NFL Gutlessness on National Anthem and Guns is Divisive and Dangerous

By David Codrea

screenhunter_05-sep-26-09-28
The forum they are privileged to participate in is not about them and what they want.

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- We should have expected this to happen.

Colin Kaepernick’s decision to make the national anthem a forum for personal race-based grievance exploitation has spread, and not just within the National Football League. Taking their cue from the pros they hope to be some day, college and high school athletes have also decided that they’re social justice warriors, too.

Hey, it’s their right, right? The First Amendment and all that? I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it…? First they came for the whatevers?

Uh, no, actually. Sure as individuals, on their own time and dime, they’re free to make the case for just about anything they want (short of posting 3-D printing data online). But they’re not on their own time and dime. They are wearing uniforms with team names and logos. They are representing a team and an organization. The forum they are privileged to participate in is not about them and what they want.

Were this not the case, imagine what would happen should any player wish to commit career suicide and conduct a protest on behalf of White Lives Matter. That’s something he wouldn’t be able to get away with even out of uniform and off the field.

Ask Riley Cooper if league officials were more worried about his free speech (which no argument was racially offensive and dumb as hell), or making sure he was sufficiently publicly shamed and punished. Or, switching sports and professions for a moment, ask Curt Schilling about expressing his views on “gender identification” in bathrooms on Facebook.

Not to wander too far afield, but a quote from Star Trek comes to mind.

But back to the uniform—try expressing yourself in one of those in a way not approved by the NFL, and don’t be surprised to see swift and certain discouragement with an “or else” attached. NFL is so protective of its trademarks, they even stopped East Rutherford from using the term “Super Bowl.”

Curiously though, the uniforms have been authorized for use to go after another right, with then-mayors Michael Bloomberg and Thomas Menino donning Giants and Patriots jerseys to stump for citizen disarmament in front of the Super Bowl audience. And that’s hardly the end of the league’s hostility to RKBA.

The NFL may be loath to push back against players making political statements they approve of, or at least don’t have the guts to put a halt to lest a costly walkout ensue and all those lovely revenues be lost, but they have no problem keeping those players from having the means of personal defense. Right there in the rules, under “Standard of Conduct,” they prohibit:

Possession of a gun or other weapon in any workplace setting, including but not limited to stadiums, team facilities, training camp, locker rooms, team planes, buses, parking lots, etc., or unlawful possession of a weapon outside of the workplace…

A lot can happen in those times when a player is on his own and unarmed. Admittedly, some of them look like they shouldn’t be – on their own, that is.

And it’s not just the players NFL doesn’t trust. A couple years back,my wife won some preseason tickets to see the Browns, and while I normally couldn’t care less, she wanted to go. Not only did they not allow our collapsible umbrellas for the walk back to the car in the rain, purses were verboten — they make women put stuff in a clear plastic bag, claiming “enhanced public safety.” (I realize I’m probably not telling most who follow such things anything — it’s just I remember an era when you could board an international commercial airliner without undergoing sigmoidoscopy.)

And it’s not just us mundanes NFL doesn’t trust: They don’t even want off-duty “Only Ones” carrying their service weapons (although Texas has said “Come and take it.”)

It’s probably not too relevant that NFL hired former ATF Fast and Furious stonewalling front man B. Todd Jones as a league mouthpiece, but I couldn’t just let that one go unmentioned.

Meanwhile, expect the Kaepernick-inspired protests to continue – he wasn’t forced to apologize or be fired on the spot as an example to others, and once you give up control like that, the momentum is just too big to stop. And expect the phenomenon to grow in colleges and high schools. Me, I’m waiting for Pop Warner…

But funny thing about free speech: Say you disagree, and while everyone is sitting you stand with hand on heart and sing. Or say you disagree strongly, and when you see someone raise a clenched fist, you exercise your right to “Boo” him.

My guess is we could very well see this happen, and when it does, those who could have put a quick end to it and did not will share in the civil culpability under the doctrine of “knew or should have known.”

You also may see some people trying to make it back to their cars wondering “What the hell was I doing paying good money to put myself in a ‘gun-free zone’?”

David Codrea in his natural habitat.

About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.

In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

David Codrea
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OutdoorsGuy

Some people probably think I am bit of an idiot for letting some trivial little thing like a cartoon of bears with toilet paper stuck to their asses upset me but it has little to do with the cartoon. I like to think that I am a man of principle, and a man WITH principles and I make an honest effort to walk the walk while I talk the talk. So, I will not allow myself, at the expense of others, to indulge in name calling or insults when I still have a few faults of my own to get… Read more »

Trumped

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/09/27/nfl-ratings-drop-across-the-board-in-week-3/

Ratings have decreased each week of the season. This is the only thing that will bring about change.

trumped

I gladly cut the cord and no longer have paid tv besides streaming netflix. I love depriving the cultural marxists of the big media funding, but especially the leftist sporting leagues and the fawning television reporters who cover them. That is the only thing that can force them to change – boycotting games, not watching on tv, and destroying their revenue. Otherwise, why would the nfl or nba change a single thing?

trumped

I gladly cut the cord and no longer have paid tv besides streaming netflix. I love depriving the cultural marxists of the big media funding, but especially the leftist sporting leagues and the fawning television reporters who cover them. That is the only thing that can force them to change – boycotting games, not watching on tv, and destroying their revenue. Otherwise, why would the nfl or nba change a single thing?

BillyB

P.S…… Think I’ll walk out in the front of my house, gaze in admiration and respect at Old Glory, which hangs appropriately,always there, recite our Pledge, do my best to sing our Anthem and give Thanks for all our Blessings. Strength through Faith.

BillyB

ONLY in AMERICA!! In most any other country in the world, showing any disrespect towards that nations flag and/or anthem would probably result in one being imprisoned and perhaps executed. Although , in my humble opinion, these “protesters” actions are totally inappropriate, uncalled for, and at best terribly shameful and stupid, I hope that they are at least smart enough to know just how good they have it and what a great country our Flag and the Anthem (the only Anthem any of us should have allegiance to) represents. The nfl should really “tighten up” the requirements for all to… Read more »

Steve C

This is an ignorant display of uneducated and programmed minds who have the right to make total jerks of themselves in a very public way. I will treat this idiocy like I do Jane Fonda, who made an equally moronic expression of her disdain for American forces fighting the very enemy she was making her buddies by posing on that anti aircraft gun, in the news photos that the North Vietnamese propagandists showed the media worldwide. As far Colin and his disinformed followers are concerned, I have no plans to watch any NFL games until the NFL shows some backbone… Read more »

Billybob Texas

I am a Dallas Fan. Unfortunately, Dallas is playing San Francisco this weekend, Oct 2nd. I will NOT be watching it – due to Kapernick being on that team. Yes, MY loss. But I will not ever watch SF as long as he’s on that team. Nor any others where I see this stuff happening.

OutdoorsGuy

Or you could do like I did, about 10 years ago when I weaned off the “tube” altogether. And it had nothing to do with any protest movements or spoiled little rich kids who happen to play with a ball and knock each other around a field. I became tired of watching animated blue bears running around the forest with bits of toilet paper stuck to their asses. And they called this “advertising”?? Why would I be tempted to go out and buy a product based on an intelligence insulting advertisement like that??? So today, I watch most of my… Read more »

Steve C

You’re so right, and they are all wrong. This kind of protest, based on half truths and falsehoods.

MIKE RAY

I HEAR THAT SAME WORD RESPECT OVER AN OVER MEANS NOTHING TO THE MEN AN WOMEN WHO GAVE SO MUCH FOR THERE COUNTRY AN FLAG

Gene Ralno

I’ve joined James Woods and am done with the NFL’s style of entertainment. How could any American enjoy watching a bunch of cretins sully what they hold dear?

Bondmen

It’s easy for me as NFL and ESPN are so politically correct and “progressive” collectivist these days I’ve lost all interest in watching fat boys crash into other fat boys with a few others squeezing in between. There are so many other interesting channels on cable these days besides a few good books here and there. No more NFL for this former fan!

jim

Stopped watching football this season. Will not be supporting this with dollars or my time. I won’t pay for social indoctrination; I USED to watch for entertainment. Further, except for this article, I have avoided giving this misguided protest any weight by not reading MSM articles about it.

TRUTH BE TOLD

Freedom of speech of this censored site bites

justtryit

Hey RidgeRunner51-blow it out you’re pie hole! Your accusation of “police murdering innocent blacks” is a load of crap; any video recently will show you one thing; the BLM’ers just can’t follow simple instructions! STOP, PUT YOUR HANDS UP, and SHUT UP, just aren’t things that thugs like to hear, and consequently they put themselves and the unfortunate police presence, in a volatile situation! If any player in the National Football League, or Major Baseball League, or any other sport, wants to “take a knee during the National Anthem”; then offer them the BENCH for the duration of that, and… Read more »

Quinteastwood

Excellent post. It is now 09/17 and this protest has gone ridiculous after President Trump had the courage to tell it like it is. These players are spoiled brats. They forget where they made their millions. Ungrateful and they think the world revolves around them. The NFL used to be a respectable organization until the thugs started playing in it. 80% of the NFL is black. I’ll lead you to draw your own conclusions.

TRUTH BE TOLD

Ridgerunner

93% of blacks are killed by blacks
Cops kill less than 1%
More whites are killed by cops than black
blacks kill more whites than whites kill blacks

So whitey should be the one mad

TRUTH BE TOLD

Ridgerunner – you should do some study my friend…

blacks kill blacks 93% of the time (justice dept)
Blacks are 20% of the population do 85% of violent crimes
Cops kill less than 1% of blacks

More white’s are killed by cops than blacks
And more black kill whites than whites kill blacks..

So your full of it….. and so are blm obama etc etc

STW

Sadly, if you’ve already given up on the NFL (haven’t even watched the Super Bowl in 30 years) there’s not much you can do to protest. I can’t not watch something twice as much and I doubt they’d be impressed if I removed the n, f, and l keys from my keyboard. They’re working overtime to keep me away though.

falome

I only ask one question. How many of these individuals JOINED voluntarily and served in the United States armed forces and placed their lives on the line. I suggest that they go to a Veteran national cemetery and see that black are resting in piece next to whites and many different cultures. Having the freedom to go and spend some time to look at the names and the length of their lives was brought to you by these individuals. If you wish to protest, I only ask that you stand in the roadway of an ISIS convoy and see if… Read more »

Joe Corr

Vote with your feet. Do not go to an NFL game, do not watch them on TV. What would the NFL say if when players refused to stand a large block of fans just got up and left?

Janek

Now that football has been ‘Politicized’ you can find another recreational activity. Get off the couch and enjoy one of the many ‘firearms sports’.

Janek

The ‘Roman Empire’ had “Bread and Circuses”, The ‘American Empire’ has ‘Food Stamps and Football’. Now that football has been ‘Politicized’ you can find recreation elsewhere. Get off the couch and enjoy one of the many ‘firearms sports’.

Terry Davis

These jackasses have never had to fight for anything or do an honest days work in their lives. They’re not fit to clean a serviceman’s latrine. I’d like to time machine their ass back to 1944 on Omaha beach. This is progressive PC BS at its finest. We need to legalize dueling!

RidgeRunner51

For some reason, many of these articles are slanted to cause division among people. One More Time: The “tradition” of playing the anthem at sporting events began as a money making proposition, by the Chicago Cubs, way back when. They were having trouble getting fans into the stadium. They hit upon the idea to have the anthem played before each game. It worked! More people came; they made more $$$. This is a FACT. Look it up. Next: The protests of either not standing for the anthem, or raising clenched fists, or locking arms, or kneeling is the exercising one’s… Read more »

Terry Davis

RidgeRunner51; I fall for nothing – YOU stand for nothing. So I take it you’re calling me a racist hater. I guess I’ll just have to exercise my FREEDOM OF SPEECH & EXPRESSION and in the words of Gunny Ermey call you a twinkle-toed communist c*cksucker. That’s a hell of a lot more accurate than me being a “racist hater”. I’m not talking about sporting events, a**wipe. In spite of what you say, their actions ARE disrespect to the flag, the country, and everything else that countless good men have fought and died for. Men that would not be able… Read more »

timothyf7

Not falling for B.S. Just intelligent enough to research instead of being a parroting sheep. Facts like 80% of people shot by LEO are not black. Black life Matters so much that even though 90+% of black deaths by gunfire are by other blacks, they only protest when it is a white shooter. Racism is a two way street.
And although you give an account of the first time the National Anthem was played at a major sporting event, your reasoning is a little skewed. It had nothing to do with money, it was totally do to Pride. (https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/6957582/the-history-national-anthem-sports-espn-magazine)

Billybob Texas

So……RidgeRunner: MY FREE SPEECH would be OK to call whatever Black person I see and dislike the N-word?

What’s the difference in YOUR expression, and mine?

A rational response would be appreciated. Thank you.

Billybob Texas

RidgeRunner:

So…..as I am exercising MY FREEDOM of Speech & Expression….I could call the next Black person I see and I don’t like…the “N” word…. For THAT matter, I guess I could march and loot and burn with signs that say “Kill all N-words”…..

Really?! And you would support that?……

Eric

They need the nonprofit status removed from NFL.