The NFL, once again, is above politics.

I have been a Minnesota Viking fan since 1966. 51 years.

Due to me, my daughter, son-in-law and my grand children are Viking fans...none of us have ever lived in Minnesota.

It's been a tough haul over the decades, the Vikings struck as a jinxed franchise. Often apologizing to my family for making them 'Viking fans'.

As a conservative minded person, I thoroughly resented the political intrusion into football. This was made worse by the follow-up justifications by the opposing left views. Even worse, the apparent left leaning NFL management.

My knee jerk reaction was a 'pox on the NFL'. Now the conundrum of abandoning my 1/2 century support of the Vikings or the ever increasing push-back by those of us who had had enough. I was weak. I stopped watching NFL game....except the Viking games. There were unusual events occurring with the team and signs of an exceptional season.

So I followed every playoff game as the Vikes were in the playoffs and I had preferences on who to play. All were good games with various twists and turns.

Then last night's game. Unbelievable finish. Stunning. Literally.

Many things that are above politics. For many, it can be one's faith. For most, their families, their 'passion', what ever that may be. I now realize that includes sports. More than an escape. A bond above politics.

Not the players. Not the owners. Not even the fans....the game , itself. No matter what that game is.

The NFL has risen above politics again. I don't know if it will last, but this I do know, the more things 'above politics' the better off and more valuable this nation becomes.

Professional Sports is 'Political'.

Go team...

I love bread and circuses.

Except...there are no politics in the NFL anyway, unless you want to see it.

Some guys taking a knee never affected me or my love of the game. It was all the snowflakes that got outraged by it.

You can choose to be outraged by another persons actions and speech or you can choose to not be affected by it. We all have emotions and "emotional triggers" but we just have to do our best to move beyond it.

originally posted by: intrptr

Professional Sports is 'Political'.

Go team...

Not for everybody and not always.

a reply to: nwtrucker

The NFL has risen above politics???? The NFL is simply out to make money. They will take whatever stand that gets them the most viewers and sell the most tickets and trinkets. If If you enjoy watching it, watch it. But don't kid yourself for a second, that the NFL is anything more than a corporate interest out to make as much money as possible there is nothing honorable there at all.

originally posted by: amazing
Except...there are no politics in the NFL anyway, unless you want to see it.

Some guys taking a knee never affected me or my love of the game. It was all the snowflakes that got outraged by it.

You can choose to be outraged by another persons actions and speech or you can choose to not be affected by it. We all have emotions and "emotional triggers" but we just have to do our best to move beyond it.

Hmmm, I can conclude, then, you didn't see it as an insult. Apparently, many did and do. For a brief period, despite your post, the NFL and football, in general, is again above politics, at least for me.

originally posted by: pointessa
a reply to: nwtrucker

The NFL has risen above politics???? The NFL is simply out to make money. They will take whatever stand that gets them the most viewers and sell the most tickets and trinkets. If If you enjoy watching it, watch it. But don't kid yourself for a second, that the NFL is anything more than a corporate interest out to make as much money as possible there is nothing honorable there at all.

Yes, yes and yes. The game, itself, rises it above politics. 'Money' isn't politics, per say, anyways. One 'could' say the striving for financial success is also 'above politics'.

originally posted by: nwtrucker

originally posted by: amazing
Except...there are no politics in the NFL anyway, unless you want to see it.

Some guys taking a knee never affected me or my love of the game. It was all the snowflakes that got outraged by it.

You can choose to be outraged by another persons actions and speech or you can choose to not be affected by it. We all have emotions and "emotional triggers" but we just have to do our best to move beyond it.

Hmmm, I can conclude, then, you didn't see it as an insult. Apparently, many did and do. For a brief period, despite your post, the NFL and football, in general, is again above politics, at least for me.

No, I never saw it as an insult. I served in the Military and have a Ginormous American flag in my business. It's the first thing you see when you walk in my door. I'm quite certain that nonone is more patriotic than me. But I understand that I served so that they my protest. They don't hate this country they just want to make it better and bring light to injustices in our country. Maybe they could do it other ways, better ways, but I don't have time to be offended or outraged by it. I'm do busy loving my country.

We live in a world of such abundance that we have to create our own conflicts in order to uphold the societal values that hard individual effort and teamwork are necessary to maintain all the good things in our culture. In the old days, we had wars where we would go fight for the king or emperor and that's where we would get our hero stories. These days war has become so impersonal that our silly games feed us those feelings of team spirit and the glory of individual accomplishments for the greater good.

Can you imagine? Sitting in your little village when a group of soldiers grabs you (or your husband) and off you go to fight in a nasty war where you're mostly hacking on each other with farming tools. Then if you're lucky to get back home, you have some wild stories about crazy stuff that happened, and maybe individuals who rose above the fray to kill or save a bunch of people. Kind of like a weekend wrap-up.

And on top of it all, there's the gambling. These days, if it wasn't for gambling most professional sports wouldn't even exist.

a reply to: nwtrucker

As a sometimes ESPN contractor...you have no idea how politics works in the innards of the NFL. It's not football, it's like Lysergic said " bread and circuses" entertainment and just a platform to hang beer ads on, like all professional sports and the Olympics.

Doin business the American way. Capitalism!!! oh yeah, and institutionalized corruption.

Union proud, Union strong

a reply to: amazing

Your call. The fact is many, including myself, found it so. Their and my call, as well.

Rather being drawn back into that political debate, I posed that the game, itself, surfaced above that political issue. One would think you'd appreciate that fact as it must have interfered with your enjoyment, yes?

What I don't understand is why, when the players who take a knee have stated explicitly that they love veterans, that they love their country, that they do a lot of work for veterans, that they spend a lot of time raising money for vets and their families, that they do events with vets kids, when they have explicitly stated their protest has nothing to do with disrespecting veterans or the flag, in the face of all of this, I truly do not understand how so many people can say to them, 'No, we know best, you are not saying what you say you are saying, we say you are being disrespectful, therefore you are disrespectful.'


These guys do a heck of a lot more to support veterans than most of the people who complain about them taking the knee have ever done.

If somebody tells you flat out what they are protesting, which is they want an end to racism, why do so many folks deny that's what they're protesting, and insist they are instead just being disrespectful of the flag and veterans? I don't get it.

originally posted by: Painterz
What I don't understand is why, when the players who take a knee have stated explicitly that they love veterans, that they love their country, that they do a lot of work for veterans, that they spend a lot of time raising money for vets and their families, that they do events with vets kids, when they have explicitly stated their protest has nothing to do with disrespecting veterans or the flag, in the face of all of this, I truly do not understand how so many people can say to them, 'No, we know best, you are not saying what you say you are saying, we say you are being disrespectful, therefore you are disrespectful.'


These guys do a heck of a lot more to support veterans than most of the people who complain about them taking the knee have ever done.

If somebody tells you flat out what they are protesting, which is they want an end to racism, why do so many folks deny that's what they're protesting, and insist they are instead just being disrespectful of the flag and veterans? I don't get it.

The short answer would simply be ignorance/intolerance of another’s opinion.

originally posted by: amazing
I'm quite certain that nonone is more patriotic than me.

If you would have added "believe me" at the end of that, it would have been a Trumpism.
Stay Golden Poneyboy.

originally posted by: Painterz
What I don't understand is why, when the players who take a knee have stated explicitly that they love veterans, that they love their country, that they do a lot of work for veterans, that they spend a lot of time raising money for vets and their families, that they do events with vets kids, when they have explicitly stated their protest has nothing to do with disrespecting veterans or the flag, in the face of all of this, I truly do not understand how so many people can say to them, 'No, we know best, you are not saying what you say you are saying, we say you are being disrespectful, therefore you are disrespectful.'


These guys do a heck of a lot more to support veterans than most of the people who complain about them taking the knee have ever done.

If somebody tells you flat out what they are protesting, which is they want an end to racism, why do so many folks deny that's what they're protesting, and insist they are instead just being disrespectful of the flag and veterans? I don't get it.

So everyone dives back into it. LMAO. The thread was obviously a mistake....

a reply to: nwtrucker

Try being a Browns fan, then you will understand disappointment. I didn't have a lot of love for the NFL before, and when all the "taking a knee" thing started, it just irritated me that after hearing the backlash, they doubled down, thinking that somehow, the fans didn't matter. So I chose to not watch. (even though I rarely did anyhow) I just felt then as I do now that when you are paid to entertain as they players are, you should entertain when you are on the clock. If you want to protest something, do that on your own time. Those who pay to go see you didn't buy that ticket to hear your political crap, they paid to see you smashed in the head. And apparently my view was similar to quite a few others. So the NFL noticed a decrease in MONEY. I believe that got their attention, as they are in the end, whores. This will go away quietly.

I took the protest in bad taste and since haven't watched one single NFL game. I respect their right to protest and they respect my right to boycott them obviously. My household hasn't bought any tickets, apparel, or anything else I know is affiliated with the NFL since it started and doubt my families stance will change.

I'll asked since I'm over here in Eastern Europe and am not watching NFL games right now.

What happened in this game? It's the 2nd thread on it.

That was one heck of a game, that last play i was stunned how it ended.

Even the pittsburgh, jacksonville game was epic.