All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[worstblogever]

If NFL ratings and TV audience keep sliding down, however, don't be surprised if the Commissioner and the union come to an opposite meeting of the minds regarding the protests. If that's the case, Trump will trumpet his part in all of this.

Goodell already released a statement backing the players. All player union reps did so.

My argument is this... if you have to choose between Trump and Hillary? Okay, I get that a red-meat eatin' redneck from down south is gonna pick a lane, and go with the racist guy.

But when the choice is Trump or football? You gotta be REEEEEEAL committed to being racist, there.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Goodell already released a statement backing the players. All player union reps did so.

My argument is this... if you have to choose between Trump and Hillary? Okay, I get that a red-meat eatin' redneck from down south is gonna pick a lane, and go with the racist guy.

But when the choice is Trump or football? You gotta be REEEEEEAL committed to being racist, there.

The choice isn't Trump or football though. It's Trump vs a select few players Trump is villifying. So for most people it only matters so far as "players who are on your team that you think are good and like". That limits it quite a bit. Don't forget, Kaepernick for all my faults with him as a player (he isn't good anymore) was dropped from the 49'ers and most fans in the city didn't have a problem with it because of his play. At the end of the day, the logo on the jersey's matter more. Those are interchangeable. The Patriots play in a particularly liberal state. There fans really don't care that their owner, coach, and star QB support Trump who they hate.

I just don't see it mattering. The NFLPA is obligated to make a statement when their players are attacked. Goodell's statement had zero teeth in my opinion.

[TheInvisibleMan]

The choice isn't Trump or football though. It's Trump vs a select few players Trump is villifying. So for most people it only matters so far as "players who are on your team that you think are good and like". That limits it quite a bit. Don't forget, Kaepernick for all my faults with him as a player (he isn't good anymore) was dropped from the 49'ers and most fans in the city didn't have a problem with it because of his play. At the end of the day, the logo on the jersey's matter more. Those are interchangeable. The Patriots play in a particularly liberal state. There fans really don't care that their owner, coach, and star QB support Trump who they hate.

I just don't see it mattering. The NFLPA is obligated to make a statement when their players are attacked. Goodell's statement had zero teeth in my opinion.

there are plenty of players MUCH WORSE numbers wise than Kap that are on NFL rosters right now

the "he sucks" argument is so wrong and misguided, its laughable

[The Darknight Detective]

Goodell already released a statement backing the players. All player union reps did so.

What they say now is not set in stone, though, wbe. The bottom line trumps (no pun intended) all other considerations for a business. If they feel they're bleeding money over this down the road, don't be shocked they reverse themselves.

[worstblogever]

The choice isn't Trump or football though. It's Trump vs a select few players Trump is villifying.

You don't understand... Trump F***ED UP. He moved the goalposts to make this about FIRING them. Taking away their livelihood. For HAVING AN OPINION. They aren't hiding from this.
It's not a "few select players" anymore. Social media is blowing up, and two leagues have their players s***talking the president en masse. Entire teams are passing on meeting him.

If it was Trump vs. Kaepernick? Yeah, maybe that's a good fight. But it's now Trump vs. a large chunk of, if not the majority of the league. Hell, TWO LEAGUES. He's a f***ing moron.

[BeastieRunner]

The choice isn't Trump or football though. It's Trump vs a select few players Trump is villifying. So for most people it only matters so far as "players who are on your team that you think are good and like". That limits it quite a bit. Don't forget, Kaepernick for all my faults with him as a player (he isn't good anymore) was dropped from the 49'ers and most fans in the city didn't have a problem with it because of his play. At the end of the day, the logo on the jersey's matter more. Those are interchangeable. The Patriots play in a particularly liberal state. There fans really don't care that their owner, coach, and star QB support Trump who they hate.

I just don't see it mattering. The NFLPA is obligated to make a statement when their players are attacked. Goodell's statement had zero teeth in my opinion.

FYI: Brady got the hat from a game of golf with Trump. Him and his wife are on the the rolls as registered Ds. And his wife hates Trump. If he even voted, my bets are on Tommy Touchdown listened to his spouse.

Direct your hate to Kraft and Darth Hoodie by all means, though. Them and Peyton Manning love Trump. Manning stumped for the GOP and Trump, plus you have the Kraft/Belicheck letters.

[TheInvisibleMan]

You don't understand... Trump F***ED UP. He moved the goalposts to make this about FIRING them. Taking away their livelihood. For HAVING AN OPINION. They aren't hiding from this.
It's not a "few select players" anymore. Social media is blowing up, and two leagues have their players s***talking the president en masse. Entire teams are passing on meeting him.

If it was Trump vs. Kaepernick? Yeah, maybe that's a good fight. But it's now Trump vs. a large chunk of, if not the majority of the league. Hell, TWO LEAGUES. He's a f***ing moron.

Trump made the fight worse by complaining about it

it was a match on fire

now its a house

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

there are plenty of players MUCH WORSE numbers wise than Kap that are on NFL rosters right now

the "he sucks" argument is so wrong and misguided, its laughable

To a point but Kaep has several issues beyond the protest. Which causes part of the misconception.

1. He is no longer a viable franchise starting QB. He's at best a back up or stop gap starting QB while a franchise looks for the QB they really want.
2. He only plays well in a style that doesn't fit many franchises and quite frankly alot aren't built to play that style.

Realistically, he's a player who you don't want on your team, you take him out of neccessity. He's not being compared to Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, because everybody knows if he played like them he'd have a job. He's being compared to Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Scott Tolzien, etc. Yeah he is better than all of them. But here's the thing if all three of them generated the controversy he has, they wouldn't have jobs either. If all three of them only played well in a style that there teams didn't really fit with, they also wouldn't have jobs.

It's like people were getting on the Colts for not signing him and going with Tolzien and Brisset and it's like well for one the Colts no they aren't going anywhere without Luck and it's Luck's team, they aren't built at all to compliment a QB like Kaepernick because Luck plays in a more traditional style offense, they aren't ever going to invest in talent that compliments Kaep because they would only need him on the field in a worst case scenario, and the cherry on top is the protest which brings controversy teams don't want out of a back up.

Most teams face some combination of that issue with signing him.

So he's not that important to a team, he requires more accomodations wherever he goes than a back up, and he brings baggage. If the players Kaepernick was being compared to all brought baggage, they wouldn't be signed either. If Kaep was viewed as more important to a team's success, he would be signed. Nobody views him as a viable starter anymore. Once your back up, you're a "seen but not heard" type of player. Richard Sherman could get away with protesting because he would make any team he would get signed to instantly better. The Bennet's can do it, because they are good players that can go to and contribute on most teams rather effortlessly. Even a player like Chris Long who while not a stud anymore can go pretty much anywhere, easily fit into the defense, can get away with it.

If the none protest reasons I said didn't exist, he would be on a team. He's just in a weird situation where he's not good enough to merit a role on a team where they would want to go through the hassle of signing him, let alone figure out how a back up would fit into their offensive scheme. An ideal back up is a lesser version of the starter.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

You don't understand... Trump F***ED UP. He moved the goalposts to make this about FIRING them. Taking away their livelihood. For HAVING AN OPINION. They aren't hiding from this.
It's not a "few select players" anymore. Social media is blowing up, and two leagues have their players s***talking the president en masse. Entire teams are passing on meeting him.

If it was Trump vs. Kaepernick? Yeah, maybe that's a good fight. But it's now Trump vs. a large chunk of, if not the majority of the league. Hell, TWO LEAGUES. He's a f***ing moron.

Fans aren't going to care. Nobody is going to get fired. If they did, nobody will care unless it's on their team. Not a single Broncos fan will lose sleep if Marshawn Lynch got fired for sitting. Thankfully we don't have to speculate, because it's not happening.

[Dalak]

There are many different sides on controversial pieces of legislation.

Health care is getting increasingly expensive, and an increased government role is going to increase the government's spending on it (there comes a point when spending money to save lives just isn't worth the tradeoff). There are plenty on both sides who think that the current system isn't working out, which is one reason a lot of Democrats are proposing to go with a single payer system that is going to be much more expensive. Studies also suggest that much of the spending isn't getting the effects we want.

There are multiple perspectives on the dreamers. There are some arguments that the definition is a bit vague, and provides incentives for people to exaggerate their academic interests in order to stay in the country. There are some who think it's okay to let the dreamers stay, but there should get some policy concessions from Democrats as a tradeoff, or that we should get a clear unambiguous immigration policy done for the entire nation rather than focusing on a subgroup.

What you are saying sounds nice but defies the reality of what the GOP has done and tried to do in regards to Healthcare. Not only are they lying about it more than the worst interpretation of Obama's words on the subject, they aren't even trying to get bipartisan anything going on it in any serious way which is proved by their reliance on parliamentary tricks to bypass the filibuster twice (Which is their bread-and-butter). They have had 7 years to attempt to try to work with the other side after slapping away all chanse of bipartisanship when the ACA was passed despite them, and they haven't even tried to do anything other than tear down everything the other side did and maybe keep a little/replace some of it down the line.

As for the Dreamers, how many of those multiple perspectives are actually held by those in the elected position to make it policy? All I can see are "They aren't really that bad but the others say they have to go so . . . " and "They have to go", but I'll admit my view is limited so I might have missed something legitimate.

[Tami]

Brothers in Arms:The Tragedy in Small-Town America

Chris and Mike Goski belonged to a generation of rural youths who enlisted after 9/11 and shouldered the greatest burden for the nation’s defense

[The Kid]

Why is the President even picking fights with athletes? Does he really have nothing better to do?

Also, I love the NBA so much. Seeing the league's best players all blatantly clown POTUS is very refreshing compared to the NFL

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Why is the President even picking fights with athletes? Does he really have nothing better to do?

Also, I love the NBA so much. Seeing the league's best players all blatantly clown POTUS is very refreshing compared to the NFL

Because he's an idiot who wants to say shit that will make him popular with the crowd he's in front of.

[Old Man Ollie 1962]

The post mortem on Aaron Hernandez, further analysis of his brain indicated stage 3 CTE. Twenty seven years old and he was one stage below the worst level of the damn disease.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

The post mortem on Aaron Hernandez, further analysis of his brain indicated stage 3 CTE. Twenty seven years old and he was one stage below the worst level of the damn disease.

It's bad for CTE, but not a justification for Hernandez. Hernandez by all accounts became a different person after his father died and was taking part in criminal activity long before he got to the NFL. His college coach made Tim Tebow room with him to keep him out of trouble. Some types it's just the person. Wouldn't be surprised if 99% of players had some form of CTE. Not all turn into Hernandez.