Group of Cleveland Browns Players Just Took Kaepernick’s Protest to the Next Level


BY RONAK KALLIANPUR
10 HOURS AGO

Colin Kaepernick doesn’t have to be on an NFL team to watch the continuation of what he started last year.

Before Monday’s preseason game against the New York Giants, 11 Cleveland Browns players took a stance during the national anthem by kneeling, and perhaps praying, in a group.



The players who took a knee during the anthem include:

Chris Kirksey, Seth DeValve, Duke Johnson Jr., Ricardo Louis, Isaiah Crowell, Terrance Magee, Jamar Taylor, Jamie Collins, Gabriel Peppers, Calvin Pryor, and Kenny Britt.

Additionally, there were also several players who stood nearby the players bending their knees seemingly in solidarity.

The Browns have since released an official statement:

“As an organization, we have a profound respect for our country's National Anthem, flag and the servicemen and servicewomen in the United States and abroad. We feel it's important for our team to join in this great tradition and special moment of recognition, at the same time we also respect the great liberties afforded by our country, including the freedom of personal expression."

Head coach Hue Jackson said he supported his players’ right to take a stand as long as it was “peaceful and he had advance notice," ESPN reported.

It's probably safe to expect more of this during the upcoming NFL season.

http://ijr.com/the-declaration...-protest-next-level/

And my interest in the NFL is about to flatline.

The NAACP doesn't have to boycott the NFL....The NFL is going to go away on its own.

If I were an owner, I would be more than a little worried about the value of my investment tanking.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
And my interest in the NFL is about to flatline.

Remember the old video clip where Jerry Glanville (then coach of the Atlanta Falcons) is shouting at a referee, "This is the NFL, which stands for 'not for long' (when you make calls like that)."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5sIzGXJ8mw

I've already decided my interest this fall is going to be on basket weaving, ponytail-tying or some other such full contact sport, rather than football (sorry, skins2881).

This is NOT going to end well. The owners would be smart to get ahead of this quickly....Otherwise they're playing a game of chicken here, and risk losing HALF of their fan base!

The popularity of the NFL is in decline, and this will only accelerate that trend!

Just another reason not to pay attention to the National Felon League.

Excellent

The Cleveland Browns miraculously found a way to make me think even less of their shitty team. Bravo.

With all the publicity over Kaperdick I figured there would be copy cats wanting some attention. I'm not surprised at all.

Most of the NFL players could hardly find a job, any job, without pro football.

These players are killing the golden goose and they are too stupid to know that.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
Just another reason not to pay attention to the National Felon League.

Yup! Haven't tuned in since the NFL took the stand to not take a stand.

quote:

Before Monday’s preseason game against the New York Giants, 11 Cleveland Browns players took a stance during the national anthem by kneeling, and perhaps praying, in a group.

Hell, as bad as the Browns have been, prayer might not be a bad idea.

The players I get...they're just overpaid ghetto trash and thugs behaving like, well, ghetto trash and thugs. Its the owners position I don't get. Its been proven this nonsense has hurt the NFL in terms of butts in seats at the games and eyeballs tuning in on TV, yet they make no effort whatsoever to put an end to it while knowing its going to hurt the game and their pocketbook. And that BS press release by the owner of the Browns isn't going to change anything one bit.

Just stupid on parade from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Why can't I be oppressed and get paid millions of dollars to throw a ball around?

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
The owners would be smart to get ahead of this quickly....Otherwise they're playing a game of chicken here, and risk losing HALF of their fan base!

It's the Browns. They haven't had a winning season in a decade, and haven't been truly competitive in nearly three decades. Last season they went 1-15.

You can't lose fans if you don't have any...

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
The players I get...they're just overpaid ghetto trash and thugs behaving like, well, ghetto trash and thugs. Its the owners position I gon't get. Its been proven this nonsense has hurt the NFL in terms of butts in seats at the games and eyeballs tuning in on TV, yet they make no effort whatsoever to put an end to it while knowing its going to hurt their pocketbook. And that BS press release by the owner of the Browns isn't going to change anything one bit.

Just stupid on parade from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Because if the owners take a stance against it, they're immediately labeled racists. That's battle drill 1A from the loony left, they have rehearsed it to perfection and executed it to perfection.

What is that saying about the definition of insanity?

The Browns are one level below Pee-Wee. They still shit their pants...

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
The Cleveland Browns miraculously found a way to make me think even less of their shitty team. Bravo.

With all the publicity over Kaperdick I figured there would be copy cats wanting some attention. I'm not surprised at all.

I'm pretty sure Ohio State could mop the floor with the Browns, they are irrelevant. Fuck em all.

If my Redskins pull this shit, I will still watch, almost nothing would change that. I would send a letter to Bruce Allen, Dan Snyder, Doug Williams, and Tony Wyllie explaining why I would not set foot in their shitty stadium again or buy another piece of Redskins merchandise until it was made clear that all players will observe the National Anthem with respect and save protests for other times.

Imagine the cries of racism when the viewership nears zero in the coming years and the league is disbanded. All those poor millionaire players will have protested themselves right out of the job and have to return to being common thugs.

Know what would be refreshing to see? If these idiots truly believed there's a problem needing a solution, why not pool their resources, and start a non profit foundation to actually get out in their communities and help people? It isn't a racism problem, it's a lack of parenting/mentorship problem. Fix that and you fix everything.

However, we can't do that, we'd rather just act like spoiled brats and be disrespectful to the country in which we can make obscene paychecks for playing a child's game.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
The players I get...they're just overpaid ghetto trash and thugs behaving like, well, ghetto trash and thugs. Its the owners position I gon't get. Its been proven this nonsense has hurt the NFL in terms of butts in seats at the games and eyeballs tuning in on TV, yet they make no effort whatsoever to put an end to it while knowing its going to hurt their pocketbook. And that BS press release by the owner of the Browns isn't going to change anything one bit.

Just stupid on parade from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Because if the owners take a stance against it, they're immediately labeled racists. That's battle drill 1A from the loony left, they have rehearsed it to perfection and executed it to perfection.

Perhaps, but I don't buy there being a negative outcome. The fans, the ones who pay the bills and put money in your pockets have told you they don't want this crap and are walking away and tuning out. The folks that scream racism or believe that crap aren't likely going to games. My bet is, the owner that eventually takes a stand and puts an end to any of the garbage he employs disrespecting their fans and this country as a whole wins far more than he loses.

Short of that, I'd recommend running the players back into the club house before the game, do the national anthem in their absence, and then running them back onto the field after. I would not allow them to disrespect me, the organization, the fans, the military, our heritage, and our country.

If the nfl and the team owners don't put on a squash on this garbage, I'll skip this season just like I did the last one. Just try me. I'm confident I'm not alone in this.

This crap has nothing to do with first amendment rights or freedom of expression. The NFL has every right to shut these American fools down. And if they don't like it, fire them. Period.