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DesideriScuri -> RE: NBA Player Baltantly Disrespects Canada (5/9/2016 2:46:47 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Edwird
At least 80% of all you mention has already been done, the last two NFL seasons especially. And yes, of course it's advertising and good marketing, exactly as I was pointing out. I think there are/were at least 6-8 guys each on the Panthers and Falcons teams alone involved in the wounded warrior program (with out the military paying for it), which I'm sure is typical of most teams. But I like the guys buying the land and all the slides and swings for a new playground for the dinky little town in Georgia they grew up in even better. Am I anti-patriot for that? Are they? Are all the inner city "keep kids in school," after school programs and such, taking away in dollars and in time, what should be going to the military, if these guys were real patriots? We have to keep in mind, too, that roughly 50% of charitable works by pro athletes are done somewhat 'under the table' because they get sick and tired of accusations of 'just doing it for the cameras,' and/or wishing to respect the privacy of some of those benefited.
They aren't, however, merely advertising for recruits; they are selling justification. Or lack for need of such in the first place, to be honest about it.
What I have issue with is 'enforced patriotism,' in whatever form or by whatever method. I am not enamored of myself or anyone else being accused of "hating our country" if we prefer our sports with out having direct military tie-in foisted upon us in the process. Keep in mind that those against a particular foreign policy or especially a military action invoked thereby are not, by that disagreement alone, "anti-military."
So while we're at it, being 'pro military' with out regard to cause or consequence considered is far from my idea of patriotism. And I don't like the 'pro-militarism = patriotism' thing (along with the 'overtly implicit' converse of that. "whoa! I'm not a patriot!").
Actually, very little of it is happening.
The NFL doing this big thing, and individual teams and/or players doing things for their local/hometown areas is very different. Having 6 (or whatever number) doing things for the WWP isn't the NFL doing it; it's the players doing it (which I think is awesome).
There are a handful of NFL teams that don't change their helmets for "throwback" games. This is because it would require a completely different helmet be used, and with the concussion thing, it's just not going to happen, as each player has a helmet customized for him. Why on Earth they can't customize another helmet, I don't know, but, there it is. The Buccanneers, Patriots and Cowboys all use current helmet designs rather than throwback because the entire shell of the helmet would have to be changed.
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