: The following column originally appeared on Facebook on September 26. Since it was posted to Facebook it has received more than 6,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments. Taya Kyle is a Fox News contributor and the author of "American Wife: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith and Renewal." Visit Taya Kyle's official Facebook page -- Taya Kyle American Wife.


Dear NFL,

You were doing your part to bring people together and heal the world. That’s really how healing works. We heal by loving each other and leading by example; showing people what is possible when we love each other just as we are and not only recognize our differences but celebrate them and look at how we can use them together to make us jointly better than our separate parts. You were doing your part celebrating each other based on skills, talent and a joint vision without regard to color and religion.


You were doing your part and we were doing ours. We showed up cheering and groaning together to as one. We talked in the concession lines and commiserated and celebrated our team together. Did it ever occur to you that you and we were already a mix of backgrounds, races and religions? We were already living the dream you want, right in front of you.

Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.

Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.

You are asking us to abandon what we loved about togetherness and make choices of division. Will we stand with you? Will we stand with our flag? What does it mean? What does it mean if we buy a ticket or NFL gear? What does it mean if we don’t? It is the polar opposite of the easy togetherness we once loved in football.

It was simple – we loved you and you loved us – with all of our races, religions, different backgrounds and politics. Simplicity in a crazy world was pretty awesome.

You dear NFL, have taken that. You have lost me here.

If you ever want to get off your knees and get to work on building bridges, let me know. I have found screaming about the problems in service marriages or even standing in silence in front of them, hasn’t healed even one of them.

On the other hand, funding the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, building a team and rolling up my sleeves to get in the trenches during my “off time” -- volunteering there outside of my paying jobs -- has proven to make real change.

You have a lot of strong guys, I am sure in the off season a lot of them could build some pretty big bridges if they care enough to do the hard work. That would involve getting off their knees and getting to work though. If I can do it while I raise two kids as their only parent and work through the greatest pain of my life, let’s see if they can do it for the issues they say they care so much about.

Go Longhorns and Sic ‘Em …

Sincerely,

Taya



Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/26/american-snipers-wife-taya-kyle-open-letter-to-nfl.html

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I have heard people want to boycott the NFL on Sunday, November 12, the day after Veterans Day, don't go to any games, turn off the TV. I'm in on that day for sure, to honor of my late son who was a combat medic for the Army, who tried to save any injured he came across, never questioning their nationally, color, political beliefs or his own personal safety.

Where is the "love" button?

Fantastic comment, and a great way to honor a noble, selfless member of our country's armed forces.