The NFL is in the entertainment business. Their primary customers are men, men who like rough things. Hmm, what political opinions might men who like rough things hold? Conservative, maybe? Here's a Reuters article from 2014.
Why does the NFL have such a tenacious hold on the national consciousness — particularly that of white males, the primary fans of professional sports? It might be that the NFL, in both its high points and its low ones, encapsulates the prevailing white male conservative ethos of modern America better than any other league. The triumph of the NFL is a tribute to the triumph of American conservatism...Can you imagine what the marketing department for the NFL is going through right now? The players, the owners, the broadcasters are all siding with crazy social justice warriors against the core of the NFL fan base. They are hating on cops, white men and the Star Spangled Banner.
Of people who identified themselves as part of the NFL fan base 83 percent were white, 64 percent were male, 51 percent were 45 years or older, only 32 percent made less than $60,000 a year, and, to finish the point, registered Republicans were 21 percent more likely to be NFL fans than registered Democrats.
They aren't shooting themselves in the foot, they are jumping, head-first, into a wood chipper.
The NFL needs fans to make money. Its product is completely independent of politics. Even if they came out in favor of cops, white men and the national anthem it would be a mistake because it would alienate some fans. The best way to maximize revenue is to keep politics out of the NFL. Instead, this weekend was all about politics and to make matters worse, racial politics. It's insane.
Men who are paid a minimum of $450,000 a year to play a game are giving the finger to their blue-collar customers. Almost everyone else associated with the sport is amplifying the insults to make them as loud as possible. And who is the face of the movement? Colin Kaepernick, a player that is so supremely awful that he can no longer get a job, even on a practice squad.
Colin Freaking Kaepernick.
Progressive, racial politics now dominates another institution and, as usual, is killing it. Iowahawk put it well with this tweet.
1. Identify a respected institution.— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) November 10, 2015
2. kill it.
3. gut it.
4. wear its carcass as a skin suit, while demanding respect.#lefties
Update: Dig this comment from a Daily Caller post about Mike Tomlin of the Steelers unahppy about one of his players, a veteran of three tours in Afghanistan, going out to stand for the national anthem:
I watched something yesterday I never thought I would see. I got out my needlepoint in preparation for the 8+ hours of football that occur in our house every Sunday and when the anthem was played, and the black power salute was given, my husband turned off the games and never turned them back on. My husband is a man who is not usually quiet, but he was yesterday and he said that when someone can give a black power salute then refer to the military, police and him as racists, they don't deserve any respect or any of his time. I tried telling him not to pay attention to a bunch of low-life millionaires and just enjoy what he loves most, he said that was a line he wouldn't cross.
Precisely! I have been a football fan since childhood. I died a little when Art "Money Grubber" Modell stole the Browns from Cleveland. But the NFL (under legal threat), left the name/logo/etc in Cleveland and promised, and delivered, a new team. Now I see Dean "Satan" Spanos steal the Chargers from San Diego, the overpaid players spit on America, and now the owners and media are admiring the protests. I'm done with the NFL. Let's see them all sell this product to middle America.
ReplyDeleteI'd dropped the NBA, long ago. Yesterday, an MLB player joined the insanity, and I'm done with them, if that even remotely spreads.
Don't get me wrong. The players have every right to express themselves. Unlike the left, I support the First Amendment and the exercise thereof. But, while I will not interfere with the expression of First Amendment rights, I do not have to support those views or the people (or institutions) so doing. Good Luck to them. But there will be no further expenditure of my time or money to support any of it.
Yeah, I've gone that way, too. I have limited hours to spend in front of the TV, watching sports. Baseball used to be my first choice, but the last strike, years and years ago, killed that. The NFL was way up there, but the injuries were getting to be too much. Now this has killed the NFL for me. Instead, I'll watch Newcastle United, LSU and Watford (another English soccer team), in that order.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if the Saints had a good year, I'd dial in around playoff time.
"Every right to protest..." This is not about the First Amendment. It's about pooping in my living room.
ReplyDeleteTry this analogy: I hire a drywaller to fix my living room ceiling. I pay him to come in and take down the old drywall, dispose of it, on up the new drywall, paint it, clean up the dust, and leave. I don't want this guy, on my time, on my dime, coming into my living room, and sitting on my sofa, airing his grievances. I DON'T CARE that someone was mean to his third cousin. I DON'T CARE that he doesn't like the music I listen to while he's there to FIX MY CEILING. He is being paid to FIX MY CEILING, and that is all. He can do the rest of that on his own time. I especially do not want the drywaller coming in and and showing me nothing but disrespect. I don't want the drywaller pooping in my living room.
I turn on a football game, I don't want to watch social justice warriors doing their shtick. If I was interested in the SJW nonsense, I'd turn on NPR, not the NFL. And me sitting through the never ending advertising is how I pay these spoiled overpaid brats.
I want to watch football. And that it's all.
These guys are working, at a job. If I went into my office and "protested," especially on the company time, I'd be fired.
Lee - Given the behavior of one players yesterday (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/2017/9/24/16358254/odell-beckham-jr-touchdown-dog-pee), your analogy should have included the plasterer going number 1 vice number 2.
ReplyDelete