a fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 10:10 pm
Peter Brown wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:05 pm
What did I say about Colin Kapernick?
Same nonsense you say about anyone who doesn't have a little R by their name, and says anything bad about America or its leaders, Pete.
Peter Brown wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:05 pm
I do think he’d be poison to any team that hires him. Why? Two reasons: 1) he’d alienate about 90% of any fan base
90% Not possible. You told me that only Democrats and liberals are part of cancel culture, Pete. You think libs comprise 90% of NFL fans?
Republicans LOVE free speech, remember? And would NEVER put someone out of a job simply because they said or did something that was unpopular. Trump and your Republicans leaders LOVED what Kaepernick said, my man. Don't you remember?
.....I gotta say, even just typing that out, that wow, we have some really, really dumb Americans out there. They flip out over the treatment that Rogan is getting....but if you ask them about how they handled it when other famous Americans said something that THEY didn't like? Oh, suddenly they just can't remember. Or say "oh, that wasn't me". Riiiight.
Maybe he’s Roger goodell?
The NFL always wins
Kendall Baker
Kendall Baker, author of Sports
Illustration a football helmet with with a halo next to another with devil horns
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
America is obsessed with football — a love affair that has allowed the NFL to tighten its already-firm grip on our culture despite mounting scandals.
The big picture: From brain injuries to toxic workplaces to racism allegations, the NFL is no stranger to outrage. Then Sunday arrives, and all is seemingly forgiven.
That will be the case once again this week, as the same networks currently reporting on the Brian Flores lawsuit and Commanders harassment allegations will begin promoting the Super Bowl.
NFL fans, much like those networks, have shown a willingness to separate the product from the business, which has made the league impervious to gaffes that would doom most organizations.
State of play: The NFL has arguably never been more entertaining than it was this season, delivering unrivaled parity, a record number of close games and thrilling playoff drama.
The league accounted for 41 of the 50 most-watched U.S. broadcasts in 2021, which explains why its media partners are willing to pay more than $100 billion over the next decade-plus to broadcast games.
The Broncos' sale price could exceed $4 billion, which would smash the record for richest sports team sale. Sunday's Super Bowl will be played in the most expensive sports venue ever built (~$5.5 billion).
The other side: The NFL has reached these heights despite spending the past decade mired in controversy. A few demons that aren't going away:
Brain injuries: In 2013, the NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement after retired players alleged the league concealed what it knew about concussions. A few years later, a neuropathologist examined the brains of 111 deceased NFL players, and all but one had CTE, a brain disease linked with repeated blows to the head.
Racism concerns: Roughly 70% of NFL players are Black, but Mike Tomlin is the only active Black head coach. There's also the "race norming" practice used in the concussion settlement, Jon Gruden's emails and the Kaepernick saga and collusion lawsuit.
Lack of accountability: The NFL's investigation into misconduct allegations in Washington hasn't been transparent, and Commanders owner Dan Snyder may have control over whether the results are made public — a reminder that Roger Goodell works for the owners, not with them.
By the numbers: NFL fans may be divided when it comes to issues like kneeling during the national anthem, but in general, most feel the same way about the league: They love it.
51% of Americans are professional football fans, according to a 2021 Axios-Ipsos poll. No other sport cracked 40%.
That includes 51% of Democrats, 50% of Republicans and 55% of independents. The NFL is also equally favored by Black and white Americans.
The last word: "The NFL doesn't care about your concerns, because the NFL doesn’t have to," as NYT's Kurt Streeter put it — not as long as viewership, revenue and franchise values continue to outpace every other sports league on Earth.