NFL starting to pay the price?

[jimnyc]

Of course they are.

"It no longer feels like the NFL is about winning and losing games. It feels like it’s about lecturing fans around the clock."

I've said this myself as well. Same goes for tuning into any damn celebrities that think because they made a movie/tv show or whatever, that this means they know better than us? :rolleyes:

*** An aside I read about - The same guy from the Steelers, Alejandro Villanueva, who instead of staying in the locker room like the rest of the time once before, came out in the tunnel to face the flag anyway. - Now this year, apparently every Steeler has the name of Antwon Rose Jr., a young black kid shot and killed by police in Pittsburgh. He took white tape over it and put the name of a soldier he honors, a black hero that died in war. - The Jemele Hill, where I read about this as she spoke out as a speaker at ESPN. She of course sees it disrespectful of him to do so. :rolleyes: And then the kids Mom felt slighted, like she deserved a call from him. Huh? Nobody owes anyone anything. The rest of the team still honored the kid, and he honored someone who he deployed with. Yet another reason I can't stomach to watch it right now.

---

‘Sunday Night Football’ Viewership Declines 17% In The Early Ratings From Week 1

The Seattle Seahawks beating the New England Patriots on “Sunday Night Football” didn’t get great TV ratings.

According to Deadline, the early ratings are not impressive for “SNF” and the audience was only 12.22 million viewers on NBC.

That’s a 17% decline from Week 1. Now, the final numbers will almost certainly rise a little bit, but it’s still not pretty.

Well, this certainly isn’t a great look for the NFL at all. While it’s impossible to say one single thing has caused a decline, I have a feeling we all know one issue that has played a major role.

People hate how political pro sports have become. It’s just the truth. The average fan wants to kick back and enjoy the game.

That’s just the reality of the situation.

It no longer feels like the NFL is about winning and losing games. It feels like it’s about lecturing fans around the clock.

Average Americans don’t want to be lectured by millionaire athletes. They just don’t! Welcome to reality, my friends!

Hopefully, the NFL opens their eyes to what the fans and consumers want. If not, these ratings might not get better for a long time.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/09/21/sunday-night-football-viewership-17-percent-decline-week-1/

[Gunny]

I watch "entertainment", including sports, to GET AWAY FROM politics and life in general for a couple of hours. The f-ing game and NFL is political enough on its own to be its own country. I've been bitching about overpaid babies paid millions to play a kid's game for decades. Bad enough having to hear them whine off the field. I won't tolerate them doing it on the field.

Especially when it's okay to paste the name of some black criminal on your helmet/jersey but not okay to put the name of a KIA who died serving this nation and the Colors the rabble disrespects/desecrates.

Screw them. The sports leagues won't die because too many people place them above their morals, but as long as the hurt is there, it'll start showing in new contracts.

[jimnyc]

I'll read about and watch this guy individually 7 days a week.

Like I said, last time the team made a decision as a whole, that decision was to stay in the hallways by the locker room and not come onto the field until afterwards. But just prior to the anthem, Alejandro Villanueva slowly made his way out, just enough to face the flag with his hand over his heart. Didn't ask for "permission" or even talk to his teammates, just quietly did his thing and honored the flag and those he went into war with. That made me like him that much more.

As I said, this year they have the back white piece of their helmets with the name Antwon Rose, Jr. on them, as such:

https://i.imgur.com/lQd5mc7m.png

But once again, rather than do the same as others, Villanueva placed a different name there covering his with white tape:

https://i.imgur.com/PQ58EPe.png

Here's what he had to say about it:


Pittsburgh Steelers’ lineman Alejandro Villanueva wore the name of a fallen Army hero on his helmet during Monday night’s game against the New York Giants, breaking away from the team’s decision to wear Antwon Rose Jr.’s name on their helmets for the entire season.

Villanueva, a former captain in the U.S. Army who served three tours in Afghanistan and became an Army Ranger before joining the NFL in 2014, was seen covering Rose’s name with that of Alwyn Cashe.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe died in 2005 after attempting to rescue fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle following a roadside bomb in Samarra, Iraq, on Oct. 17, according to the Military Times. He suffered second- and third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body, eventually succumbing to those injuries on Nov. 5.

He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

Villanueva was the sole member to deviate from the team’s plan to wear the name of Rose, a 17-year-old Black teen who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2018.

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/steelers-alejandro-villanueva-army-hero-helmet-antwon-rose-jr

Then out pops a nitwit from ESPN who calls out black issues all the time and blames racists...

Jemele Hill Mad at Alejandro Villanueva for Dissent from Steelers Social Justice Display

Former ESPN talker Jemele Hill slammed Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva for breaking with his team, and placing the name of a fallen American soldier on his helmet instead of the social justice message the rest of the team had agreed to wear.

Ahead of Monday’s game against the New York Giants, Villanueva was seen with the name of Silver Star winner and U.S. Army Sgt. Alwyn Cashe on the back of his helmet instead of the name of Antwon Rose II, a 17-year-old East Pittsburgh resident who died in a police-involved shooting in 2018.

The team had decided ahead of time to honor Rose on their helmets, something that Villanueva obviously did not support. Hill was triggered by Villanueva’s departure from the team’s agreed upon approach.

Hill took Villanueva to task Wednesday morning.

“No problem with Cashe being honored, but it’s telling that Villanueva went against a team decision to do this. Did he tell his teammates beforehand? Seems like he purposely put them in a bad position because he never agreed with the cause to begin with,” she tweeted along with a message from Pro Football Talk pointing out Villanueva’s actions.

https://i.imgur.com/pRA4lMx.png

In another tweet Hill attacked Villanueva for picking the wrong week to make his statement.

“I’m confused as to how unity and being against police violence is somehow contrary. He also didn’t tell his teammates beforehand and sorry, that comes off like there’s an issue. He could have picked any time to make this statement, so why pick this week with this theme?” she wrote.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2020/09/16/jemele-hill-mad-alejandro-villanueva-dissent-steelers-social-justice-display/


Further trying to guilt and shame him for not getting on the bandwagon...

Antwon Rose’s Mother Calls Out Steelers’ Alejandro Villanueva

On Tuesday night the mother of Antwon Rose Jr. criticized Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva for covering her son’s name on the back of his helmet, even as all other Steelers players wore the decal during Monday night’s game against the New York Giants.

In a Facebook post, Michelle Kenney took issue with Villanueva breaking with his teammates, who collectively voted to honor the memory of police shooting victim Antwon Rose Jr. by wearing an Antwon Rose decal for the entire 2020 season.

Instead Villanueva displayed the name of Alwyn Cashe, a former Army Ranger and Silver Star recipient who died in November 2005 of injuries suffered while rescuing fellow soldiers in Iraq.

Michelle Kenney’s Facebook Post

“The Pittsburgh Steelers took a team vote. Obviously, one person didn’t like the results, so they chose to do something different,” Kenney wrote on Facebook, adding: “I have nothing against vets and absolutely appreciate everything they have done and continue to do for us. But this one person showed us exactly who he is and obviously he didn’t approve of how the vote turned out.”

Al Villanueva Sought Mike Tomlin’s Permission

On Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Villanueva received his permission, in advance, to change what appeared on his helmet.

“As an organization, and myself as the head coach of the organization, we’re going to support our players however they choose to participate and express themselves, or to not participate and express themselves, as long as they do so thoughtfully and with class,” Tomlin told the media.

But that didn’t placate Kenney, who said in her Facebook post that the Steelers “came to me as a team/organization and I don’t care how good of an individual you are, if you are not a TEAM player, then maybe you are playing for the wrong team.”

Antwon Rose Jr.

Michelle Kenney’s son Antwon was 17 years old when he died after being shot in the back by an East Pittsburgh police officer in June 2018. The shooting occurred after the officer in question, Michael Rosfeld, stopped a Chevy Cruze that matched the description of a vehicle reportedly involved in a drive-by shooting.

The NFL is allowing players to wear the names of victims of police brutality on their helmets this season, paving the way for the Steelers to honor the memory of Antwon Rose Jr.

Alwyn C. Cashe

But on Monday, Villanueva—a graduate of West Point Military Academy and a former Army Ranger who was awarded the Bronze Star for valor—displayed the name of late Army sergeant Alwyn Cashe on his helmet.

Cashe suffered life-threatening injuries in October 2005 when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive device, which caused the vehicle to burst into flames. In the process of rescuing fellow soldiers from the burning vehicle he suffered burns over 72 percent of his body. He died the following month at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, which has a facility for treating burns suffered in combat.

The Pentagon is moving towards awarding the Medal of Honor to Cashe, which would make him the first African American recipient of the award for combat valor in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Villaneuva is Pittsburgh’s starting left tackle. He is in the final year of the contract he signed in the summer of 2017 and is scheduled to become a free agent in 2021.

https://heavy.com/sports/pittsburgh-steelers/2020/09/antwon-roses-mother-calls-out-steelers-alejandro-villanueva/


And I'm sorry, Alejandro didn't owe her a damn thing. He chose to honor someone close to his heart, a personal decision. I respect that and respect him highly and more than ever.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

I respect Alejandro Villanueva for doing an honorable thing, honoring a fallen war hero, instead of engaging in a publicity stunt blindly honoring-
"a 17-year-old East Pittsburgh resident who died in a police-involved shooting in 2018."
That the team decided to be political and join in the mad rush to bow to the ongoing insanity by such a stunt speaks poorly of its owner/leadership/image, imho.
I would have done as Alejandro Villanueva did and refused to be a party to such a shameless publicity/political act.
His deciding instead to honor a fallen soldier, a true and brave hero was the right thing to do.
Surely now-- he will be punished in some way..
As that is the current (the level they have brought this nation down to in the last 40+ years) culture and the way the dems have devised to try to limit-destroy opposition to their insanity, treason, and absolutely anti-american agenda ,etc..
Sad but true... -Tyr

[Gunny]

This idiot bitching at Villanueva not following the team standard supports going against NFL and the National standard to stand and face during the National Anthem and places his petty-ass, contrived social justice message above someone KIA in the line of duty?

:fu: