Lions, Colts, packers and other cancel practice
A lot of controversial threads about the NBA yesterday, but wherever you stand, it’s starting to look likely that this social movement may have an impact on the NFL season.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
Lions did this two days ago as well and inspired the Bucks.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
And many more are following today.
“what’s kaepernick kneeling gonna accomplish?”
”what’s the entire nba kneeling gonna accomplish?”
“What’s the lions cancelling practice gonna accomplish?”
”what’s the bucks postponing a game gonna accomplish?”
”what’s the lakers and clippers cancelling their season gonna accomplish?”
“what’s nfl teams cancelling practice gonna accomplish?”
if you guys don’t realize hundreds of billions of dollars of the sports industry are at stake here, I don’t really know what to tell you
August 27th, 2020 at 12:07 PM ^
Hundreds of billions?
Mexico will pay for it.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
I hate being cynical, but Kaepernick's kneeling eventually got him paid, but I haven't seen a single policy change as a result. A bunch of billionaire owners can afford to sit this thing out in the short term. All of these sports have dealt with work stoppages before.
Are these players prepared to make sacrifices like those people in the Montgomery bus boycott? It took an entire year and a federal law to be enacted that declared their bus policies unconstitutional for the boycott to end. LeBron has enough money to sit for good. What about G-League guys or guys who've been living off 10-day contracts? Are they willing and able to sit for a year, if needed?
August 27th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
Kaepernick's kneeling eventually got him paid, but I haven't seen a single policy change as a result.
True, but it got the ball rolling and brought this debate to the front and center of American (and world) politics. Without Kap, maybe we go back to the old ways of no one really giving a shit every time the cops murder someone. "Thoughts and prayers, oh well, back to business as usual."
8.2.0August 27th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
You're not wrong, but I hate to think that this is what is needed/expected for us to care about one group of people being frequently murdered, killed, or paralyzed for suspicion of misdemeanor by the police or vigilantes in this country.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:04 PM ^
I don't necessarily disagree that this is going to have a huge impact in terms of costing sports billions. And I agree that this brings publicity. But, the question is what is this actually aiming to accomplish? If the goal is to simply spark a discussion, then yes, this is very effective. But, if the goal is something more concrete, then I am not sure.
Said differently, what is the list of demands? If the list is: (1) end racism; (2) no more police brutality; and (3) equality, that is too amorphous and will not happen. But, if the list is: (a) reform police tactics during confrontations in the following ways; (b) specific investigation and enforcement mechanisms for officer-involved shootings; and (c) a registry of violations against officers, or some other concrete steps, then I think that there is a chance that this could be VERY effective.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
The movement for black lives has a policy platform that they've been publishing since at least 2016. It's here: https://m4bl.org/policy-platforms/
August 27th, 2020 at 4:33 PM ^
That platform perfectly makes my point. If this is truly the platform that the NBA is supporting, I suspect that they are going to lose more than a few fans. I don't really want to get into politics here, but it is unavoidable. Let's look at the 6 tenets of the BLM platform:
1. "End the war on black people."
This basically amounts to "end racism." What, specifically, are the NBA players (or BLM for that matter) referring to? What actual actions do they want to see.
Also, There is racism against countless groups: Jews, blacks, hispanics, gay, transgender, Italians, etc. So is there to be no more sports until all racism ends? Funny, since the lease racist place I have ever been is in a locker room.
2. Reparations for past and continuing harms. (Reparations)
Again, are they asking for a specific dollar amount to be paid? If so, to whom? Every black person in the US? What about black people that have thrived despite racism? What about to Jewish people who suffered anti-semitism and the Holocaust? What about to gays who face a ton of discrimination? Who gets these reparations, how much? Again, no specifics.
3. Divestment from the institutions that criminalize, cage and harm black people; and investment in the education, health and safety of black people. (Invest-Divest)
What institutions. The United States, which for 8 years had a black president? The banks? If so, which banks? What about the banks that have black CEOs?
I will concede that investment in the education, health and safety of black people is a specific goal. However, on the state, federal and local level, there is significant investment in these initiatives. Trump actually just made permanent the US annual endowment to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (something that Obama actually refused to do).
4. Economic justice for all and a reconstruction of the economy to ensure our communities have collective ownership, not merely access.(Economic justice)
OK, so abandon capitalism and move to socialism. Is this a demand of the NBA players. Or is this something else. If so, the players should be specific. Not sure that many people would support this.
5. Community control of the laws, institutions and policies that most impact us. (Community control)
Again, no specifics. Are they advocating for abolishing states and federal government and just having community government. So basically eliminating the federal constitution and state constitutions. This is what the NBA players are demanding?
6. Independent black political power and black self-determination in all areas of society. (Political power)
What does this even mean? So we are now going to have black government and white government? Isn't that what the elimination of segregation was intended to avoid?
August 27th, 2020 at 5:49 PM ^
I'm neither white nor black, but I'll try to cover some of these.
1. "End the war on black people": ending racism isn't a specific demand, but expecting police to stop killing black people as potential threats would be a start. I think a United States with less racism toward black people will be a safer world for them, for me, and for my kids.
2. "Reparations": John Conyers repeatedly introduced a bill to study the topic, since it's a really contentious, complicated issue. But up to now, Congress hasn't supported even a study. (I think Sheila Jackson Lee has taken up the tradition now.) We can't have specifics yet, but we have to at least start by thinking about it.
I will say that in the past I opposed reparations because, "I didn't do anything wrong; why should I have to pay toward this?" But I'm also Catholic, and the Church let a lot of bad things happen to people. I didn't do any of that either, but the Church has a responsibility to try to make things right, even if that means some of my donation goes to pay settlements to the people who were harmed (or their estates).
I know there are also continuing harms, policies that disproportionately harm black people today, but I'm not well equipped to discuss them. Strengthening/enforcing the Fair Housing Act and the Voting Rights Act would probably fit under this. Even if we never settle on what reparations would look like, I think it would be healthy to remind everyone that we're effectively running a tab for the policies that let bad cops and bad officials continue to do what they're doing.
3. "Divestment": I think this is primarily aimed at racial bias in law enforcement and corrections. (Maybe "defund the police" falls here?) Also, regarding Obama as a sign that the US can't be racist, Obama wasn't a king and had to deal with the Senate. Individual achievement doesn't solve systemic problems. Jackie Robinson didn't fix racism in sports, Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington didn't fix racism in Hollywood, and MLK didn't fix racism in America.
I'm not willing to put myself out there defending the last three, because I haven't thought about them as much. (Although I do believe a well-regulated capitalism is the best option available.)
August 27th, 2020 at 9:31 PM ^
Is...is the goal to abolish sports?
August 27th, 2020 at 11:31 AM ^
Lions preemptively decide not to participate in the playoffs, ever.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:02 PM ^
Detroit Lions new Slogan. Protesting since 1957.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
When cars had fins.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
Losers
August 27th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
explain....
August 27th, 2020 at 3:09 PM ^
I'll explain..
The police officer should have refrained from shooting Jacob Blake in the back.
Jacob Blake should have refrained from fighting with police, resisting arrest and going towards his vehicle which had a weapon in it. He should have put his hands behind his back, sat in the back of the police car and went to jail for the crimes that he committed.
Kyle Rittenhouse should have refrained from going to Kenosha with a rifle.
Joseph Rosenbaum should have refrained from chasing Kyle Rittenhouse and throwing bricks at him.
Anthony Huber should have refrained from chasing Kyle Rittenhouse, hitting him over the head with a skateboard and trying to rip away a rifle that is held onto the body by a sling.
Gaige Grosskreutz should have refrained from chasing Kyle Rittenhouse, pointing a gun at him and trying to take a rifle that is held onto the body by a sling.
All of these actions are incredibly stupid and have consequences.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^
What a bunch of nerds for using their platform and power to bring notice to the issue of black people being unjustly murdered/paralyzed on a near daily basis
August 27th, 2020 at 2:18 PM ^
You are right about all these things on a near daily basis. I would say daily basis. But not by cops. And no one, no one is protesting this fact.
August 27th, 2020 at 8:30 PM ^
Did the guy really rape someone?
August 27th, 2020 at 8:53 PM ^
Girls and women across Wisconsin breathed a small sigh of relief knowing at least one known rapist will rape no more.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:37 AM ^
I have a feeling this is what is going to deflate professional sports. . .
People rely on sports for entertainment and an escape. Right or wrong, this is going to turn off fans. .
August 27th, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm kinda turned off by cops killing blacks
August 27th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
Amen.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
Yeah but he had a criminal record, which justifies cops murdering black people.
August 28th, 2020 at 1:08 AM ^
Yea but all the facts are in and indisputable so let’s pile on alongside the masses.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:07 PM ^
I am also turned off by cops murdering black people. Very much so.
But, one of the things that I like about sports is that they are entertainment - an escape from the politics and problems of the world. With sports being so embroiled in politics, it loses that aspect.
It is possible to be turned off by both cops killing blacks and by the protests overshadowing the escapist nature of sports.
August 27th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
That's fair, but how else do you suggest to get through to those who can make changes? This shit has been going on for decades, and nothing has changed.
August 27th, 2020 at 3:30 PM ^
have a person of color elected president?
August 27th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
There are a number of ways to go about making change:
1. Social media - these guys have massive social media platforms and millions of followers. They can use that platform to reach millions.
2. Elect officials who have views that align with the change sought. These athletes, with their massive platforms, have the ability to really get out the vote for those that they think will be favorable to their cause.
3. Outreach to those already elected to engage those in power in a discussion. This seems a bit obscure, but if someone like a Michael Jordan / LeBron James publicly invited someone like Trump (no politics, per say, but I know that many believe that he is anti-change on racial injustice), my guess is that Trump would accept the invitation.
As for "getting through to those who can make a change," this really goes to the question of what actual and practical change are they seeking? The change can't be "end racism" or "stop individual cops from being racist animals." But, if the change is specific reforms to the policing tactics or training, or specific community engagement initiatives, then, again, it all starts with electing officials that agree with those changes or working with those already in power.
All of that can be done, however, outside of the actual games. If the NBA continues to go down this path, unfortunately these guys are going to lose their platform as many people are going to simply stop watching altogether. I can't tell you how many people I know that have stopped watching the NBA because of the players wearing slogans on the back of their jerseys and the floor being covered with BLM. This is reflected in the NBA's terrible ratings. During a pandemic, with people starved for sports, the NBA should be killing it, but so many people tuned out, as they did during the initial NFL-Kap year. While many people here agree with BLM, the reality is that it is a politically charged issue and many people - even those who are favorable to BLM vies - simply don't want to see it when they are taking time from their already stressful lives to be diverted and entertained.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
True...freedom to do as they please, but lots of people (myself included) losing interest in sports in general.
Social unrest, economy, stress of locking in homes...turbulent times now and only getting worse.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:05 PM ^
People are probably just Tired of Winning.
So much winning.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Some topics are too important to hide from and athletes are saying they are done being the source to escape to.
August 27th, 2020 at 5:52 PM ^
you're absolutely right. My point is that fans will look for something else to escape to. . .
Like ESPN the Ocho.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
Great Point, I unfollowed ESPN across the board today. It is not because I think these athletes are wrong. I understand what they are hoping to accomplish, but sports were always my escape. There is so much bad news everywhere, it is just hard to have it in the things I have always used as an escape.
August 27th, 2020 at 2:33 PM ^
I started to write something but I am just done with sports. The joy it used to bring is gone. Not going to re-renew tickets after 40 years-whats the point. Screw it all.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
lotta people telling on themselves in the reaction to this.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
Imagine being an apologist for systemic racism being the breaking point for your sports fandom
August 27th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
A lot of people are coddled fucking assholes, who have never had to really reckon with their own twisted beliefs. I'm glad this is all happening, even if the world seems to be falling apart at the moment.
As long as everyone votes in November, I think this will all eventually improve our society a great deal. Vote.
Vote.
Vote.
August 27th, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
You are absolutely right, and it is hard to find a group more coddled than professional athletes, many of them dating back to grade school.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
@Shoes: So coddled...and yet SO socially aware...yet promote brands like Nike that live off the blood, sweat, and tears of CHILDREN in Asia who are little more than slaves.
Just one example of their hypocrisy.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
Indeed. I hope they examine how our economic system demands the most barbarous forms of exploitation in order to funnel the maximum amount of money to a tiny group of elites. Perhaps their discovery of the strike as an organizational tool will lead them and others to see it as a basis for a new system of production.
August 27th, 2020 at 4:13 PM ^
A lot of pro athletes ARE the tiny group of elites in your example. On top of that, many speaking out are the elites of the elites- Do you see LeBron taking a 95% pay cut down to the league average for solidarity?
August 27th, 2020 at 6:13 PM ^
In terms of their income, they are in an elite group. However, theyre still employees. Their relationship to team owners is the same as that of a McDonald's employee to the CEO.
August 27th, 2020 at 6:31 PM ^
That's a terrible analogy. If the cashier quits at McDonald's, they hire a new one the next day. If (for example) Patrick Mahomes quits the Chiefs, they are completely screwed. Chiefs ownership will do whatever they can to keep Mahomes around, McDonald's will fire someone or let someone quit without thinking twice.
August 27th, 2020 at 7:22 PM ^
Obviously, there isn't another patrick mahomes, but there are other quarterbacks they could acquire. The analogy isn't about their value to their respective employers, but their economic relationships. They're both employees.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:15 PM ^
Athletes growing up in the inner city, afraid of gangs on the one side and police on the other - many in poverty conditions, coddled? Curious, exactly how many of these athletes are identified in grade school? Yeah, that coddled Lebron James and Kevin Durant had it so easy through elementary and middle school.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Yeah I went to St V's with Bron. Tell me more about my all the gangs in my neighborhood.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:44 PM ^
What does going to the same private school have to do with what neighborhood you live in?
August 27th, 2020 at 1:08 PM ^
I get that you like to sealion and all, but we grew up within 2 miles of each other. What part of Akron you from?