Most folks don’t “buy” the National Football League’s position that they cannot do anything about some athletes protesting everything from racism, social injustice and maybe even peppermint ice cream by refusing to stand at attention during the Star Spangled Banner. That became very obvious when the NFL refused to allow the Dallas Cowboys to wear an emblem that would honor the slain Dallas policemen. What’s sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander!
Know this about the NFL: all of those patriotic displays that go on pre-game or at halftime at NFL games are not about being patriotic. They are about money for that business-football league and their owners and management hierarchy. The Department of Defense, of your government, with your tax money, shells out millions of dollars for “paid patriotism” to the NFL. To be fair, other professional sports leagues get some of that money also. These are bought and paid for “shows.” Gosh, I wonder how much North Korea might pay?
The point is, the next time a patriotic event goes on at an NFL stadium, bringing a tear to your eye, that tear should be for the wasted tax money that your government just shelled out to the Atlanta Falcons, the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, for flying Old Glory and doing a “fly over” by a few jets and parading a few soldiers carrying rifles and bayonets around on the fifty-yard-line!
All of this “patriotism” was paid for by your Department of Defense, your tax dollars. Patriotism? Only if you pay for it. Take a knee, NFL, take a knee.
If any of you watched the Ryder Cup last weekend you observed what is not normal golf etiquette and crowd behavior. Professional golf has been known for its’ quiet demeanor, the whispering of the television crews, the requests for “silence” from the observing crowds. Noise was not to be tolerated. Even the overhead noise of a passing jetliner was frowned upon and would cause a golfer to give up his putting stance with a look of irritation.
Not so at the Ryder Cup! A record crowd of more than 50,000 packed Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota and they were rowdy! The crowd behavior was more like an international soccer match or an NFL game. Noisy, boisterous and taunting. Some even shouted vulgar and obscene things. The U.S. players, though, commended the “exceptional fans” for their support.
My thoughts? Beware U.S. golfers in 2018 when the Ryder Cup will again be on the line in Paris. Paybacks are hell!
CHALK TALK:
Kansas State’s defense was as advertised. Anytime you hold West Virginia to 17 points in Morgantown you should win. The Cat offense led the way to the loss. Better fix it this week as the high-scoring Texas Tech Red Raiders come to town. K-State 31, Techsters 27. TCU’s Gary Patterson is not happy and that’s not a good thing for the Kansas Jayhawks. Once again, KU will play the Horned Frogs close but come up empty. Frogs 33, Kansas 24.
Larned travels to Phillipsburg to take on the defending 2A State Champions of 2015. There have been no hiccups so far in 2016 for the Panthers as they are 5-0. 0-5 Larned is a 2-touchdown underdog. A key CKL matchup is once-beaten Nickerson at undefeated Hoisington. Cardinals too big, too fast, too good. Hoisington 38, Nickerson 14. Great Bend continues their quest for a Wichita City League Championship this week as they take on East, the third City League opponent of the season. Black Panthers simply have too many offensive weapons for the Blue Aces. Great Bend 41, East 14. Remember when Oklahoma vs. Texas was a BIG football game on the national scene? Now it’s just a conversation about which coach will be fired first!
Buddy Tabler is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and her views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at budtabler@gmail.com
