Whitehouse Visit

[inane]

4 minutes ago, SedinMadness said:

its not truly a free country when we are now getting ticketed for eating in our own car.... so much in this world now needs a lot of interpretation. new era when everyone starts doing stuff to how they feel...im sure kids don't take the same position when they are in school and sing the national anthem. just the ones that make the millions get away with it.

Lol driving isn't a right. 

[189lb enforcers?]

Take a knee during the anthem at a sporting event.

What message is this sending and to whom is it being sent? What is the expectation? 

 

To me, this is as useless as the 99% occupy movements. 

 

Maybe the the world does need some major nuclear war or asteroid impacts so folks will have something to actually "survive" instead of attaching their rebel-without-cause to non issues. These folks need something hard in their lives to appreciate what good they already have. 

 

It's far too comfortable today, so much so that crap like this is a big issue for the rebels without a cause. 

 

 

[Butters Stoch]

Poor Crosby, pretty sure the guy just wants to stay neutral about the politics but everyone's going to start calling him a racist Trump supporter just for chilling at the White house. 

[Undrafted]

I almost never post anymore but like many others, I can't remain silent on this, especially as non-white

 

It IS disappointing to me that the Pens are making the WH trip.  As Seahawks CB Richard Sherman said, "If you aren't condemning what's going on, you're condoning it" and that's something the Pens organization should have realized.  By accepting the invitation in the face of all the protests going on and for Mike Sullivan, Sidney Crosby and others to say that it isn't or shouldn't be political: that is being deliberately blind to what's going on and specifically WHO is currently in the White House.

 

I was watching the Flames/Jets game tonight and during the broadcast, I saw that there are American hockey players who do get it, like WPG's Blake Wheeler and Matt Hendricks.  In the same broadcast, the TSN panel unanimously said they would NOT have accepted the invitation--even Jeff O'Neill, who's not the sharpest tack in the box, knew that it was a bad idea.  Bob McKenzie said it best when he pointed out that under previous administrations, regardless of who was in WH, those visits were non-political celebrations of championships; however, this is NOT the case with the current president, who has politicized it for his own purposes.

 

Quite frankly, unless the Pens reconsider, it'll be an embarrassment to both the NHL and the sport of hockey.  It not only essentially negates all the efforts to bring inclusiveness into the sport, it makes the league's initiatives in that regard seem hollow and hypocritical.

 

/end rant

[King Heffy]

2 hours ago, 189lb enforcers? said:

Take a knee during the anthem at a sporting event.

What message is this sending and to whom is it being sent? What is the expectation? 

 

To me, this is as useless as the 99% occupy movements. 

 

Maybe the the world does need some major nuclear war or asteroid impacts so folks will have something to actually "survive" instead of attaching their rebel-without-cause to non issues. These folks need something hard in their lives to appreciate what good they already have. 

 

It's far too comfortable today, so much so that crap like this is a big issue for the rebels without a cause. 

 

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/seahawks-michael-bennett-says-held-gunpoint-police/

Quote

Spoiler

 

Associated Press September 6, 2017, 11:06 AM

25

LAS VEGAS — Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett accused Las Vegas police on Wednesday of racially motivated excessive force, saying he was threatened at gunpoint and handcuffed following a report of gunshots at an after-hours club at a casino-hotel.

Bennett said on a Twitter message titled "Dear World," that police "singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Police later attributed a report of gunfire at Drai’s at the Cromwell resort to the sharp sound of velvet rope stands being knocked to a tile floor. It happened a few hours after the Aug. 26 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.

Bennett described the incident as "traumatic" during a brief appearance Wednesday at the Seahawks’ facility.

"It’s a traumatic experience for me, my family and it sucks that the country that we live in now sometimes you get profiled for the colour of your skin," Bennett said. "It’s a tough situation for me. Do I think every police officer is bad? No, I don’t believe that. Do I believe there are some people out there that judge people by the colour of their skin? I do believe that."

Bennett declined to go into specifics of the incident.

"I’m just trying to focus on the game, focus on the task at hand and let everything take care of itself," Bennett said. "But like I said this is a tragic situation for me, I hate to be up here at this moment. There is a lot of people who experienced what I experienced at that point, at that moment and they’re not here to tell their story."

Bennett, a 6-foot-4 defensive end who has been a leader of the national anthem protests started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick , said he was among several hundred people running away.

In his Twitter message, Bennett said he was handcuffed face-down on the ground after an officer held a gun to his head saying he would blow his head off if he moved.

"All I could think of was ‘I’m going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin colour is somehow a threat,"’ he wrote. He said he thought of his wife and children.

Bennett said he was taken to the back of a police car "until they apparently realized I was not a thug, common criminal or ordinary black man but Michael Bennett a famous professional football player." He was released without charges.

Las Vegas police Officer Jacinto Rivera said police were checking for casino and police body camera video and written reports. He said the department couldn’t immediately verify Bennett’s account or identify the officers involved.

"Without looking at video footage or reading any reports we can’t say yet what happened," Rivera said.

A video posted by celebrity news site TMZ shows a view from a balcony as a police officer kneels on the back of a man who looks like Bennett. Protests are heard, including, "I wasn’t doing nothing," and, "I was here with my friends. They told us to get out and everybody ran."

Bennett’s attorney, John Burris in Oakland, California, confirmed the words were Bennett’s. The attorney said he believed the 30-second video clip showed some of how his client was treated.

"We think there was an unlawful detention and the use of excessive force, with a gun put to his head," Burris told The Associated Press. "He was just in the crowd. He doesn’t drink or do drugs. He wasn’t in a fight. He wasn’t resisting. He did nothing more or less than anyone in the crowd."

Burris said Bennett waited to make public his account of the incident until after Burris contacted Las Vegas police last week by letter and email, seeking police records of Bennett’s detention.

Bennett’s brother, Martellus Bennett, who plays for the Green Bay Packers, posted an Instagram account of a telephone call he said he got from Michael Bennett. He said he heard fear in his brother’s voice.

"The emotion and the thought of almost losing you because of the way you look left me in one of the saddest places ever," Martellus Bennett said.

Michael Bennett has been one of the most outspoken pro athletes on numerous social issues. Last month, he held a benefit for the family of a pregnant black woman who was fatally shot by two white Seattle police officers in June. Police said the woman threatened the officers with at least one knife after calling 911 to report that someone had broken into her apartment and stolen video-game consoles.

"For me it’s always finding a way to impact the community on every single level; locally, nationally, and globally," Bennett said following the benefit. "To be able to have something happen in your city and to be able to build a bridge between people regardless of colour, regardless of gender, and regardless of economic hardships, you want to be able to bring people together and be able to do something for kids."

Advocates on Wednesday cited Bennett’s treatment by police as an illustration of troubled race relations in America.

Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter advocacy group, called it "a testament to the police violence targeting black people in the United States."

Cullors endorsed an online petition calling for Las Vegas police to release information about what she called an assault on Bennett.

Jocelyn Benson, chief executive of the non-profit Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality, released a statement crediting Bennett with "courage and leadership in addressing issues of racial injustice in our country."

"The revelation of Michael Bennett’s terrifying experience with Las Vegas police officers last month underscores the need to continue fighting against racial profiling and inequality," Benson said.

 

 

Yep, completely no reason to be frustrated with the racism rampant in the United States and disgraceful comments by the Bigot In Chief regarding players' right to free speech.  But it's fine for neo-Nazis to say whatever the hell they want according to Trump....

 

I sure as hell wouldn't be going there but Crosby's free to go if he so chooses.  Non-issue.

[Rob_Zepp]

[Mr.53]

As a black duel citizen, I have to say I am a little disappointed in my NHL boys. We are Canadians. We are supposed to stand up for eachother, and our neighbors especially through hate, discrimination, and division. NHL players, lets be honest, a vast majority of them white, not standing up is the definition of "well it doesn't effect me, so why should I stand up?" That's not what being Canadian is about. Community, and compassion is what this country is built on. Not only for ourselves, but for all the others that need it as well.

 

Everyone has their own right to do whatever they want to do. Still, I would have hoped that the NHL and my Canadian brothers would come to the aid of my and their American brothers in unity. But hey, to each their own.

[Tystick]

At the end of the day these players are disrespecting every soldier that died to keep America free.

Regardless of whether you like Trump or not; it's pathetic.

Don't make this about your subjective oppression problems. You're kneeling down, whining that you don't have it fair, yet you're making more money every year than I'll see in my life time.

 

Spare me.

[Tystick]

I gotta side with the Penguins on this one. Proud of them for taking a non-political stance on this issue.

Playing in the NHL shapes you as a person more than any other sport. Shame on the NFL and NBA.

You may enter the league with an ego, but you end up being shaped into the best version of yourself possible.

Gotta love hockey.

[Mike Vanderhoek]

what about simply being above all the BS and rhetoric surrounding the US administration and politics in general ?

 

It is an honor and something few can say they have done, i'd like to think its because its hockey players here and they collectively can put aside the political garbage. 

[Undrafted]

7 minutes ago, Tystick said:

At the end of the day these players are disrespecting every soldier that died to keep America free.

Regardless of whether you like Trump or not; it's pathetic.

Don't make this about your subjective oppression problems. You're kneeling down, whining that you don't have it fair, yet you're making more money every year than I'll see in my life time.

 

Spare me.

That's nonsense.  When Kapernick first did it back 2016, there was a letter of support signed by thousands of active US military personnel; in fact, there are no shortage of current and past military personnel who support the protest.  What's more, standing for the anthem before NFL games only started in 2009.

 

From a recent article published jointly by Macleans and Sportsnet:

 

"... even just a few years ago these words would have applied to the entire league. Because standing for the national anthem is a new thing. Players and coaches used to stay in the locker room or sit on the sidelines.

 

This changed in 2009, because the Pentagon had a problem. The military had failed to meet its recruitment targets for years, largely because joining the armed forces all but guaranteed a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan to join in wars that that had been burning since 2001 with few obvious victories to show for it. Even with high unemployment rates, finding more young men to fight these unpopular wars was a struggle. What’s worse, by the military’s own estimate, only one per cent of Americans are fit enough, educated enough, and inclined to put on a uniform. So where do you find these folks? At football games.

 

Therefore the Pentagon began paying the NFL to help its recruitment efforts. It brought vets on the field, added flags, F-15s flew over, military bands played in the stands, and the owners were asked to trot out the players for the anthem. It’s marketing 101—if your favourite sports star is saluting Old Glory, you’re more likely to sign on the line which is dotted. And, guess what? It worked. That year the forces met their recruitment targets for the first time in years.

 

Since then, according to a recent Senate report, the Department of Defense has spent $53 million for patriotic displays at sporting events, including one at a Seattle Seahawks game where 10 soldiers re-enlisted on the field during a pre-game show."

 

http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/trump-taking-a-knee-in-the-nfl-and-the-true-meaning-of-patriotism/

 

Ironically, most of the people who've been talking up the "disrespect to the military" angle are the ones who've never even served in the military, including the current draft-dodging POTUS.

 

 

[Undrafted]

11 minutes ago, Mike Vanderhoek said:

what about simply being above all the BS and rhetoric surrounding the US administration and politics in general ?

 

It is an honor and something few can say they have done, i'd like to think its because its hockey players here and they collectively can put aside the political garbage. 

It can't be done because the current POTUS politicizes everything.  No one asked him to expound on the NFL and players taking a knee.  It's not like he was cornered by the media and asked to comment--he went out of his way to comment about it at campaign rally where HE alone controlled the content.  And he did it deliberately to play to his 'base'.

 

The week before that, only 6 players took a knee during the anthem; this week, almost the entire league, including some owners took a knee because of 45's provocation.  People outside of sports took a knee.  Why?  Because, as many have pointed out, it was an attack on the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is FAR more important than just the flag and anthem.

 

If you don't like politics intruding on sports, then 45 is the one you should blame--he's the one who took a tiny little flicker of dissent and turned it into a firestorm.

[Tystick]

26 minutes ago, Undrafted said:

That's nonsense.  When Kapernick first did it back 2016, there was a letter of support signed by thousands of active US military personnel; in fact, there are no shortage of current and past military personnel who support the protest.  What's more, standing for the anthem before NFL games only started in 2009.

 

From a recent article published jointly by Macleans and Sportsnet:

 

"... even just a few years ago these words would have applied to the entire league. Because standing for the national anthem is a new thing. Players and coaches used to stay in the locker room or sit on the sidelines.

 

This changed in 2009, because the Pentagon had a problem. The military had failed to meet its recruitment targets for years, largely because joining the armed forces all but guaranteed a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan to join in wars that that had been burning since 2001 with few obvious victories to show for it. Even with high unemployment rates, finding more young men to fight these unpopular wars was a struggle. What’s worse, by the military’s own estimate, only one per cent of Americans are fit enough, educated enough, and inclined to put on a uniform. So where do you find these folks? At football games.

 

Therefore the Pentagon began paying the NFL to help its recruitment efforts. It brought vets on the field, added flags, F-15s flew over, military bands played in the stands, and the owners were asked to trot out the players for the anthem. It’s marketing 101—if your favourite sports star is saluting Old Glory, you’re more likely to sign on the line which is dotted. And, guess what? It worked. That year the forces met their recruitment targets for the first time in years.

 

Since then, according to a recent Senate report, the Department of Defense has spent $53 million for patriotic displays at sporting events, including one at a Seattle Seahawks game where 10 soldiers re-enlisted on the field during a pre-game show."

 

http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/trump-taking-a-knee-in-the-nfl-and-the-true-meaning-of-patriotism/

 

Ironically, most of the people who've been talking up the "disrespect to the military" angle are the ones who've never even served in the military, including the current draft-dodging POTUS.

 

 

That's all great but I'm confused with what you're trying to point out.

Are all the players kneeling ex-military? Is president Trump wrong for saying these players are a disgrace? 

[Undrafted]

19 minutes ago, Tystick said:

That's all great but I'm confused with what you're trying to point out.

Are all the players kneeling ex-military? Is president Trump wrong for saying these players are a disgrace? 

to answer your questions in order:

 

1) No, not all the players kneeling are ex-military, but plenty of current and past members of the US military support the protest, as well as people with family in the military.

 

2) the POTUS is not only wrong for saying the players are disgrace, he's deliberately doing so for his own political gain.  As the article I cited points out, previous to 2009, NONE of the players or coaches stood for the anthem.  They used to spend the anthem in their respective locker rooms.  For the POTUS to say that it's an insult to "heritage" is nonsense unless you consider eight years long enough to qualify as "heritage"

 

45's comments in Alabama (where he went on his rant) was a deliberate attempt to raise anti-black sentiment in a state that is already traditionally very racist.  And in case you're wondering where race comes in, the protests are all about racial inequality in the US.  While you may be angry about the amount of money many of those players make (based on your previous post), you should also be aware that before they made it to the NFL, many of them had severely disadvantaged upbringings (in other words, they were dirt poor), so it's not like they've never known what it's like to be poor and black in the US.  Even with their money, they still often suffer harassment at the hands of police.  Raptors star Demar DeRozan has stated he's often been stopped by police just because he's a black man in a luxury car.  CFL QB Kevin Glenn remarked after this weekend that for many US players in the CFL, "while it's nice here in Canada, we're only here for six months and after that we have to go back home and deal with that"

 

The issues these players are protesting are VERY real.  And as many have already pointed out, this is a question of First Amendment rights that applies to ALL US citizens.

 

Edit: I will also add on a personal note that my best friend is a US citizen whose brother is active member of the USAF.  And yes, he's firmly on the side of the protest.

[King Heffy]

1 hour ago, Tystick said:

At the end of the day these players are disrespecting every soldier that died to keep America free.

Regardless of whether you like Trump or not; it's pathetic.

Don't make this about your subjective oppression problems. You're kneeling down, whining that you don't have it fair, yet you're making more money every year than I'll see in my life time.

 

Spare me.

Let me guess... You're white?

 

The protest wasn't for themselves originally until Trump personally attacked them.  Kaep and the others were kneeling to speak up for people who don't have it that good.  Bennett's literally had a gun pulled on him for no reason.  We're lucky as hell here in Canada but it's not good down there right now unless you're white.  There are very real race issues and having a bigot in the White House attack free speech while calling Neo-Nazis "very fine people" is unacceptable.  The players are doing the right thing by standing up for their teammates

 

This is exactly about oppression problems and to pointedly ignore the issue only further proves these players are doing the right thing by going to these lengths to address it.  Protests are supposed to be disruptive or they are ineffective.

[Tystick]

2 minutes ago, Undrafted said:

to answer your questions in order:

 

1) No, not all the players kneeling are ex-military, but plenty of current and past members of the US military support the protest, as well as people with family in the military.

 

2) the POTUS is not only wrong for saying the players are disgrace, he's deliberately doing so for his own political gain.  As the article I cited points out, previous to 2009, NONE of the players or coaches stood for the anthem.  They used to spend the anthem in their respective locker rooms.  For the POTUS to say that it's an insult to "heritage" is nonsense unless you consider eight years long enough to qualify as "heritage"

 

45's comments in Alabama (where he went on his rant) was a deliberate attempt to raise anti-black sentiment in a state that is already traditionally very racist.  And in case you're wondering where race comes in, the protests are all about racial inequality in the US.  While you may be angry about the amount of money many of those players make (based on your previous post), you should also be aware that before they made it to the NFL, many of them had severely disadvantaged upbringings (in other words, they were dirt poor), so it's not like they've never known what it's like to be poor and black in the US.  Even with their money, they still often suffer harassment at the hands of police.  Raptors star Demar DeRozan has stated he's often been stopped by police just because he's a black man in a luxury car.  CFL QB Kevin Glenn remarked after this weekend that for many US players in the CFL, "while it's nice here in Canada, we're only here for six months and after that we have to go back home and deal with that"

 

The issues these players are protesting are VERY real.  And as many have already pointed out, this is a question of First Amendment rights that applies to ALL US citizens.

Okay, and many ex-military don't support the protest. So there's no real point here.

I agree he's using it for his own political gain, but regardless, it has been a tradition to stand up in unity and sing our countries anthem to honor those that died to keep our country free. I was unaware that players didn't stand for the anthem prior to 2009, but regardless they do now, and to now make this about an oppression issue is disrespectful to all those that fought and died for that flag. The anthem is the anthem. It's supposed to be what unites us. Leave it be.

 

First of all, I'm not angry that football players are making more money than me. I don't care. That's the beauty of a capitalistic society. Go get good at something and usually you making a killing if you're great at it.

Yeah I get it, these protests are about racial inequality. That's what's so ridiculous. How do you have it so bad when you have as much opportunity as everyone else in America to build the life you've always wanted? 

Yes, some football players had a tough time growing up in a lower class family, and they also happened to be black. They're not special. People of all skin colors grow up in poor and rich families. Many people grow up poor and are actually far more likely to achieve great things because they don't like their situation and are driven to change it.

 

I'll agree with you on the issue of police officers stopping black people because of their skin color. That appears real and I'm sure annoying for the person.

 

This all said, I still don't agree with these football players politicizing a national anthem. Protest elsewhere, it's pathetic.

[Tystick]

26 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

Let me guess... You're white?

 

The protest wasn't for themselves originally until Trump personally attacked them.  Kaep and the others were kneeling to speak up for people who don't have it that good.  Bennett's literally had a gun pulled on him for no reason.  We're lucky as hell here in Canada but it's not good down there right now unless you're white.  There are very real race issues and having a bigot in the White House attack free speech while calling Neo-Nazis "very fine people" is unacceptable.  The players are doing the right thing by standing up for their teammates

 

This is exactly about oppression problems and to pointedly ignore the issue only further proves these players are doing the right thing by going to these lengths to address it.  Protests are supposed to be disruptive or they are ineffective.

My whole point was I don't agree with politicizing the anthem.

Yes I'm white, does that make my argument moot?

[King Heffy]

3 minutes ago, Tystick said:

My whole point was I don't agree with politicizing the anthem.

Yes I'm white, does that make my argument moot?

It means that you have no right to question the legitimacy of the race issues in the USA by calling them "subjective oppression problems".  There have been many attempts made to fix the problem prior to the anthem protests.  They haven't worked.

[189lb enforcers?]

2 hours ago, Mr.53 said:

As a black duel citizen, I have to say I am a little disappointed in my NHL boys. We are Canadians. We are supposed to stand up for eachother, and our neighbors especially through hate, discrimination, and division. NHL players, lets be honest, a vast majority of them white, not standing up is the definition of "well it doesn't effect me, so why should I stand up?" That's not what being Canadian is about. Community, and compassion is what this country is built on. Not only for ourselves, but for all the others that need it as well.

 

Everyone has their own right to do whatever they want to do. Still, I would have hoped that the NHL and my Canadian brothers would come to the aid of my and their American brothers in unity. But hey, to each their own.

Please show me how zillionaire athletes are being oppressed.

 

There are so few rich athletes who are black. It's because of a secret club of nazis or some $&!# holding them back. Obama and Oprah are victims too?! 

 

What are you standing up for, exactly?

Are you oppressed? 

Is this not just another BS claim like BLM?  

[189lb enforcers?]

2 hours ago, King Heffy said:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/seahawks-michael-bennett-says-held-gunpoint-police/

Yep, completely no reason to be frustrated with the racism rampant in the United States and disgraceful comments by the Bigot In Chief regarding players' right to free speech.  But it's fine for neo-Nazis to say whatever the hell they want according to Trump....

 

I sure as hell wouldn't be going there but Crosby's free to go if he so chooses.  Non-issue.

What is a neo nazi and where do they have the floor?