You have no idea how much I have come to loathe this topic. Both sides are so far off base that you can't even have a reasonable conversation about the topic.
It's not the tax break that has people hacked off, and we both know it.
It's the fact that the common man gets crumbs that come to an end after a few years, while the uber-rich and corps get permanent cuts. Cuts that will leave us carrying even more of the burden.
Lap up their shallow saucer of mother's milk gratefully all you want; the rest of us aren't simple-minded fools.
Awe, poor ungrateful babies are jealous that someone got more of a gift than they got. Can't be happy they got something. What did other administrations give you? Nothing.
I know facts don't matter but Phase 2 of the Tax Cuts makes ours permanent too. We just need enough Republicans to pass it since the Democrats won't work.
Column: In a jaded world, here's a player worthy of cheers
The Associated Press PAUL NEWBERRY,The Associated Press 2 hours 45 minutes ago
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- Tired of pompous, entitled athletes who don't seem to realize how good they have it?
Fed up with all the scandals and cheats and scoundrels mucking things up for the rest of us?
Meet Ricardo Allen.
He'll give you a reason to cheer.
Allen plays for the Atlanta Falcons, a 26-year-old free safety who will readily admit he's not the fastest, not the strongest, not the biggest guy in the room.
''I won't be anybody's first pick,'' said Allen, who at 5-foot-9 comes up 3 inches shy of this aging sports scribe.
That's OK.
He's so much more than that.
This is a guy who hasn't forgotten what it's like to be told you're not good enough - on HBO's ''Hard Knocks'' no less, for the whole world to see.
This is a guy who remembers what it's like to spend a year on the practice squad, putting in as much work as the next guy but knowing he won't get a chance to shine on Sundays.
So, when word came that Allen had agreed to a contract extension with the Falcons, one that should set him up nicely for the rest of his life if he manages his money right, he didn't exactly celebrate.
That's not his style.
Instead, he watched that ''Hard Knocks'' episode all over again, the one where then-Atlanta coach Mike Smith doles out the pink slip .
''You can kind of see I smiled a little bit,'' Allen recalled. ''I knew that wasn't going to be my last straw. I've been turned down plenty of times in life, man. That wasn't the first time I've been told I wasn't good enough.''
Allen's new contract - $19.5 million for three more seasons - pales in comparison to, say, teammate Matt Ryan, who agreed to a massive deal that averages $30 million a year and guarantees the star quarterback at least $100 million.
But Allen is grateful for his $5.5 million signing bonus. He knows that's a massive amount of money to just about anyone else. He hopes it sends just the right message to anyone scuffling on the fringes of a roster.
''This wasn't just a deal for myself,'' Allen said. ''This was a deal for everybody who has to struggle, who has to fight from the bottom. It's possible to make it to the top.''
Even now, he has a soft spot for all those guys going through the same struggles.
''When I was in college, I used to work out with the walk-ons,'' Allen said. ''I was always attracted to hard workers. I was always attracted to the bottom feeders.''
After Dan Quinn took over as Atlanta's coach in 2015, he was impressed by Allen's tackling skills but felt he was out of place at cornerback, his position at Purdue and what he started out playing with the Falcons.
Allen was moved to safety. Suddenly, he blossomed. One training camp after being waived, he surged to the top row of the depth chart, going on start 14 games as a de facto rookie in 2015.
But he never got comfortable.
Not then.
Not even now, when he's so clearly a part of Atlanta's long-term plans.
''That ain't in my blood,'' Allen said, chuckling at the mere suggestion.
Zealously guarding against those thoughts ever creeping into his head, Allen is always looking for ways to make things harder on himself.
Right down to the smallest details.
If his eggs are too runny, he's not sending them back. If it gets cold in his room, he'll turn down the thermostat even more.
''This world is so used to being comfortable all the time,'' Allen said. ''It's weird, man, I know. But it's just something I do so I don't get complacent, so I never feel like what I've done is enough.''
Allen has always worn his emotions on his sleeve, which was never more evident that when I talked with him less than an hour after the Falcons squandered a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl.
While most everyone else did their best to cover up the overwhelming pain, Allen made it clear exactly how he was feeling.
''I'm broken inside,'' he said that night in the bowels of Houston's NRG Stadium . ''I'm not a guy that forgets very easy. I'll probably never forget this. It will always be haunting.''
But, like every setback in Allen's life, pain served a purpose.
He put together another strong season in 2017, though the Falcons were knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round. He's one of the leaders on a young, speedy defense, doling out and advice and mentoring anyone who wants to know how to do things the right way.
When the Falcons announced Allen's new contract, there wasn't a hint of jealousy from his teammates.
Quite the opposite.
That day, during a meeting with the entire team, Quinn asked, ''If you've ever been supported or encouraged by Ricardo Allen, please stand up.''
Everyone rose from their seats, from the biggest stars on the team to those who will likely be cut in a week or two.
''You see the impact that a guy like him has on a team,'' Quinn marveled.
Every time I see and NFL player take a knee and disrespect the country I lose more and more interest in a game that I love. Standing for the national anthem is fundamental thing you are taught at a young age. It is a respect thing. Even as a youngster when you are running around wildly my parents would say stand up straight, remove your hat, and be quite unless you want to sing along. Many men died for the freedom we have in the country and that is the time to show respect for their sacrifice. I find their protest disrespectful and would like to see them suspended and if they do not stop kicked out of the league.
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
If the tax break is hugely unpopular across wide swaths of America I wonder how many of you lefties refused it or sent it back? I offered to take it off your hands but have not received a dime.
Don't be fooled: this has less to do with football players and anthems, and has more to do with ginning up his base for the midterm elections. As the recent Special Election in Ohio's 12th has shown, Trump's R+7 has barely helped Baldi survive the challenge by O'Connor, who has a virtual nobody before he ran for Tiberi's vacated seat. Col's went heavily for the Dem, and Suburbs came out in positive numbers as well. The exurbs ran 50/50 and rurals ran heavily strong for BaldiTrump. And that was after the GOP threw everything they has at this race.
This has been trending since Alabama. Penn went Connor Lamb. Ed Gillespie ran as a Trump Clone and got crushed. Reps are worried, and rightly so.
This is by design. GOP wanted to run on their tax bill win, but it's hugely unpopular across wide swaths of Americans. The Prez hovers at around 40%, which is a statistical worry, as well. Those Dems who are doing well are running on issues, and not an anti-Trump message. If 45* can't muster enthusiasm from his die hards, there will be a 'Red Wave' alright... they'll be waving good-buy to DC with a U-Haul attached to the backs of their cars.
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If the tax break is hugely unpopular across wide swaths of America I wonder how many of you lefties refused it or sent it back? I offered to take it off your hands but have not received a dime.
You should be asking big pharma for your hand out. They’re one the biggest recipients of the trump tax break plus they are raising costs of medicines and not hiring anymore than usual. They get a trump double bonus. Enjoy.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
Every time I see and NFL player take a knee and disrespect the country I lose more and more interest in a game that I love.
If that's actually what they were doing, I would probably agree with you. But that's not what they're doing and they've made that perfectly clear in their explanation.
The fact that you refuse to listen to or believe them is your problem. So go ahead and ignore why they're really doing it and go with things based on your feelings and not the facts.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Every time I see and NFL player take a knee and disrespect the country I lose more and more interest in a game that I love.
If that's actually what they were doing, I would probably agree with you. But that's not what they're doing and they've made that perfectly clear in their explanation.
The fact that you refuse to listen to or believe them is your problem. So go ahead and ignore why they're really doing it and go with things based on your feelings and not the facts.
I agree with their message. They need to pick a less disrespectful platform. The platform does matter!!! The flag and anthem does mean something!
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
What seems odd is how people feel because they are offended, they feel something is wrong. It's the same party that excuses Trumps outlandish behavior as him not being PC. They feel the man they elected somehow has some special exemption to offend and degrade anyone he sees fit. To tell businesses what they should and shouldn't do. To defy the constitution saying that the free press is guaranteed by calling them the enemy of the people, liars and undermining once again, the constitution of the United States.
Then, they get all offended because something they feel "does mean something" suddenly hurts their sensibilities. And I'm not going to pretend that I don't understand because I do.
Yet I also hear our president say that those who are Nazis or that stand beside Nazis have some "good people on their side". The same belief system that killed over 6,000,000 Jews because they were superior to them. Make no mistake, anyone who says something like that is the enemy of the people. They are siding with the very same ideology that nearly destroyed the very world we live in. The same people that killed tens of thousands of American Troops.
So please don't preach to me about things that "mean something". As much as I agree that they could have found a better way to express their views. Neither of us have a right to dictate how others go about peaceful protest. I'm not happy about Nazis protesting in the public square espousing their ideology of hate and destruction to other races. Yet it's within their rights too.
That's the funny thing about rights. People have a right to express their opinions however they see fit. Whether we like it or not. And when a president sits there on twitter telling a private corporation how they should handle dealing with it, he's no longer trying to be a president. He's trying to be a dictator.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Aaron Rodgers weighs in on protest during national anthem
Aaron Rodgers is like the majority of NFL players when it comes to the protest during the national anthem. He feels when players are taking a knee during the anthem, they are not protesting the flag or protesting the anthem despite what President Donald Trump thinks. Rodgers talked to Kevin Clark of the Ringer about what he would do if he was NFL commissioner for a day and one of the things he would do is have owners and players come together and pass rules instead of the owners making the rules without the player's thoughts. A good example of that is the national anthem as Rodgers said the focus of the protest is about the social injustice going on in the country.
“If you’re going to take the focus off of what the protest was really about—it was never about the anthem, it was never about the troops, it was about social equality and racial injustice—then make it all about the anthem,” he said. “Everybody in the stadium stands and does the exact same thing. You have people in the concession, people in the bathroom; you’ve got cameramen on their knee watching. You can’t have it one way or another.
Rodgers went on to say about the time where players were not out on the field during the anthem.
“You have to remember where everything started. I’m one of the older players; we never came out for the anthem back in the day. We were in the locker room; in my first three, four, five years, we only came out a couple of times. We’d be in the locker room, we’d come out, intros, and then the game. Then the DOD [Department of Defense] paid some money for demonstrations and flyovers and whatnot and it became a different policy. Again, the messaging has been changed. If the owners see it as all about the flag and the anthem, everybody should be held to the same standard.”
What Rodgers said about the anthem comes on the heels of him defending LeBron James for him being criticized by Trump on Twitter. Trump has made his share of verbal attacks against the NFL, but Rodgers does not pay attention to it.
"I think that the more that we give credence to stuff like that, the more it's gonna live on," he said. "I think if we can learn to ignore or not respond to stuff like that -- if we can -- it takes away the power of statements like that."
Last year when the Packers played the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, Rodgers encouraged everyone in the stadium to lock arms during the national anthem to show unity.
"This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a bit uncomfortable for people," Rodgers said before the Bears game last September via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "But we've got to come together and talk about these things and grow as a community."
Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Published 7:49 p.m. ET Aug. 11, 2018 | Updated 7:57 p.m. ET Aug. 11, 2018
South Florida police unions are urging their members to not buy Miami Dolphins tickets or seek a refund because several players had protested during the national anthem before the preseason opener.
Before Thursday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson took a knee and defensive end Robert Quinn raised a fist.
Several NFL players, inspired by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have knelt during the anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
"The Palm Beach County PBA recently offered our members discounts to a Miami Dolphins game because the franchise said they were going to honor all first responders," the union said in a statement on Facebook. "We entered into this partnership with the understanding that the Dolphins organization would require their players to stand for the National Anthem. This did not happen.
"As a result, the Palm Beach County PBA will no longer participate in this ticket program, and we are asking all our members, as well (as) members of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association and the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, not to participate either. If you have already purchased tickets to this game, we encourage you to call the Dolphins ticket office to request a refund because this organization obviously does not honor First Responders and the dangers they put themselves in every day."
The Broward County PBA recently offered our members discounts to a Miami Dolphins game because that franchise said they were going to honor all First Responders. We entered into this partnership with the understanding that the Dolphins organization would require their players to stand for the National Anthem. This did not happen at last night's preseason game against Tampa Bay. As a result, the BCPBA will no longer participate in this ticket program, and we are asking all of our members, as well as members of the Dade County PBA and Palm Beach County PBA, not to participate either. If you have already purchased tickets to this game, we encourage you to call the Dolphins ticket office to request a refund because this organization obviously DOES NOT honor First Responders and the dangers they put themselves in every day.
This isn't the first time that police unions have reacted to players' on-field protests. Cleveland police refused last year to hold the flag in a preseason game after players had knelt during the anthem. St. Louis police complained in 2014 when some Rams players put their hands up in a "don't shoot" gesture, a response to the police shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson.
President Donald Trump, who has questioned the patriotism of players who kneel, weighed in again on Twitter on Friday.
"The NFL players are at it again - taking a knee when they should be standing proudly for the National Anthem. Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their “outrage” at something that most of them are unable to define," he tweeted.
He added that players should "be happy, be cool" and stand proudly during the anthem or risk being suspended without pay.
NFL owners passed a rule in May saying players needed to stand and show respect during the anthem but players who didn't want to stand could stay in the locker room. Teams were free to punish players who violated the rule.
But that rule was put on hold last month while the league and NFL Players Association worked on a compromise.
Hmm, don’t really hear much whine from conservatives about nazis and klansmen marching through the streeets today.
I guess the nfl players are more offensive.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
30 dumbarses marched in DC and no one would have even noticed except for the 500-1000 dumbarses that followed them while protesting.
Except for the fact that if there wasn't protesters showing up at every racist White Supremacist rally - the number of marchers wouldn't be 30.... it might be 300, or 3000 ... or more.
Why are the protesters who are taking a moral stance against racist white supremacists dumb arses??? Explain that to me if you can ....
I know people are arguing over the amount that the word "racists" gets thrown around .... but can we agree that it's 100% accurate when talking about these White Supremacist groups?
Last edited by mgh888; 08/13/1809:44 AM.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
This is the perfect platform for minority players of any sport to protest for equality. The only people upset about players taking a knee are those who don’t want equality or are greedy. We can see clearly who these folks are now. Thank you players for removing their masks and exposing them all.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
This is the perfect platform for minority players of any sport to protest for equality. The only people upset about players taking a knee are those who don’t want equality or are greedy. We can see clearly who these folks are now. Thank you players for removing their masks and exposing them all.
But I am sure those 30 whackers are very happy with all the free Press Time they got.
Thanks for admitting you can't but taking a lot more words to say it.
LOL. You guys melt into a puddle of goo when a few thousand protesers show up to protest against a few loud mouth racists in a park spewing hate, Also when a few NFL player protest for equality during the National Anthem. We see where your priorities are. Deplorable.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
James Baldwin's words are as relevant today as when he said it.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
one of the best enlightenments i ever had, next to "can you survive being sucked into a black hole".
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
conservatives cant stand this. cause its all facts.
they bring up the military all the time, when all it ever ends up being is hot air.
got a damn 5 time draft dodging president talking about we need to respect the military.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
How dare anyone protest against a protest! How dare they question us! Off with their heads!!!
Protesting against the protest is all good. Having the POTUS (who is supposed to represent us all) come down on one side, calling out the players, calling them names... Not cool at all. Especially when that same president can't do it to say Nazis marching where one of them used a car to kill a woman. And can't say it to Russians who are actively attacking our country.
Then this same President whips up his base to target and hit the NFL, an American Business, in retaliation for players protesting under their constitutional rights! It saddens me that you can't see the right side of history on this one Vers. smh bro.
I never mentioned Trump. I think he is moron and a bully. I think he should keep his stupid ass out of the National Football League and concentrate on more important matters.
I'm just sick of guys like you who try and demean anyone who thinks that kneeling during the National Anthem isn't the best way to attack the issues at hand.
Y'all are just as closed-minded as the other side.
I want nothing to do w/either side. You both suck!
