Peter King: MMQB - 12/1/14

[Prime Time]

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/12/01/patriots-packers-super-bowl-nfl-week-13/

Jeff Haynes/Sports Illustrated/The MMQB

Super Bowl Sneak Peek
Two months from today in Glendale, we could do worse than getting a rematch of Sunday’s Packers-Patriots showdown. Here’s how Green Bay won. Plus the Ray Rice fallout, the Rams-Ferguson controversy and why now is the time for the Browns to start Johnny Manziel
By Peter King

To read the entire article click the link above the image.

Rams mentions:

Tre Mason totaled 164 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 52-0 rout of the Raiders on Sunday. (L.G. Peterson/AP)

I think this is what I liked about Week 13:

Tre Mason, the 75th pick in the draft, playing like the fifth, sprinting 89 yards for a touchdown against Oakland.

The jet-sweep touchdown by Tavon Austin. When the Rams drafted him in 2013, this kind of make-’em-miss sweep is exactly what GM Les Snead had in mind.

Worth noting …

Rams receivers entered the field with a message on Sunday. (L.G. Patterson/AP)

The St. Louis cops are ticked off at the Rams. The Rams hosted 50 business owners and clean-up-crew workers from Ferguson at the 52-0 rout of the Raiders—people who’d had their businesses torched or ruined in the wake of the announcement that officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the death of Michael Brown.

But five players touched a nerve before the game, entering the field with their hands raised in the familiar Hands up, don’t shoot mode of Ferguson protesters. A statement by local officers said: “The St. Louis Police Officers Association is profoundly disappointed with the members of the St. Louis Rams football team who chose to ignore the mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury this week and engage in a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory … It is unthinkable that hometown athletes would so publicly perpetuate a narrative that has been disproven over and over again.”

The SLPOA stressed that forensics tests didn’t support the claim that Brown held his hands up. After the game, one of the Rams in the demonstration, wideout Kenny Britt, said the players weren’t taking sides. “Not at all,’’ Britt said. “We just wanted to let the community know we support them.” The officers said they would demand a “very public apology” from the Rams and the NFL today. The team had no comment last night.

 

[ChrisW]

I'm disappointed in the AFROS for making this gesture before the game.

I believe the grand jury shot down the idea of the "hands up, don't shoot" narrative. So, why bring it back up?

 

[classicpony]

Only 5.... Fish should have a long talk with them.....

 

[LetsGoRams]

I fully support people's right to protest in a civilized and peaceful manner. Just to be clear, I fully support the police and felt the officer was justified in his actions (after reading through tons of evidence). What I don't understand is how this narrative of 'hands up don't shoot' keeps being publicized and is the rallying call of the protestors (and I guess rams players) when it just isn't what happened. Everyone seems to just ignore facts and run with what they want to believe instead of what actually happened. And a lot of leadership locally, nationally, and the media isn't stepping up to say they are wrong.

 

[FRO]

I honestly don't think these guys had a clue on the details on the case. It doesn't bother me. They are entitled to their opinions and personal beliefs. Nobody was harmed by their actions.

 

[ChrisW]

I honestly don't think these guys had a clue on the details on the case. It doesn't bother me. They are entitled to their opinions and personal beliefs. Nobody was harmed by their actions.

That's true, but if you're trying to drum up support for public funding on a new stadium, this isn't the publicity you want to put out.

 

[Rambitious1]

I fully support people's right to protest in a civilized and peaceful manner. Just to be clear, I fully support the police and felt the officer was justified in his actions (after reading through tons of evidence). What I don't understand is how this narrative of 'hands up don't shoot' keeps being publicized and is the rallying call of the protestors (and I guess rams players) when it just isn't what happened. Everyone seems to just ignore facts and run with what they want to believe instead of what actually happened. And a lot of leadership locally, nationally, and the media isn't stepping up to say they are wrong.

Nor will they.

 

[FRO]

That's true, but if you're trying to drum up support for public funding on a new stadium, this isn't the publicity you want to put out.

I don't think that would sway funding a stadium. It comes down to how much money walks away from our region if the Rams leave.

 

[Alan]

It's totally amazing how some could believe the findings of the Grand Jury while totally ignoring everything we knew to be a fact prior to their release of their "findings." I wish there had been more people involved in the symbolic gesture.

 

[Athos]

I fully support people's right to protest in a civilized and peaceful manner. Just to be clear, I fully support the police and felt the officer was justified in his actions (after reading through tons of evidence). What I don't understand is how this narrative of 'hands up don't shoot' keeps being publicized and is the rallying call of the protestors (and I guess rams players) when it just isn't what happened. Everyone seems to just ignore facts and run with what they want to believe instead of what actually happened. And a lot of leadership locally, nationally, and the media isn't stepping up to say they are wrong.

The problem is mistakenly associating the "hands up" gesture to only apply to the Brown case. That's a miscalculation and error. I can't put words in the protestors mouths, but to me, it holds dual meaning: "fed up with the status quo of police brutality against minorities" and "displays of innocence and callous disregard of police" which occurs.

Maybe or maybe not in the Brown case, but most assuredly in other cases.

It's totally amazing how some could believe the findings of the Grand Jury while totally ignoring everything we knew to be a fact prior to their release of their "findings." I wish there had been more people involved in the symbolic gesture.

The other problem is the mistaken assumption of what a grand jury can and cannot do. A grand jury finding isn't a declaration of innocence or guilt. Never has been.

 

[FRO]

It's totally amazing how some could believe the findings of the Grand Jury while totally ignoring everything we knew to be a fact prior to their release of their "findings." I wish there had been more people involved in the symbolic gesture.

I don't think we knew any facts before hand. Much of the initial story came from Dorian Johnson, who isn't really credible and nobody can find right now.

I still don't know what happened, but several eyewitnesses and the physical evidence supports the officer's story.

 

[LetsGoRams]

The problem is mistakenly associating the "hands up" gesture to only apply to the Brown case. That's a miscalculation and error. I can't put words in the protestors mouths, but to me, it holds dual meaning: "fed up with the status quo of police brutality against minorities" and "displays of innocence and callous disregard of police" which occurs.

Maybe or maybe not in the Brown case, but most assuredly in other cases.



The other problem is the mistaken assumption of what a grand jury can and cannot do. A grand jury finding isn't a declaration of innocence or guilt. Never has been.

But the 'hands up' narrative and what is being displayed across not only this region, but across the country - is specifically from this case and was what his buddy Dorian Johnson said what happened that day. It's been proven by forensics and many witnesses that that is not what occurred.

The one thing that I wish would be talked about and part of the protestors rallying call is that 'All Lives Matter'.

 

[ChrisW]

I don't think that would sway funding a stadium. It comes down to how much money walks away from our region if the Rams leave.

When there has to be public voting on any public money going into the pot, this kind of thing sours on people. It's all about timing. That's why presidents run ads only during election time. Let's just hope that the public's short term memory forgets about this.

Disclaimer: Yes, I realize there other ways to publicly fund this stadium that can get around the voting process.

 

[theduke]

I hate the gesture because now that's all anyone is talking about. Did they watch the fucking game? The Rams would wreck some playoff teams!

 

[-X-]

When there has to be public voting on any public money going into the pot, this kind of thing sours on people. It's all about timing. That's why presidents run ads only during election time. Let's just hope that the public's short term memory forgets about this.

Disclaimer: Yes, I realize there other ways to publicly fund this stadium that can get around the voting process.

Agreed, and I'll take it a step further. What if this directly (and negatively) affects ticket sales?

 

[Prime Time]

I hate the gesture because now that's all anyone is talking about. Did they watch the freaking game? The Rams would wreck some playoff teams!

It is indeed a shame that the dominating victory by the Rams over the Raiders is not being discussed but instead that the commentary by the talking heads has centered around this protest. For more on this we have a thread on it over at Off Topic.
http://www.ramsondemand.com/threads...-hands-up-bs-displayed-by-the-rams-wrs.32869/

 

[ChrisW]

Agreed, and I'll take it a step further. What if this directly (and negatively) affects ticket sales?

I've seen several stories on this since yesterday from various sites. When I read through the comments I see people saying, "I'll never buy anything from the Rams."

Now, I'm Right Wing leaning. And there are some hardcore people posting on these sites. And they might not even be fans of the NFL, but it goes to show how it sways public opinion.

 

[Alan]

FRO lacking info:
I don't think we knew any facts before hand. Much of the initial story came from Dorian Johnson, who isn't really credible and nobody can find right now.

I still don't know what happened, but several eyewitnesses and the physical evidence supports the officer's story.

You may not have known any of the facts but I did. No, there were no eye witnesses that came forward who disagreed with what all the actual eye witnesses saw. All 4 of them. There was one woman who simply repeated what the suspect cop told her but that's it for the "other side of the story." I'm not going to debate this with you because it's obvious that (judging by the post I'm replying too) you are unaware of many, if not most, of the facts surrounding this murder.

Like I said earlier, I wish more players had shown their support.

 

[Athos]

If this incredibly minor act sways ticket sales negatively, then imo, those people were never really fans in the first place and St. Louis doesn't deserve the Rams. I know this line of thinking won't go over well, but if your damn politics means so much to you (and I'm not talking about anything extreme really) that you'd abandon a team......well I ain't sorry to see you go.

As far as what others teams player's have done in the past....well shit. This pales in comparison.

And the public opinion online anyway is infinitesimally small and mostly made up of the most extreme of audiences. The cesspool of trolls the internet spawned is incalculable.

 

[Prime Time]

The cesspool of trolls the internet spawned is incalculable.

Perfectly put and totally true. There's something about anonymity that brings out the worst in some people. A simple solution would be to have real names with phone numbers and addresses for every poster. Until that happens, and it most likely never will, the trolling and scumbaggery will continue.