Does the NFL finally get it?

06 June 2020, 10:49 AM

quote:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on Friday pushed back after President Trump said the football player should not have apologized for controversial statements against athletes who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racism.

In an Instagram post directed at the president, Brees said he has realized that the issue at hand is not about the American flag.

“It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities,” Brees wrote.

“We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/a...-turn-people-away-or

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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training

06 June 2020, 10:51 AM

wtg

quote:
Two years after the NFL took a hardline stance to stop players from kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a remarkable apology Friday, saying in a video message, "We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/t...otests/#58fd44a66eda

06 June 2020, 11:24 AM

Daniel

I've never watched an NFL game. I don't plan to start.

Anyway, my reply to your question would be: No, they don't "get it."

Words are cheap.

06 June 2020, 11:29 AM

CHAS

Heard on some news station that 70% of NFL players are African-American.
Talk is cheap. It is time to watch the NFL for action.

06 June 2020, 04:14 PM

Nina

I totally agree with Chas. When you say "the NFL," you're talking about a predominantly African-American workforce, who most definitely "gets it." So I assume you're talking about Goodell and the owners. I'm fairly confident in saying that until recently (and most likely many of them even now) they did not get it.

I'm pretty suspicious of all this flowery language from Goodell (or anyone in authority) about how they suddenly have seen the light. I'll wait to see it in action.