Tag: NFL

Trump Profanely Implores NFL Owners to ‘Fire’ Players Protesting National Anthem

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President Trump appeared at a campaign rally in Huntsville, Ala., on Friday night, ostensibly to support the senatorial bid of fellow Republican Luther Strange. But the speech veered off topic, eventually landing on a few points regarding the NFL.

Without mentioning him by name, Trump made reference to Colin Kaepernick and the protests against injustice toward African Americans the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback led last NFL season by taking a knee during the national anthem.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners,” wondered the president, “when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’ ” The hypothetical was met with cheers from the assembled crowd.

Trump also said such an owner would “be the most popular person in this country. Because that’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect for everything we stand for.” He added that if fans were to “leave the stadium” in response to a protest, “I guarantee things will stop.”

Continuing with the NFL, Trump also discussed the league’s television ratings, saying they are down “massively,” and partially claiming credit for the drop.

“Now the No. 1 reason happens to be, they like watching what’s happening with yours truly,” he said. He also added that the amount of big hits called as penalties are a factor as well.

“Today, if you hit too hard, 15 yards, throw him out of the game,” he said while mimicking the act of an official throwing a penalty flag. “They’re ruining the game, right? They’re ruining the game. It’s hurting the game.”

Trump’s comments on how the game is being ruined by an attempt to cut down on big hits came a day after former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was diagnosed posthumously with the second-most-severe form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Hernandez committed suicide in April while serving a life sentence for murder.

Trump’s remarks regarding national anthem protests also spurred a reaction on social media, from both players and observers.

[Washington Post]

Trump on Kaepernick: Maybe he should find another country

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49er Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has weighed in on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to refuse to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems as racial injustice in the United States in addition to recent comments from the quarterback on Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“I have followed it and I think it’s personally not a good thing. I think it’s a terrible thing, and you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try, it’s not gonna happen,” Trump told The Dori Monson Show on Monday, per Buzzfeed.

Kaepernick has refused to stand during the national anthem during the Niners’ three preseason games this summer, telling NFL Media’s Steve Wyche that his decision is based on perceived societal wrongdoings against African-Americans and minorities in the U.S.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told Steve Wyche Friday night. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick reiterated his stance during an 18-minute long media session in the Niners locker room Sunday, during which he told reporters he planned to continue to sit during the playing of the national anthem. Kaepernick also was critical of both Trump and Clinton when he met with the media.

“I think the two presidential candidates that we currently have also represent the issues that we have in this country right now. You have Hillary who’s called black teens or black kids super predators. You have Donald Trump who is openly racist. We have a presidential candidate who deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate. That doesn’t make sense to me. Because if that was any other person, you’d be in prison. So what is this country really standing for?”

The Niners released the following statement this weekend regarding Kaepernick’s decision:

“The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”

(h/t NFL.com)

Reality

We will not wade into the discussion surrounding Colin Kaepernick’s controversial protest, but we will take issue with Trump’s moronic logic of “if you don’t like American then get out.”

Trump is committing a major logical problem called the “false dilemma” fallacy, otherwise known as “black-and-white thinking.” It assumes that there are only two viable options available: namely, show an unflinching and blind love and patriotism for America or move out of the US to some foreign country.

Obviously, restricting to these two options are not justified. One can live in this country and still criticize it without any contradiction. Consider a third option, which is one of the duties of any citizen, American or not, to try and make their country more perfect.

It is also important at this time to point out that Donald Trump himself has many times been very critical of the United States. He claims America “doesn’t win anymore,” has “weak leaders,” and during his convention speech described America as falling apart, a nation devoid of jobs, brimming with illegal immigrants and rampant with crime. It was a bleak indictment of the nation.

And according to polls, Trump supporters said they like the candidate because of his willingness to state blunt truths about America and “tell it like it is,” unburdened of the perceived niceties of “political correctness.”

So Trump supporters wearing their “Make America Great Again” hats shouldn’t be so quick to defend him over his hypocritical and illogical reasoning.

Trump Accuses Clinton of Rigging Debate Schedule, Caught in Multiple Lies

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Donald Trump accused Democrats of rigging the upcoming debate schedule because two of the contests are competing with NFL games. Then Trump said the NFL sent him a letter expressing their disgust with the schedule. The problem with Trump’s claims are that the Democrats aren’t in charge of scheduling the debates and the NFL refuted his claim they ever sent him a letter.

Trump late Friday accused Clinton of intentionally stacking debates against primetime programming to “rig” the election process, despite the fact that the schedule has been set since last September.

“As usual, Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games. Same as last time w/ Bernie. Unacceptable!” Trump tweeted late Friday night.

This is not factual as preliminary debate schedule for the general election has been set since September, 2015, by the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

Then in an interview to be aired Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week,” Trump said: “Well, I’ll tell you what I don’t like. It’s against two NFL games. I got a letter from the NFL saying, “This is ridiculous. Why are the debates against–” ’cause the NFL doesn’t wanna go against the debates. ‘Cause the debates are gonna be pretty massive, from what I understand, okay? And I don’t think we should be against the NFL. I don’t know how the dates were picked.”

Pressed by host George Stephanopoulos on the dates, he said: “Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL. She doesn’t, maybe like she did with Bernie s– Bernie Sanders, where they were on Saturday nights when nobody’s home. But they’re against the NFL.”

“I saw the dates. Two– I think two of the three are against the NFL. So I’m not thrilled with that. But I like three debates. I think that’s fine. I think it’s enough. If somebody said, “one debate,” I’d rather have three. I think they’ll be very interesting.”

However an NFL spokesman confirmed the NFL did not send a letter to Trump, but added “obviously we wish they were not scheduled at the same time as two of our games.”

The schedule includes a Monday, Sept. 26 debate, which goes up against a game between Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints, and a Sunday night debate on Oct. 9 that will air concurrently with an NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers.

(h/t Politico)
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