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NFL as a platform for social change

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    NFL as a platform for social change

    While I still ind it unwatchable crap, I'm absolutely fascinated by some of the things happening in and around the NFL. The Colin Kaepernick stuff was one thing, but this latest Dave Zirin column in The Nation blew me away.

    https://www.thenation.com/article/detroit-lion-deandre-levy-on-locker-room-talk-and-why-he-raises-money-to-test-abandoned-rape-kits/

    I'm trying to think of an equivalent happening in the Premier League and I'm really struggling, especially in light of the reactions to both Ched Evans and Gary Lineker recently. It remains reactionary bollocks, with the NO POLITICS mantra being repeated over and over by people wailing about people not wearing poppies.

    I've no real thoughts on the NFL, so I can't really add anything more than this post and link, but I'd be really interested to read anyone else's.

    (Is it because of the sport's popularity with minorities whereas football here remains largely the preserve of the white male? Does the college system create more thoughtful individuals? Does football over here's lip service to community issues quell any sort of rebellion? I dunno. I'm spitballing)

    #2
    NFL as a platform for social change

    I'm not sure that the disparity is great as you might think.

    The NFL (and especially NFL punditry) is still highly reactionary, with many blaming the "political" protests launched by Kaepernick for the precipitous decline in television ratings, while the league itself is "cracking down" on celebrations (with a disproportionate impact on black players).

    That's the context that Levy and others like the [url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17201639/seahawks-michael-bennett-patriots-martellus-bennett-vs-everyone]Bennett Brothers are reacting against, but they are taking a significant hit (among reactionary fans, even more reactionary media and in lost sponsorship money) for doing so.

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      #3
      NFL as a platform for social change

      Thank you for sharing that article, EIM. I am impressed by Levy's humility and the clarity of his message. Good on him.

      I thik all of your speculations are plausible. In Levy's case he added that he has a personal interest in the issue:

      Personally, I know and love a woman who was a victim of sexual assault, and I suspect other women in my life have also been the victims of assault. When you approach this issue as a mother’s son, or as a partner, or as a sister’s brother, rather than as a bro, it looks very different. But it shouldn’t take a personal relationship to stand up for this.
      Another factor perhaps is that in the US sports – and particularly football – have become recognised as cultures in which sexual assault and rape are rife, following Steubenville, Missoula, etc. That still hasn't quite happened in European sports, where it's still very much "Ched Evans is just a bad egg" even among those who find his behaviour reprehensible .

      More generally there is a focus on criminality in the NFL: I know of a website that tracks how many days it has been since a player was last arrested. I'm not sure how I feel about that: a lot of the arrests seems to be for drug possession, DUI, or carrying weapontry aroundm which to my idealist's eyes might be resolved by sensible laws and more public transport. Still, there is perhaps this sense that criminality is a thing, which opens up space to voices that offer a different direction.

      I'm pretty sure that at least some British football teans signed up to the white ribbon campaign but it is true tht it has remained little more than a low hum emanating fron the public relationsh department.

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        #4
        NFL as a platform for social change

        The NFL's fanbase does skew a bit toward dumbass drunk white Trump-voter in jorts and a replica jersey, but it is so popular here that it's followed by all classes, all levels of education, all races, all genders, and all political persuasions. Obviously it has a disproportionate number of black players and in some regions - especially in the south and west - its especially important in not-well-off black communities. The high school teams are a source of community pride and it's seen as an avenue for personal growth as well as a way to get an education and "a way out." Basketball also serves that function in many places, especially in the upper midwest and the northeast.

        Many of the players a lot smarter than the stereotype. You hear about the guys who had to cheat to stay eligible to play college football, etc, but a lot of them like Deandre Levy are very bright (or exceptionally bright in some cases).

        But a lot of players come from crappy high schools where they're not well prepared for college and/or when they get there, football takes up so much of their time and energy that they couldn't major in something like architectural engineering even if they wanted to.

        But that can work out well anyway. By at least being exposed to the university scene, some players who never would have gone to university without football, see there are many other possibilities out there and it changes their lives in all sorts of positive ways.

        But, you know, a lot of them are just meatheads. And many athletes, even the ones that graduate university, never learn to care about much of anything besides their sport and/or never transcend the prejudices they came in with at 17. But that's true of university students in general.

        They can't all be gems.

        Another factor perhaps is that in the US sports – and particularly football – have become recognised as cultures in which sexual assault and rape are rife, following Steubenville, Missoula, etc. That still hasn't quite happened in European sports, where it's still very much "Ched Evans is just a bad egg" even among those who find his behaviour reprehensible .
        There are certainly a number of well-known cases of sports players - often multiples at a time - being accused an/or convicted of rape. But I'm not really sure their "culture" is any worse than young male culture in this country in general, which is to say, it's pretty bad.

        Sexual assaults on college campuses are rampant (we've had like 25 reports here in State College since the university year began in September) but unless it involves an athlete or a whole fraternity gets shut down as a result, the outcomes of these cases don't get much press. Certainly not outside the local area. So while athletes may be disproportionately represented among rapists and assaulters (is that a word), there are an ungodly number of rapes and assaults are being committed by non-athletes. You just aren't as likely to hear about them.

        It's a crime of opportunity. According to the local police here, the most common scenario where an assault happens is a massive party with lots of booze - usually at a fraternity or in an off-campus apartment - because there are so many somewhat secluded areas away from the main party space. Athletes are far more likely to be at such parties than the average young man because they're more likely to be the kind of confident, outgoing, attractive - sometimes even famous - people who get invited to such things. On the other end of the spectrum, the sort of misogynist "meninists" on the internet who say all kinds of vile rapey things probably have never been within 20 ft of a woman.

        Athletes often act entitled because ever since they were identified as talented as a kid, adults have been praising them and coaches have been kissing their ass trying to get them to come to their school. But a lot of non-athlete young men have that same sense of entitlement based on being a hero on their prep school team. Or they're just misogynist dickheads without any particular talent in anything.

        It's a fucking nightmare.

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          #5
          NFL as a platform for social change

          There's three things about the NFL that create the circumstances where a DeAndre Levy can be super woke.

          1) You gotta go through college. Not every athlete graduates or is interested in studying, but you can do it if you want.

          2) Pro football is highly complex and relies a lot on native intelligence. Memorizing playbooks and reading defenses or offenses is not easy if you're a complete fucking dumbass. You can be a savant and play in the NFL - Dan Marino scored pretty low on the Wonderlic test (which NFL teams use to test intelligence) but could read defenses all day - but it's not that common. The game is too hard.

          3) There's 32 NFL teams and 53 players per team. So there's gonna be a solid dude just by chance on each team.

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            #6
            NFL as a platform for social change

            I mean, this is unreal

            http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-kaepernick-camp-cements-status-black-community-article-1.2850326?cid=bitly

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              #7
              NFL as a platform for social change

              EIM, the reaction to Kaepernick by many 49ers fans was to burn their Kaepernick jerseys - and they're supposed to be one of the most liberal fanbases. So basically the message is "Shut up and play". I don't know if that answers your question.

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                #8
                NFL as a platform for social change

                Conversley, his jersey also became the best selling on NFL.com

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                  #9
                  NFL as a platform for social change

                  It would help if he were a better quarterback and the 49ers weren't such a shit franchise right now. Instead, we've got Tom fucking Brady supporting Trump.

                  Finished DFL in ESPN's "Ultimate Standings," which is remarkable for a franchise that seems like it was unstoppable not long ago. I guess that was pretty long ago.

                  http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17831701/san-francisco-49ers-drop-another-19-places-last-overall-ultimate-standings

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                    #10
                    NFL as a platform for social change

                    He's at it again.

                    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/kaepernick-stands-people-somalia-water-food-article-1.3001638

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