Hard Knocks

[OC--LeftCoast]

this is why the nfl pushes the fantasy football angle. this is the easiest way to attract those people more into playing games than the actual sport. and then hopefully they will stick around after they get bored with fantasy.

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Well there’s that

 

[Zodi]

i agree....the cops murdered a guy who sexually assaulted his girlfriend....and would not take follow orders....and reached to his floorboard.....dude was doing nothing wrong.

Remember when Dylan Roof murdered 9 people at a church in Charleston, SC, evaded police, was eventually captured and then brought a happy meal while in police custody? Due process is a right given to every American. I dont think cops are trained to be judge, jury and executioner.

Politics and civil rights movements have been a part of sports for as long as there has been sports played by PEOPLE. I'm sure the same type of person criticizing the Rams for airing their empathy for the current state of this country on Hard Knocks were criticizing the Rams back in 1946 when they signed a player by the name of Kenny Washington. Spoiler alert: the world doesn't revolve around you, what you want to see, what you only agree with, etc. Athletes are people, and people are complex and players shouldn't be expected to just "dribble the ball."

 

[Memphis Ram]

Sadly, for some, professional athletes are merely chattel used for their entertainment. They don't give a damn about what they think, believe, or are going through in their families or communities. Just entertain me.

Just watch. If a player comes down with Covid-19, there will be people far more concerned about how soon he will be able to get back on the field than about the well being of him or herself and their family.

Potentially lower rating for sports and sport shows shouldn't be a surprise to anyone though. Priorities change based upon circumstances. Not only have many have been awaken by the social injustice of others and actually give a damn, but we are in the middle of a freaking pandemic where thousands of families have lost love ones and millions of people are unemployed. People are worried about losing their homes or utilities and/or feeding their families. Some are even trying to figure out how to make sure their kids get their education, etc.. Not only that, but it's a presidential election year and one deemed to be one of the most important elections by both sides.

Sports? It's understandable that sports could be the last thing on many of these minds and quite frankly, should be, IMO.

But, sadly, we live in a sick world where if it doesn't affect one personally, many just don't give a damn. Just entertain me.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Just entertain me.

that's the whole reason we watch sports. we don't want to be woken while watching sport. we get that enough from the news propaganda. it's all become a blur. i'm always thinking what's their angle when they start pushing certain story lines. i begin to tune it out.

they're all uncle toms, doing exactly what the people they're against want them to do. why do you think they're allowing the riots to continue? people in power playing chess while the people on the streets are playing checkers.

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[Jacobarch]

The counter to that is that social scientists have discovered that millennials, xennials (those between millennials and zoomers) and zoomers are FAR, FAR more transactional and far, far less subject to recency bias than any other generation and you can trust that this has been discovered during umpteen market analyses.

Recency bias: A cognitive bias that favors recent events over historic ones.

Boomers and Gen X have favored incremental changes of current systems in just about every facet of life. Millennials and Zoomers... not so much. Much closer to not at all.

When one combines a nearly completely transactional outlook with a lack or recency bias, you have two generations now that don't care how it's being done now nor how it was done in the past. They'll chose based on what aligns with their... whatever...interest, moral framework, principles, ethics, economics or simple expedient want.

Thus "people" as you put it would be boomers and early Gen X and you'd be correct.

However, there are more Millennials and Zoomers of voting age than Boomers now and corporations understand the power that these younger generations wield.

Neither you or I could write a letter to the editor and get the CEO of a Fortune 500 company fired or completely change their business model, logistical framework or their entire supply chain.

But in 2020, a 14 year old can with a single tweet force a global corporation worth hundreds of billions of dollars to engage in truly massive change that even governments of a decade ago couldn't have dreamed.

The social media landscape has young people acting like a flock, independently but with an overall coherent governing basis for action.

All that to say that the changes that sports are making now aren't for you...or me.

They are to ensure that they survive and grow in the changing economy.

Rest assured that they are set to make much MUCH more money in the coming days than they ever made from us, but it'll look different and it'll drive many of us insane.

Just know that it's coming.

The example is that in the near future, the NFL is gonna embrace a much better monetization model and the cap is gonna JUMP when they do.

The old way of doing things is going away and in 20 years, it'll make the transition from 1980 to 2000 seem glacial in comparison and the transition from 2000 to 2020 seem like slow motion.

Buckle up friends... it's gonna be a real ride.

Some would call all that jargon you just typed up as a simple term.

Group think.

 

[So Ram]

Have you watched it? It wasn't a Rams show, it was a Chargers show with the Rams added in as a come on. Without the Rams, it's clear from their ratings that the Chargers have zero following.

The NFL obviously is trying to raise interest in a loser franchise. They have a lot of talent on the team. Enough so that each year that they underachieve is an indictment of the FO. They are only interested in saving money which is what you get when the owner lives on the team revenue with the entire family employed by the franchise. It's exactly the same with privately held and run businesses.

Lynn is a good man but IMO not really the kind of coach you want as a HC. Lynn tries too hard to be a friend to his players. But like any business, the manager can't make good decisions when they are difficult and when all the employees are his friend. There are a lot of players that have been starters when there is no way they should be.

Case in point Dan Feeny and Sam Tevi are absolute scrubs (even PFF thinks they're scrubs) but they are o-line starters because they are Lynn's buddies. Gee, why didn't Hard Knocks show that? LOL Neither one would make a team in the NFL much less be a starter and the FO says nothing for years? Don't like Snead? Just take a hard look at Tom Telesco the Chargers GM. That guy is the GM version of a scrub. It didn't surprise me he lobbied to get his face on the program.

Freeny -most everyone was pissed They Rams traded back. I’ll take Everett & JJ any day over him.

Lynn ?? I don’t know what to think about him. Will see how he does on the field??

I liked the fact this week I could see where there location is off of Farview.
I guess it butts up against houses? Not sure if that is just for training camp though.There locations from the first episode seems different.I think I might take a gander on my bike this coming up week.

—I think JOEY BOSA is a Big Dumb Goon. He is not that smart or good.
He is a top tier player though.
-Sad that Nick Bosa is in The Rams division & he is cheap contract wise right now.

 

[So Ram]

Exactly. Snead needs to stay in his lane. He does a good job of finding talent but I think he seems out of his element when expressing his assessment of talent once they come through the door. His speech to London last night was awkward and unnecessary IMO.

I thought his handshake was SHITTY!
Shake his hand & then open the door.
Talk about awkward.Dude gets cut & puts his handout & Les already has him out the door.

I love Les though,he is genuine.

 

[So Ram]

What some fail to accept though is while they can say what they want others have just as much of a right to tune them out. I'm all for player community activity. I've stated in other threads I think the best thing players can do and the league can do is a show on NFLN about what players do in their communities. I'd watch that shit weekly but kneeling tunes me out. Unfortunately a lot of players will get up on their soap box and scream and yell but when it comes to doing productive work in the community fall short.

Old School,The Rams & Mcvay have this thing right.Andrew Whitworth is a total Pro’s Pro.He does it in all ways.

Jared Goff-is solid going home & doing his camp at Berkeley.Covid has taken away from a lot of community things this season.

A guy like Peters & Talib did this well at times.Good guys in a lot of ways.Some of the other off the field stuff not so much.

Mcvay let Robert Quinn do his thing,but it was addressed & The Rams didn’t miss any practice.It shows for a good group(team) of guys.

 

[OldSchool]

Old School,The Rams & Mcvay have this thing right.Andrew Whitworth is a total Pro’s Pro.He does it in all ways.

Jared Goff-is solid going home & doing his camp at Berkeley.Covid has taken away from a lot of community things this season.

A guy like Peters & Talib did this well at times.Good guys in a lot of ways.Some of the other off the field stuff not so much.

Mcvay let Robert Quinn do his thing,but it was addressed & The Rams didn’t miss any practice.It shows for a good group(team) of guys.

Got it you and the Rams are right everybody else is wrong and not entitled to their opinions.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhkNLHictW8

 

[Memphis Ram]

that's the whole reason we watch sports. we don't want to be woken while watching sport. we get that enough from the news propaganda. it's all become a blur. i'm always thinking what's their angle when they start pushing certain story lines. i begin to tune it out.

they're all uncle toms, doing exactly what the people they're against want them to do. why do you think they're allowing the riots to continue? people in power playing chess while the people on the streets are playing checkers.

.

That's the sole reason many watch sports. But, there are also many that look to not only be entertained, but are also huge fans of these people and care about them.

 

[JonRam99]

that's the whole reason we watch sports. we don't want to be woken while watching sport. we get that enough from the news propaganda. it's all become a blur. i'm always thinking what's their angle when they start pushing certain story lines. i begin to tune it out.
...people in power playing chess while the people on the streets are playing checkers.
.

I recently watched a Korean rom-com / drama TV show on Netflix (it was really good lol watched them all), and in one scene, some North Korean soldiers who were in the South (because of goofy misadventures) were trying to avoid capture, but they were hungry so they went into a bbq fried chicken place (all the rage over there now). On a TV, there was a soccer game being played by the S.Korean team. They ignored it at first, decrying sports as capitalist and bourgeois. Then someone told them they were playing against Japan (which the North & South apparently have a common hatred for), and they yelled "JAPAN??!!?!!" then they joined everyone in the place rooting & shouting for Korea, and when they scored a goal against Japan they ALL erupted with joy -- everyone was out of their minds. Like when team USA beat the USSR in hockey. That was an incredible moment for us.

Sports has a special power in America to bring people together from different walks of life. But everything is now about divisive issues: covid, protests, identity, and athlete off-field misbehavior. Especially sports shows -- E$PN, they have been this way a long time now, ever since ABC bought them out. I'll NEVER forget the morning after Indiana voted on something about marriage, and E$PN dragged the Indiana U Athletic Director on the Mike & Mike show, so he could be threatened -- THREATENED -- by a "guest commentator" who said his recruiting efforts would be harmed if he didn't take a stand against the state government. You could tell the AD was taken aback by this threat, but he made a gracious answer and the segment ended ok. I had never heard this "guest commentator" before and never did afterwards. He was specifically brought on the show by E$PN / ABC as part of a coordinated, wide-spread political shaming attack against Indiana that day (and the next iirc). It was on every sports show that day. Every news show. And I don't think it's because the country wanted to hear about Indiana's regression to the "stone age" (the exact words I heard in that show). I just wanted to hear about sports. But I wouldn't be permitted that simple pleasure, not that day. And it's very rare that E$PN misses ANY opportunity to jump on whatever divisive political bandwagon happens to be rolling down the street. It's literally been a long time since I tuned into them on XM, and I actually heard something sports related.

Sports isn't the only place politics has ruined. My profession has become overrun by "gang green". Every publication & online discussion about architecture now revolves around green & identity issues. Every single one. And I'm not kidding. Architecture itself has taken a back seat. Seems like buildings can't be recognized as "architecture" anymore unless they are LEED certified and/or designed by a MBE or WBE.

I'm honestly sorry to rant. I just wanted to get on here & laugh about Hard Knocks & enjoy my team. I really don't wanna get banned from one of the few havens I have, the most excellent ROD. And I get that politics has a place in sports, because it's played by real people, and I can applaud it to an extent, it's just that, when I can't even watch or listen to the events themselves without being confronted by a divisive political issue, I start going down the rabbit hole because I am 100% certain that there is a coordinated conspiracy to attack any institution in America that has (had) the power to unite people.

 

[12intheBox]

How dare these athletes speak their minds? We only want them to do that when we agree with what they are saying! Then it’s cool. But all this making me face reality is total BS!

 

[OldSchool]

How dare these athletes speak their minds? We only want them to do that when we agree with what they are saying! Then it’s cool. But all this making me face reality is total BS!

How dare fans speak their mind especially when it differs from athletes!

 

[André]

How dare fans speak their mind especially when it differs from athletes!

You are correct here: both should absolutely be able to speak their minds.

The challenge for me is when either side states their case, then says that they wish politics wasn't discussed, while they just got to offer their perspective. If you (not you in this case Old School, but the genetic 'you') are free to talk about it (anything, either side), so are they.

Personally, I wish politics weren't being discussed on this site, because I hear it everywhere else. I actually hate discussing it here far more than I hate the players using their platforms to discuss something that is important to them, because everyone here is essentially anonymous behind a keyboard. Players at least get to wear their opinions publicly and face any ramifications for their statements (good and bad).

But either way, and with all that said, I'd fight for the right for everyone to be able to speak their mind on the topic.

 

[Memento]

Yeah, I'm not going down that rabbit hole.

I only have this to say: the Chargers need to go back to San Diego because nobody cares about them in LA.

 

[12intheBox]

How dare fans speak their mind especially when it differs from athletes!

it’s all fair game - including my unwanted snark.

 

[OldSchool]

it’s all fair game - including my unwanted snark.

Oh I'm all for some snark! Especially with some hot sauce on it.

 

[Mackeyser]

that's the whole reason we watch sports. we don't want to be woken while watching sport. we get that enough from the news propaganda. it's all become a blur. i'm always thinking what's their angle when they start pushing certain story lines. i begin to tune it out.

they're all uncle toms, doing exactly what the people they're against want them to do. why do you think they're allowing the riots to continue? people in power playing chess while the people on the streets are playing checkers.

.

That may be why YOU watch sports, but you can't speak for everyone.

Even as I focus on the game, I appreciate the humanity of the players.

We can't really get into it, but on this you can only speak for yourself. Projection is what gets arguments started.

 

[Mackeyser]

Some would call all that jargon you just typed up as a simple term.

Group think.

Except it's not, so...

I mean, some could call it a strawberry cheesecake. A lot of people are stupid and misuse terms every day both from ignorance and malfeasance.

What can one do?

 

[Mackeyser]

I recently watched a Korean rom-com / drama TV show on Netflix (it was really good lol watched them all), and in one scene, some North Korean soldiers who were in the South (because of goofy misadventures) were trying to avoid capture, but they were hungry so they went into a bbq fried chicken place (all the rage over there now). On a TV, there was a soccer game being played by the S.Korean team. They ignored it at first, decrying sports as capitalist and bourgeois. Then someone told them they were playing against Japan (which the North & South apparently have a common hatred for), and they yelled "JAPAN??!!?!!" then they joined everyone in the place rooting & shouting for Korea, and when they scored a goal against Japan they ALL erupted with joy -- everyone was out of their minds. Like when team USA beat the USSR in hockey. That was an incredible moment for us.

Sports has a special power in America to bring people together from different walks of life. But everything is now about divisive issues: covid, protests, identity, and athlete off-field misbehavior. Especially sports shows -- E$PN, they have been this way a long time now, ever since ABC bought them out. I'll NEVER forget the morning after Indiana voted on something about marriage, and E$PN dragged the Indiana U Athletic Director on the Mike & Mike show, so he could be threatened -- THREATENED -- by a "guest commentator" who said his recruiting efforts would be harmed if he didn't take a stand against the state government. You could tell the AD was taken aback by this threat, but he made a gracious answer and the segment ended ok. I had never heard this "guest commentator" before and never did afterwards. He was specifically brought on the show by E$PN / ABC as part of a coordinated, wide-spread political shaming attack against Indiana that day (and the next iirc). It was on every sports show that day. Every news show. And I don't think it's because the country wanted to hear about Indiana's regression to the "stone age" (the exact words I heard in that show). I just wanted to hear about sports. But I wouldn't be permitted that simple pleasure, not that day. And it's very rare that E$PN misses ANY opportunity to jump on whatever divisive political bandwagon happens to be rolling down the street. It's literally been a long time since I tuned into them on XM, and I actually heard something sports related.

Sports isn't the only place politics has ruined. My profession has become overrun by "gang green". Every publication & online discussion about architecture now revolves around green & identity issues. Every single one. And I'm not kidding. Architecture itself has taken a back seat. Seems like buildings can't be recognized as "architecture" anymore unless they are LEED certified and/or designed by a MBE or WBE.

I'm honestly sorry to rant. I just wanted to get on here & laugh about Hard Knocks & enjoy my team. I really don't wanna get banned from one of the few havens I have, the most excellent ROD. And I get that politics has a place in sports, because it's played by real people, and I can applaud it to an extent, it's just that, when I can't even watch or listen to the events themselves without being confronted by a divisive political issue, I start going down the rabbit hole because I am 100% certain that there is a coordinated conspiracy to attack any institution in America that has (had) the power to unite people.

I hear you.

The short answer is that we've failed to do the important work outside of the appropriate political and social venues.

And much like a bathtub with a stopper in the drain, once that bathtub fills up, the water...which in most instances should remain in the bathroom is now all over the bathroom floor and out into the hallway, dripping through the ceiling and causing all sorts of havoc.

If we want sports to be an escape, it means we have to do the hard work of restoring the appropriate venues.

Or... we can do nothing and complain that there's water on the floor...or let things go and watch the tub move itself from the upstairs bathroom to the downstairs living room...