Sports
So much for the land of the free! We who oppose protest in sports (see file photo of Philadelphia Eagles' protesters) are really "fascists" and should think about moving to a backwards nation, writes USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer. Furthermore, the man in the White House is engaged in a "fascist frenzy." Standing for the national anthem is indicative of a fascist political philosophy that “exalts nation and often race above the individual," and is symbolic of "a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”
At 7 feet, 4 inches tall, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can certainly tell a tall tale. Writing on the Hollywood Reporter site, he makes the incredible claim that the national anthem is the equivalent of the feel-good songs slaves were forced to sing to drown out their oppression.
In an un-bylined article, the SBNation blog bitterly complains about the politics of those who oppose NFL protests while fully supporting the left-wing political activities of players who protest the flag and the veterans who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. SBN also praises the political activities athletes are taking off the field, undermining the reasons they protest on the field.
Sports Illustrated's Michael McKnight has written a 4,200-word feature story on the Miami Dolphins' Robert Quinn, the face of Thursday night's NFL protests after a photo of him standing with raised fist was widely circulated by media. Quinn is portrayed as a charitable man who wants to unite America by protesting the national anthem. Quinn says he wants the finger pointing to stop, yet tears down the nation.
Jarrett Bell's USA Today re-cap of Thursday's opening NFL exhibition game protests can be best summarized as "three cheers for the social justice warriors!" who stood up to President Donald Trump (see his tweets in photo). Bell lauds the SJW's for their actions: "A knee here, a fist there," as opposed to the "Obligatory tweet-bashing from President Trump. Yes, the NFL is back for another round of football, social consciousness, patriotism and politics."
Colin Kaepernick could lose his collusion grievance against the NFL and still sue President Trump in federal court, says Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson. The likelihood of such a lawsuit became a media issue Thursday when attorneys for the NFL and Kaepernick met with an arbitrator to determine if the disgruntled former football player's collusion grievance will be allowed to go forward or not.
Several NFL players protested or showed disrespect during the playing of the national anthem prior to the start of exhibition games Thursday night. The Huffington Post's Carla Herrera reported that they violated the league's policy banning "peaceful protest" without referencing the fact that the NFL froze the policy three weeks ago and began negotiating a new policy with the NFL Players Association.
With the start of the NFL's regular season less than a month away, the issue of social justice protesting is a popular topic with sports media. Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown says he respects individuals' right to protest, but personally he would respect the flag by standing tall. Two members of the defending world champion Philadelphia Eagles, Michael Bennett and Malcolm Jenkins, are among the leading suspects for protest in the season ahead.
The sequel to the Laura Ingraham-LeBron James "Shut up and Dribble" controversy has arrived. Showtime announced plans Monday for a three-part docu-series on athletes getting political, produced by James and others. Last February James started the controversy in a tweet calling President Donald Trump "u bum" and then in vulgar remarks on his Uninterrupted internet presentation "Rolling with the Champion."
Just days after LeBron James opened his new school for under-privileged third- and fourth-graders in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, hardcore leftist Dave Zirin has given us another Chris Matthews chill-up-the-leg moment. The sports editor of The Nation, Zirin practically bows at the altar of "King" James, extolling the virtues of a school that is socialist in its essence and already political in nature.
The NFL's annual Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Saturday became just another high-profile forum for political statements, like the Oscars, the Grammys, the ESPYs and other programs used by leftists to promote their controversial views. Thanks to newly enshrined Hall of Famer Randy Moss (see photograph), the former wide receiver who wore a tie bearing the names of a dozen black men and women killed in altercations with police or citizens. Call it the opening shot of protest for the 2018 NFL season.
Social justice warriors and their media pals will not let us forget that Colin Kaepernick is entitled to an NFL roster spot. Now the controversy over the polarizing figure has spilled over into video gaming. Kapernick, we learn, also has a right to be mentioned in video football game soundtracks. His apologists are incensed that the soon-to-be-released EA Madden 19 video game deleted song lyrics mentioning Kaepernick, leading to calls for boycotts of the game and cancellation of pre-orders.