MSNBC’s Chris Hayes recently tweeted that Colin Kaepernick is the target of a conspiracy within the NFL.
He tweets
Kaepernick’s not being signed is the most high-profile, high-dollar example of punishing free expression, and policing speech that exists in the country at the moment.
What follows on Twitter is a back-and-forth tirade.
Some people make the argument that Kaepernick is no longer a good quarterback.
I agree. I followed his spectacular career at University of Nevada and his early years with the San Francisco 49ers. But he is no longer that quarterback. His arm is not accurate. He relies too much on running which doesn’t work in today’s NFL offenses.
Others on the Tweet thread disagree — making some valid points. They say other quarterbacks, not as good as Kaepernick, are getting QB jobs.
The “as good” aspect can be debated with no clear decision. So much depends on the coach, the Offensive Coordinator, the team, and the Offensive line.
There is a debate, though, that can be fully scored. It’s called revenue and profits. That’s the scoreboard for NFL teams and owners.
And if you’re an owner, that is how you are judged. And no owner will sign Kaepernick for fear of losing money by turning off a large portion of paying fans.
If you run a business, why would you want to turn off your customers?
Why would you hurt your bottom line?
Now turn it around. Look at FOX News and the uproar over Laura Ingraham and her comments about one of the Parkland students not getting into college. People upset with her boycotted advertisers of her show and FOX News.
What’s the difference?
Chris Hayes and his followers didn’t push against that. They pushed for it. In fact, they reported how the voice of the people spoke when it came to Ingraham losing ad dollars.
Shouldn’t a certain portion of NFL fans be allowed the same freedom of speech? I think so. And I don’t necessarily agree with their sentiments.
Let me give you my bias.
- I am no longer a football fan because of the head injuries and the damage it could bring to the nation’s healthcare system.
- I agree with Kaepernick‘s kneeling protests during the national anthem backing the deaths of black men by cops.
- I have no problem with people who disagree with Kaepernick who say kneeling offends them and the idea of our country. Both sides are entitled to their opinions and their protests.
- Hypocrisy reigns on both sides: do you think Pats fans would boycott if Brady took a knee while the team was undefeated? I doubt it.
- I have no problem with advertising boycotts as a sign of protest. This is a free market system; do what you want.
- I don’t participate in any of the protests or boycotts because I am against wound collectors which both sides are.
- I like Chris Hayes. I have read his books and agree with a lot of his insights.
Still, I think Chris Hayes is wrong here and myopic. As a supposed advocate for free thinking, he is merely playing to his MSNBC audience.
Let’s put this all into real perspective.
First of all, we are talking about a football player as if this has a major effect on the nation as a whole. I am not saying we should disregard Colin Kaepernick, his message, or the people who are against him and his beliefs. But we concentrate only on famous individuals, not on the actual issues. Let’s talk about solving the problems like young black man being killed or incarcerated at a higher rate than whites. Better yet, let’s have some knowledge on black employment or entrepreneurship. Kaepernick has made a lot of money already. We should worry about the person who can’t get a job.
Instead, broadcast journalism and the rest of us today fail to concentrate on the real problems affecting the nation.
- We have an aging population.
- Technology is diminishing jobs and salaries.
- The federal deficit that could kill this country in the next 10 years.
- The President and the GOP cater to the wealthiest with tax cuts and trickle-down economics that has never worked.
- Democrats want a single-payer health system that will only makes things worse by removing competition.
These issues require massive research and complicated solutions. Instead we allow ourselves to get caught up in what I call the sports and entertainment bias. Instead of exploring and examining, we line-up with one team against another. We see every issue as the protagonist versus the antagonist. We get a winner and a loser. Game over. Issue decided. And that’s how we explore issues.
If you ran a business this way it would fail. Would you let your employees battle it out based on their feelings and needs, and whoever wins, that’s how your business will proceed? I don’t think so. You will do massive market and product research so you aren’t throwing away investment money.
But as taxpayers and citizens of this country, we don’t have that same rigor. We seem to forget that the United States is our country – our business.
Yet look at the tweets on the Kaepernick issue. Most Americans have an in-depth knowledge of football stats and trends than they do about the corruption in both political parties. They are more concerned about their teams’ draft picks then they are about the local company that is polluting their land and water.
Sports and entertainment was once a luxury. Now it is an American necessity.
Worse, it is an opioid. For too long, we have lived fat and stupid. And the time to pay it back is now. Yet, we are more engrossed in something that really has no effect – or a manufactured effect — on our lives while we ignore things that could be hurting our jobs, killing our families, and ruining our health.
Why is this happening? Three reasons:
- We are addicted to entertainment.
- We’re lazy.
- We’re too busy trying to make ends meet with work and family.
It’s much more fun to tweet about football player who has not been signed or to make fun of an old white guy who’s pissed off at his local football team.
But it’s hard work to look at the real concerns of our nation.
And the media, unfortunately, feeds this addiction.
I am not just indicting Chris Hayes and MSNBC here. FOX News and CNN are just as guilty.
But so are all of us.
So please grow up and stop this silliness.
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