George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

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KahunaK
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George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by KahunaK » Sun May 31, 2020 3:08 pm

Worth reading from Washington Post Sports page-

"Colin Kaepernick’s real offense was to open the box and hold up what is in front of the audience, instead of the triumphalist, self-congratulatory image the NFL wanted. The league owners had a chance, with Kaepernick, to be more than hucksters guarding their brands and bottom line. They might have been tremendous influencers on the problem of injustice in this burning moment. They might have been real allies of — and advocates for — their great players. They might have been examples of true, righteous Americanism. They might have been bonders rather than dividers, healers of mistrust. But who would ever buy that now? They missed their chance. They chose the wrong knee. It was a terrible choice. One that may even make you weep."


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... took-knee/

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econalum
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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by econalum » Sun May 31, 2020 8:35 pm

That video is shows almost unimaginable cruelty, it strikes to our very souls as humans. How someone could be so vicious when the suspect was both under control and crying out to breathe is .... I am lost for words.

Would I, a 65-year-old white guy, ever be treated this way by the police had I passed a 'bogus $20 bill' (allegedly). No.

It reminds me of the assassination of the Viet Cong suspect in 1968 during the Tet offensive, another seminal, perhaps turning point moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkEeZM1218M

As to Colin K., while it was obvious he was being 'blackballed', he also got a settlement from the NFL, granted for a fraction of his then salary. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/spor ... ment.html . It is more than odd that he could not earn at least a backup QB role since then.
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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by inthescoop » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:09 am

No surprise that our old and white privileged fan base has nothing to say here. LETS GO UMASS!!!

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:16 am

Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by R&G » Fri Jun 05, 2020 7:41 am

inthescoop wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:09 am No surprise that our old and white privileged fan base has nothing to say here. LETS GO UMASS!!!

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Do you realize that probably 98% of this board is on your side? There are no sports happening right now an i, like probably many others, check this board about once every few weeks lately. I would suggest that your passion, which I applaud, be directed in a forum that reaches more than 40-50 people on a semi-regular basis. Attacking UMass and its dwindling athletic fan base (most of which is socially liberal) is misdirected. Especially when you use racial stereotypes. I personally believe that racism in all forms is one of, if not the biggest, issue in this country ( and has been forever). We have a president, and a large portion of the population, who act outwardly racist towards African Americans, anyone from south of the border, people from the Middle East, and the Chinese among others. The shithead in the whitehouse even stated that he wanted more people immigrating from Norway rather than Mexico.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by MJatUM » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:29 pm

inthescoop wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:09 am No surprise that our old and white privileged fan base has nothing to say here. LETS GO UMASS!!!

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
I'm actually taking a knee while typing this. Seriously, wtf are a bunch of people on a message board supposed to do. Spare us with your sanctimonious BS.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by econalum » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:42 pm

Lots of positive change in symbols is occurring, such as those ancient logos for Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, etc.. It is very difficult to see how those logos lasted so long. I presume that folks will soon take another swipe at the Washington Redskins.

And thank goodness we are finally taking down statues of the Confederate traitors who led the South.

As to Kaepernick, absolutely give him tryouts and see if he still has game. 4 years away is a lot.
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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by Quann » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:37 pm

I think there are a lot more pressing race issues than worrying about Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben but maybe that's just me. Don't think it's a big deal either way and just seems like hollow virtue signaling to celebrate losing those brands as victories. Democrats really do face a big issue though. The majority of these cities with all of these systemic racial problems over the last 50 years have been run by elected leaders from the Democratic Party. This is no endorsement for the Republican Party but I don't know how this can't be honestly acknowledged. Democratic leadership in Chicago has led to the highest murder rate in America.

As far as Kaepernick, he was not very good when he got benched by the Niners. Doubt he'd be very good now after being out of football for a couple years.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by inthescoop » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:44 pm

^this guy actually believes that Kap wasn’t in the NFL because of his talent level. Unreal. :lol:

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by 69MG » Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:31 pm

If you read my posts you'll see that I do my best not to get involved in political discussions. I check this board for sports and UMass related items, but since we're talking about Kaepernick and football I'll chime in.

At this time I feel someone should give him a tryout. If he can play, fine. If not, he'll get cut. Up until this year, his history would have been a bigger issue than his playing ability and possibly a distraction to whichever team signed him. That horse is out of the barn now and his history is much less of an issue.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by km109 » Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:51 pm

Per capita, Chicago isn't even in the top 10 for murder rates in the U.S. for cities of 100,000 or more.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by econalum » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:16 pm

Quann wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:37 pm I think there are a lot more pressing race issues than worrying about Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben but maybe that's just me. Don't think it's a big deal either way and just seems like hollow virtue signaling to celebrate losing those brands as victories.
Do I think that the major consumer product companies are great, no. But changing longstanding symbols matters, be they logos on food items, or statues of Confederate 'heroes', i.e., traitors to the USA.

I learned at the Gettysburg tour last summer that many of the Confederate general statues there have been installed post-1940 or so. The same I believe is also true for many of the monuments in the South about the CIvil War, many into the 60's.

The confederate battle flag emblem is also best left to the ashes of history, and certainly has no place on U.S. military bases.
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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by Quann » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:16 am

I definitely agree that the confederate flag should never be flown on a U.S. military base or at any government building.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by e_parade » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:10 am

Glad to see there's definitely at least some common ground there then.

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Re: George Floyd/Colin Kaepernick

Post by KahunaK » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:50 am

econalum wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:16 pm
Quann wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:37 pm I think there are a lot more pressing race issues than worrying about Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben but maybe that's just me. Don't think it's a big deal either way and just seems like hollow virtue signaling to celebrate losing those brands as victories.


I learned at the Gettysburg tour last summer that many of the Confederate general statues there have been installed post-1940 or so. The same I believe is also true for many of the monuments in the South about the CIvil War, many into the 60's.

The confederate battle flag emblem is also best left to the ashes of history, and certainly has no place on U.S. military bases.
So if these monuments were just about history, why are there no Confederate monuments to Gen Longstreet- one of the very
best generals in the CSA army?

From Wikipedia- With Grant's support, he [Longstreet] applied for a pardon from President Andrew Johnson. Johnson refused, however, telling Longstreet in a meeting: "There are three persons of the South who can never receive amnesty: Mr. Davis, General Lee, and yourself. You have given the Union cause too much trouble."

Longstreet was one of a small group of former Confederate generals, including James L. Alcorn and William Mahone, to join or ally with the nationally dominant Republican Party during the Reconstruction era. He endorsed Grant for president in the election of 1868, attended his inauguration ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and six days later was appointed by Grant as surveyor of customs in New Orleans. For these acts he lost favor with many white Southerners.

A major element of the Lost Cause movement, aside from attacking Longstreet's war record, was the idea that the central cause of the Civil War was the protection of states' rights, not slavery. Responding to such arguments, Longstreet once remarked, "I never heard of any other cause of the quarrel than slavery."

The answer to why are there no Longstreet monuments is that post-civil war, the south saw Longstreet as a traitor and wanted banish his participation in the Civil War from confederate history. In my mind they were all a bunch of traitors and should be treated as such. We still teach about Benedict Arnold and read about him in history- but no monuments.

For all you folks up North, to show you how pervasive Confederate commemoration is in Virginia- I live near Rte 29 aka Lee Highway and Rte 50 aka Lee-Jackson Highway. Until recently I had to drive on Jefferson Davis Highway, and drive by J.E.B. Stuart High School. I still read about how the Rebels of Fairfax High School- their mascot had been a confederate soldier carrying a confederate flag. Just today Fairfax ditched the Rebel Pride and they are now the Lions. In Alexandria, on one of the busiest street, was a monument to Confederate soldiers where everyone had to drive around it- the soldier had its back to the North. This was recently removed. Richmond is much much worse.

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