Trump may have lost Nobel, but he “crushed” those pansy football players

President Donald Trump achieved his political “victory” this week by putting a stop to those professional football players who have expressed interest in protesting during the playing of the National Anthem prior to games.

TRUMP: A political 'win," but not the Nobel

Trump is being credited with getting the National Football League to implement a new policy by which players MUST stand at attention during the anthem’s playing. They must show the proper respect – as dictated by the conservative ideologues amongst us.

THOSE PLAYERS WHO have objections must keep them to themselves and do any protests in private in the locker rooms. When on the field and in view of fans, they must go along. Which led Trump to say he thinks those players ought to just get out of the country.

I’m almost surprised he didn’t say they should go somewhere else and play soccer. That kind of stupid talk would have appeased the ideologues amongst us who will forevermore think Donald J. Trump is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Yes, I think Trump is making way too much of this issue. Then again, it was a non-issue until the president himself stepped it up a notch with his nonsense talk.

But I do get exactly why Trump is so eager to make the NFL a top priority in the public mindset.

BECAUSE THIS IS also the week that it appears Trump lost his Nobel Prize. That is, the one his fans were trying to pressure the establishment to give him for supposedly “ending” the Korean War.

When North Korean officials made it clear they were through talking with South Korea (the segment allied with the United States) and said they weren’t sure they wanted to bother with U.S. officials during a summit session scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Trump’s reaction was all too predictable.

KIM: Will there ultimately be a summit?

A letter from the White House to the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, made it clear the offer to meet was rescinded.

Trump will no longer make the trip to Singapore, a city that I’m sure he enjoyed visiting (all the girls) in his younger years. It almost made me wonder if Trump’s idea of peace talks would involve getting Kim caught up with a couple of bimbos to show him a “very good time!”

TRUMP’S LETTER INCLUDED some rhetoric alluding to the possibility of rescheduling a meeting between the two. “I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters,” Trump wrote.

But considering that Trump’s idea of a dialogue is usually something along the line of he speaks, and everybody around him shuts up, listens and does what they’re told, I’m not sure what would seriously have come from any such summit.

There’s also the fact that Kim may be the one world leader as erratic and unstable as Trump himself. Who’s to say who would have said, or done, something more stupid to cause problems to escalate between the two nations.

For I don’t doubt that Kim is looking for some outcome that will provide factual basis for North Korea to be able to claim it “won” the Korean War – whose actual shooting ended back in 1953.

THERE ALSO HAVE been the New York Times accounts of how factually unaware Trump is of Korea or the situation, and how lacking in interest he is in filling the gaps in his own comprehension of the issue.

Trump has to settle for gridiron victory

As though Trump thinks this is like his real estate days when he tries to sway the thoughts of some Arab sheik in whose country he wants to build a hotel/casino. Where the big issue is how much of a payoff does he have to make to build his project there.

For the time being, none of this will happen. The talk of Trump being a Nobel Peace Prize winner will have to be put aside – except by Trump himself, whom I’m sure has already awarded the prize to himself in his own mind.

Just as I’m sure he also thinks he’s the one who exposed professional football players for the pansies he thinks they are. Truly the evidence of a delusional mind at work.

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Real majority of Americans probably want Trump to shut up about football

I’m sure that in the mindset (as delusional as it is) of President Donald J. Trump, the masses of “America” have risen up in support for his rants against professional football players who dare make gestures of support for those concerned about police brutality and other racially-motivated unjust acts.
 

Had to walk back his presidential talk

Yet I find it intriguing that the reaction of many National Football League players to Trump’s trash talk that those players ought to be “fired” from their jobs is to see the many hundreds of players, including some entire teams, that chose to join in the gestures of support against Trump. Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke out against Trump.

WHICH PRETTY MUCH makes it impossible for any football team owner to contemplate releasing players. Unless they’re prepared to let everybody go, and reduce the quality of play in the NFL to below that of the Canadian Football League.

In some cases, the team owners whom Trump tried claiming are his friends and would do his bidding chose to join the players in their acts of protest – including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Who’s going to tell the alleged “America’s Team” owner he should be “fired?”

Even John Fox, coach of the Chicago Bears, joined in with his Bears players last Sunday when some of them chose to show support for the protests and snub Trump.

FOX: Joined in with players

I don’t doubt some Bears fans booed such acts. But I also expect those same fans would get all worked up if Trump seriously tried to do anything to interfere with the quality of play. They just want everybody to pipe down (including Trump) and play ball.

 
IF THERE’S ANY sign that, to me, makes me think the masses of our society aren’t with Trump (no matter how much he claims they are), it may well be the recent remarks of Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

For right after Trump made his initial remarks about “firing” disrespectful athletes, Maddon was asked for his reaction. Which is sort of relevant, because the Cubs got caught up in the Trump mess this summer when some of the team made a repeat appearance to the White House to be honored for their World Series victory of 2016.

Colin's protests now bigger than taking a knee

Maddon made a rather-generic statement about how people should be respectful of the White House and the president, which some interpreted as him sticking up for Trump. Which also resulted in him feeling compelled the next day to make “clarifying” comments.

 
In which he admitted he hadn’t heard yet what Trump actually said, and now realizes why many people are offended by Trump’s trash talk against people who express their opinions (which is, in reality, a very “American” thing to do).

NOW, MADDON IS saying, “it’s just unfortunate we’ve arrived at this point where it’s so uneasy to have this dialogue between the highest office in the country and everybody else in such a negative way. That’s the part that’s disappointing.”

I doubt he would have felt compelled to say anything more on the issue, if not for realizing his moment of cluelessness with regards to Trump put him in an awkward position – and one in which the real majority of our society would turn on him.

As for my own thoughts about this issue, which began with last season’s protest actions by now-retired (because nobody wants him) quarterback Colin Kaepernick against police brutality and racial injustice, I believe that merely dropping to one’s knee during the playing of the National Anthem prior to the game is about as minor a statement as one could make.

Trump 'trash talk' began long before inauguration

It in no way disrupted the anthem, or the game itself.

AND AS FOR the notion espoused by Trump that expressing such thoughts is disrespectful, I'd argue that respect is something that has to be earned. Which may be why many people are now showing respect for the players willing to make a statement, rather than for Trump.

By the way, Trump’s own approval rating (as of Monday) was at 39 percent, according to the Gallup Organization. Although I don’t doubt that Trump – the man who only got 46 percent of the vote in the last election – is delusional enough to think those 39 percent are the only people who should be paid attention to.

To alter the sentiment expressed by Trump himself last week in Alabama, “Wouldn’t you love to see (the American people), when (the president) disrespects our flag (with his nonsense talk), say, 'Get that son of a b---- (out of the White House) right now.' He’s fired! He’s fired!”

Because as I see it, the real majority possibly is annoyed by this issue being brought up at all, and wish that Trump himself would just “Shut Up!!!” And not just about football.

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EXTRA: Could Kaepernick have borne down for Chicago Bears in ’17?

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation shakes down this season – although after the first preseason game, the delusional parts of Bears fans want to believe that rookie Mitchell Trubisky could just wind up being the team’s salvation.
 

Could he have helped the 'pride and joy of Illinois?'

Although anything would be an improvement following the several seasons of sub-par play from Jay Cutler.

THE POINT IS that the Bears went into this season desperately searching for a quarterback, and they wound up offering some big bucks to free agent Mike Glennon, who is competing with Trubisky for the spot – although none other than Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka is touting Trubisky for the job these days.

One thing the Bears definitely did NOT do was give any consideration to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who as of now still has no ties to a professional football team.

He was released, and nobody in the National Football League wants anything to do with him.

Kaepernick, of course, is the guy who made a point of refusing to stand at attention with other players during the playing of the National Anthem prior to each game. He didn’t do anything to disrupt the anthem’s being played. He just refused to make the token gesture of support that many ballplayers do as part of the pre-game ritual, in part as a statement on the current state of racial relations in this country.

One of these guys had better work out ...

SAN FRANCISCO GOT tired of the constant coverage of Kaepernick and let him go. The perception out there now is that he’s being ignored despite his athletic talents by football clubs more interested in making conservative political statements of their own.

Now I’m not necessarily arguing that Kaepernick would have been a better Bears option that Glennon, Trubisky or anybody else they could have gotten this year. But they had better hope one of these guys plays well enough that the Bears don’t become the poster child for a sports team more interested in maintaining a certain societal image rather than winning games.

... if the Bears to avoid looking foolish in 2017

The Bears will look foolish if by mid-season they still have significant flaws at quarterback, and the people who are now deriding professional football in general for Kaepernick’s continued unemployment start deciding that “da Bears” in particular were the team that could have benefitted from his presence.

Insofar as Kaepernick’s status is concerned, it wouldn’t shock me if football teams are skittish enough to not want Colin around – with probably a team or two owned by some ideological nitwit who would ignore talent.

IF ANYTHING, IT shows that the situation in athletics hasn’t changed much since the late 1960s when then-pitcher Jim Bouton wrote his baseball season diary, “Ball Four.”

Some things never change, nearly half a century later

In it, he wrote sarcastically that ballplayers were free to say whatever they wanted on high-minded social issues, provided the things they said were of a conservative leaning, because that would mean they were “right” about the issue.

Saying something more liberal would mean they were “wrong” and should pipe down.

Although the Major League Baseball of that era and sports of today still bear evidence that Bouton was correct when he wrote of the typical ballplayer’s view of his colleague – “He’s a great guy. Wouldn’t say shit if he had a mouthful.”

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EXTRA: Trump will dump on Lester Holt; oddsmakers say that's a sure bet

No, I’m not rushing out in search of a bookmaker who will take my bet with regards to the upcoming debate of the presidential dreamers.

But I couldn’t help but get my chuckle when I saw the odds that were set at SportsBettingDime.com on various aspects of the political event. Which apparently is evidence that some people are pathetic enough to place bets on anything.

EVEN THE COLOR of Trump’s tie (9/5 it’s red) or Hillary’s pantsuit (3/1 it’s blue)!

For the record, the odds are 2/1 that Trump will find something to complain about either during or after the debate with regards to the conduct of NBC News Lester Holt. Yes, the one-time Channel 2 news anchor is going to be moderating the Monday night spectacle.

A solid-enough performance could wind up giving Holt a national rep, and perhaps eliminate all the jokes that get told about people who do jury duty in Cook County and wind up having to watch that explanatory video about the process that Holt narrated some 30 years ago. Of course, one lone gaffe could result in Holt taking the heat from those people determined to believe that the world is conspiring against their beloved Donald Trump and his dreams of being able to tell Congress "You're Fired!' in all his blowhard glory.

By the way, the odds are 1 in 4 that Holt finds something to fact-check about Trump, compared to 4/1 he’ll find something to nit-pick about Clinton.

AND YES, THE odds are 9/1 that a Trump supporter will do something stupid that disrupts the event.

Anyway, check out the odds for yourself, particularly the 1/1 chance (a real sure thing) that someone feels compelled to bring up Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and his race-motivated protest against the National Anthem as part of sports events, at some time during the debate.

Certainly better than the odds the Chicago Bears can do anything successful when they travel to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday – other than ogle the famed cheerleaders while losing yet another game.

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You’d think a batch of people singing the national anthem in unison very poorly would be considered criminal?

I enjoy watching a ballgame as much as anyone else, but one thing I don’t expect is political statements of any sort from professional athletes.

 

Protesting racial inequality with his behind

Either they’re so wrapped up in the minutia of the game itself, or else they’re so tied into the establishment that regards their acts as “heroic” that they’re openly critical of anyone who would think of being critical of our society.

HECK, THE KIND of “statement” usually made by professional athletes is something along the line of the Chicago Cubs, who recently made a point of wearing “onesies” in public. Cutesy, colorful and gaudy pajamas.

The sight was meant to give us a chuckle, and that’s it.

So it is in that context that someone like Colin Kaepernick comes off as unusual. The quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers is making a point of refusing to participate at the beginning of games when the “Star Spangled Banner” is played.

While many fans sing along with the awkward anthem very poorly and most ballplayers do a poor imitation of a military-style stand-at-attention, Kaepernick sits. Which he may well do come Dec. 4 when the 49ers take on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

 

Would Curt's political rants be praised by right?

HE SAYS IT is meant to be a protest against what he sees as a tolerance by some in our society for racial inequality. Which, of course, offends the bigots amongst us because they want to believe their constitutional right to look down on other people is somehow being trampled upon by his parking of his kiester.

You go to various social media sites, and you’ll find some people now willing to trash Kaepernick for using his status in life to make such a statement. Although I suspect if he were to keep his mouth shut, or spew off conservative ideological nonsense like one-time Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling (with his dreams of challenging “President Hillary Clinton” in 2020), they’d be praising him.

Will Hillary swat aside Curt come 2020?

I have to confess that I always found it ridiculous that the national anthem kicks off ballgames, as though you’re trying to turn a sporting event into a political rally. I realize it is a tradition going back to the days of the Second World War. But let’s face reality.

War’s over. We won. Let’s move on, already.

I DON’T SEE that the anthem’s being performed really adds much to the ambiance of a ballgame – which already comes across as gaudy enough when you think about the sight and sound of pudgy, out-of-shape people wearing replica jerseys so they can fantasize they could have warranted a place on the playing field.

Add to it the fact that they’re now singing an awkward song that they probably don’t really know the words to, and they’re doing it out of key?

Regardless of what one thinks about the issue of racial equality in our society, you have to admit the way we treat the anthem (as though it is a prelude to chants of “Go team, Go” and “Packers suck” if you’re at Soldier Field) is rather disrespectful to the image we’d like to have of our nation.

So what should we really think of Kaepernick and his insistence on sitting his behind on the bench during the national anthem ritual? I don’t want to blow it out of proportion. Because as far as political statements go, he’s really doing nothing.

IT’S THE INSISTENCE of certain ideologically tainted people in our society (the kind who want to demand total allegiance to themselves in a way that is un-American, if you think about it) who would make an issue of his preference to sit.

 

Will this alleged soldiers' memorial be the sight of protests come Dec. 4?

The kind of people who would prefer to ignore racial inequality and would try to argue that drawing attention to it is the real act of a racist. Similar to how Donald Trump these days is trying to take votes from Clinton come Election Day – because the last thing he really wants is to have black people voting for him in significant numbers.

Because that would scare off many of the white voters whom he’s counting on to be his voter base on Nov. 8.

And they’ll probably insist on using the national anthem as part of their own rituals to try to justify their own fantasies of a nation that puts their interests over all others.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: I also wonder about government meetings that begin with the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Nothing wrong with the pledge itself, but how often have government officials recited the ditty as a praise of our democratic ideals, then went ahead and committed acts that deliberately ignored the public interest?