zoogs

Remember the next time you nod along to performative outrage over Trump or the GOP trying to stamp out dissent that you were 100% on board with the NFL asserting its right to keep its players quiet and in line. 

Joe Callahan is not of basically equal ability. He just isn't all uppity and political.

@Redux, you can't take his activism out of the equation with that statement because his "tool"ness exactly derives from his activism. That's where the perception comes from.

We shouldn't be okay with that, but c'est la vie.

@El Diaco, wholesale collusion is hard to prove, yeah. Is there an NFL team that would sign him, but just isn't in the market at all for a QB? Of course that's possible. Several NFL teams aren't in the market, and maybe if that weren't true they'd go after Colin.

However, Colin's image issue as a problem character who has wrought his own well-deserved lockout, that's tied to his activism. It couldn't possibly be plainer where the NFL (and many of its teams) stand on the topic. Equally the evidence is abundant re: where teams stand on domestic abuse and "second chances". 

So I don't think it's a leap at all to say if Colin were quiet about his political views and kept his head down, then he wouldn't have this "baggage" issue that prevents a lot of teams from even entertaining him. 

In fact, we're agreeing: the "problem" is he didn't keep his mouth shut. Most players have the good sense to put their career first. The question is whether that's his failing of tact, or whether it's our problem (as a society, really, but largely this is directed at the NFL) for treating his vocal stand as something he did wrong. He clearly disregarded his career when he spoke out like this, but doing so never should have been a career sacrifice. 

You don't have to like Kaep or what he stands for, and you may agree with the result, but let's be clear about what is happening and *why*. 

Counterpoint: Kaep. There's been one example of Kaep's "morals", and the NFL is one-for-one in blackballing them. Look at some of the QBs on NFL rosters.

Us supporting the public against him is a sign of both public apathy for worker's rights (solidarity, schmolidarity) and an endorsement of the NFL's "stand for the anthem" stance. 

Ask yourself this: if "all" Kaep did was stay quiet politically and punch a woman, he'd be on some roster somewhere.

The problem with the guy who threw 16 TDs, 4 INTs, and had nearly 7.0 ypc on the ground last year is his activism. 

"I'll just add that, it really doesn't/shouldn't matter"

There's a legal dimension to this -- which comes back to worker's rights and how much they have -- and a social dimension, which is about whether or not we find the NFL contemptible for this. Lots of people agree with the NFL that Kaep's activism makes him a bad character. But, in sum, it absolutely matters.

"There is no issue" is EXACTLY being naive to this.

Yes, THIS is the issue. Let's not be naive about it.

Kaep is being blackballed because he's a trouble-maker. Not because he's not good enough.

The NFL is a lot cooler with other forms of "problem" causers. You know. Domestic violence. The like. 

The Packers should sign him now, though.

There's everything to be judged about what is considered "baggage" and what is not.

Imagine being such a snowflake that you need "other people are snowflakes ruining my things" to be real ;-)

It hasn’t been “shootout” since 2005. It was called shootout because we like to think of football as a f'ing battlefield and players as f'ing warriors. Think we’re probably okay with less of that. Then again we always talk about high scoring game as shootouts.

it became “showdown” in 2014, probably my least favorite of the names. Oh well. Gotta take it up with these corporate sponsors. Or the imagined “snowflake” who got “offended” by “rivalry”, I guess

Let's see how this season plays out. I think it's a tough one, but long term I don't think that's the case. Maybe it's not as elite as we'd hope and so he should go eventually, but it's not that bad either.

Anyway, this was more about OSU. People were abuzz about the Andersen hire. Every time they landed a 4* it was news. There was some argument that they'd do better without Riley. GA is now 7-22.

Turns out it's not that easy to win at Oregon St.

It's why folks like anybody pay taxes! We should have better insurance and better social support.

(for everybody)

To you, you're a hardworking person doing something with your life. To a much wealthier, much more insulated policymaker you may as well be someone who isn't working hard enough or using your money wisely. Do you have a smartphone? Eat salmon? Play video games?