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[JoshuaFH]

Maybe we should just go full Holy Roman Empire and sanction football THE official government sport. Now it's not just a crazy concussion factory with labyrinthine rules, but also a combination political rally and blood orgy.

[smjjames]

I don't recall the HRE ever sanctioning some sport as the official HRE sport or somesuch?

Anyways, Rep. Chris Collins is suspending his re-election campaign over insider trading allegations. It's not clear what the Republicans are going to do next as he already won the primary and his name is still going to be on the ballot. Short of maybe defaulting the election to his opponent.

[Il Palazzo]

I don't recall the HRE ever sanctioning some sport as the official HRE sport or somesuch?

Maybe fox tossing?

[Teneb]

Personally I agree that kneeling does not seem like a big deal.
However, I do have to acknowledge that many other people are very upset by this action, and in turn this ends up costing the NFL ridiculous amounts of money when viewership declines over the issue. A massive loss of revenue and upset feelings are not exactly the same as acts of physical violence, but it's the same principle. Acting out in harmful ways is not okay just because you're being ignored.

Unfortunately the US has a principle of freedom of expression, and to suggest that a billion dollar company’s bottom line takes precedence over that is cuntishness of the highest order.

Ah, but corporations are legally people as well! What about their rights, huh?

[smjjames]

In addition to my post above, it's mentioned here that "Under New York law, Collins’ name can be supplanted on the ballot at this stage of the cycle only if he dies, moves out of state or is nominated for another office — like a local judgeship. According to Erie County GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy, the exact mechanisms are still being worked out, but he noted Collins owns houses in Florida and Washington, D.C." and top Republicans in the state are meeting to try and figure out what to do and choose a replacement (maybe the runner up from the primaries seems reasonable).

[EnigmaticHat]

Unfortunately the US has a principle of freedom of expression, and to suggest that a billion dollar company’s bottom line takes precedence over that is cuntishness of the highest order.

Freedom of expression is strictly a principle though, not a policy. If you go to school and call your teacher a whore, you'll get expelled. If you go to work and tell your customers that your company's product is a piece of crap, you'll be fired. Even in cases where the constitutional right actually applies, it's more of a guideline. If you go out to a public park and pass out fliers with bomb-making instructions and encourage people to use them on soft targets, the government will swoop in and shut that shit right down. You never really have absolute freedom of expression, you just have more leeway than many other governments allow.

The NFL is doing fine tho.  They "suffered" a small ratings increase when Trump called them out over protests.  Beyond that TV ratings are down, but the percentage drop in ratings is less than the percentage of people that have canceled their cable.  Which would imply that the NFL is drawing in new viewers, or that its existing viewers are more motivated than average to keep their cable.  Individual team revenues are up and from what I understand the NFL's profits are also up (I guess they have an income stream beyond TV, not sure of the specifics).

If I had to guess why, for many older American men football is a major part of their social life.  The cost of boycotting it would be too high.  Its kind of like how I buy food at Papa Johns* even tho I really should be boycotting it, because its the only place I can go on my lunch break and I like to eat.  My brother did the same thing with KFC because he lived on a college campus and that was the only restaurant he liked within walking distance.

[Dunamisdeos]

As a pizza snob, I fully support buying pizza from other places than Papa John's.

[EnigmaticHat]

I not even sure if people are still boycotting it, I heard the CEO resigned.  Doesn't matter to me since I'm a captive audience and when I'm not at work I go somewhere cheaper.

[Shazbot]

Oh yes, we are definitely the only country that gets patriotic over sporting events

It's different when people get patriotic about games they play against other nations, but the USA reserves it's peak nationalism for a game that they only play with themselves.

In the World Cup if it's Britain vs Germany, sure, both sides root for their own team, but they have the knowledge that either side could lose: it's an agreement to play a game against someone else. Soccer, cricket, rugby - they're all international sports.

NFL flag-waving is different because an American team always wins, therefore it's much more insular/isolationist.

You say that like its a bad thing. You could instead say that... no matter if you wear a red jersey or a blue jersey, you collectively stand and salute the things that unify everyone in the arena: a love of the game, equal treatment under the rules, beer and pretzels... oh, and maybe the country everyone shares.

We lost that in our politics and now politics have driven that out of the sport that still united us.

[scriver]

What about golf though? Can't everybody still unite in their United hate of golf?

[Dunamisdeos]

I occasionally enjoy golf, and according to.... one sec...

*flip flip*

Yeah, according to the Handbook for Modern Society I now have to "hate everything about you and snidely disagree with any position or opinion your present henceforth". Nothing personal, you monster.

[ChairmanPoo]

I occasionally enjoy golf

I don´t always play golf. But when I do, I play with my own club and balls.

[hector13]

I occasionally enjoy golf

I don´t always play golf. But when I do, I play with my own club and balls.

I see what you did there.

Surely it would be more fun playing with another player’s club and balls?

[Rolan7]

Frisbee golf is really pleasant, actually. Particularly since the courses near me are shady forest trails rather than open fields, heh.

[sluissa]

Frisbee golf is really pleasant, actually. Particularly since the courses near me are shady forest trails rather than open fields, heh.

Yes, but how are you going to make puns from THAT sport?