NFL to allow players to wear helmet decals honoring victims of racism

**Ravensforce83** · 07-22-2020, 08:42 AM

Figured I would put this here and not the general football threads since it straddles the political topic line.

I have a few concerns about this. First I don't have an issue with it if they put George Floyd's name on a helmet decal (even though it is almost impossible to know whether or not the motivation was racism but the man should not have been killed) regardless i can understand the desire to put his name there.

My concern is that we will see names like Michael Brown and the like that were justifiable police shootings and deemed a false narrative. I find it inappropriate for the NFL to allow players to honor people who were found to have been trying to hurt the police, but it will happen because it is being left up to the players who will be honored and ignorance of the correct information will prevail.

Also what are decals really doing other than virtue signaling? Raise awareness? The Country is hyper aware thanks to the never ending news cycle. Am I missing something?

Additionally, it bugs me that years ago the NFL wouldn't allow the Cowboys to wear decals honoring the Dallas officers that were murdered. But I get it things change and the league is now super into letting the players do their thing after Goodell's speech that he was wrong.

I just don't want to see this get out of hand and any more false narratives being perpetuated to the masses through football and taking away from the game. I can stop tuning in to the NBA no problem but football is my passion I can't not watch Lamar in his prime. It will be interesting to see where this heads.

**owknows** · 07-22-2020, 08:46 AM

Wonder who will wear the "Jessica Doty Whitaker" sticker.

**Ravensforce83** · 07-22-2020, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by owknows

Wonder who will wear the "Jessica Doty Whitaker" sticker.

Or a Secoriea Turner sticker

**I Touchdown There** · 07-22-2020, 08:54 AM

Honestly who cares? This isn't during the national anthem (for the record, I don't care if people kneel), and it's not like they're stopping the game to memorialize these people.

I'm an atheist but I didn't care if players like Tebow put Bible verses under their eyes. I seem to remember this no longer being allowed, but maybe they should let players do so if their faith is important to them.

At the end of the day, I've accepted I'm not always gonna agree with athletes, celebrities, etc., but that's ok! It's life living in America. Agree to disagree. I can separate the player/what they do on the field vs their beliefs off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

**Ravensforce83** · 07-22-2020, 08:54 AM

The other side of this is what if a player wishes to wear a decal honoring a killed police officer or something similar? Are they not allowed? Is this going to be a what's good for the goose is not allowed for the gander?

**blah3** · 07-22-2020, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ravensforce83

The other side of this is what if a player wishes to wear a decal honoring a killed police officer or something similar? Are they not allowed? Is this going to be a what's good for the goose is not allowed for the gander?

Yeah it will have to be an all or nothing thing. IF they are going to allow it, they can’t then get involved in this one is ok this one is not. Better to have nothing.

**Ravensforce83** · 07-22-2020, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by I Touchdown There

Honestly who cares? This isn't during the national anthem (for the record, I don't care if people kneel), and it's not like they're stopping the game to memorialize these people.

I'm an atheist but I didn't care if players like Tebow put Bible verses under their eyes. I seem to remember this no longer being allowed, but maybe they should let players do so if their faith is important to them.

At the end of the day, I've accepted I'm not always gonna agree with athletes, celebrities, etc., but that's ok! It's life living in America. Agree to disagree. I can separate the player/what they do on the field vs their beliefs off.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thats a good point that it wont be stopping the game in any way. And I see what you mean about Tebow and bible verses.

However the problem I have is the potential for one side to have a voice and the other side to be shut down. I'm all for bible verses on the face paint and in the same vein I'm for face paint that says there is no god so as long as one is not permitted over the other. I don't agree with an uneven playing field. Either everyone gets to promote their beliefs equally or nobody does but I don't think that will be the way things will work.

**I Touchdown There** · 07-22-2020, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Ravensforce83

Thats a good point that it wont be stopping the game in any way. And I see what you mean about Tebow and bible verses.

However the problem I have is the potential for one side to have a voice and the other side to be shut down. I'm all for bible verses on the face paint and in the same vein I'm for face paint that says there is no god so as long as one is not permitted over the other. I don't agree with an uneven playing field. Either everyone gets to promote their beliefs equally or nobody does but I don't think that will be the way things will work.

Yeah, I'd like to see consistency too vs just allowing one perspective/viewpoint

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

**Ravensforce83** · 07-22-2020, 09:26 AM

I'm going to call myself out here. In the OP I said that it would be inappropriate for the NFL to allow players to have decals honoring people who were found to have been trying to hurt police when killed, then I complained about the NFL not allowing both sides to have a voice. Can't have it both ways. I wouldn't want the Michael Brown's and similar honored but at the end of the day I'm ok with it if the NFL allows for everyone to honor whoever and whatever cause they want to.

**owknows** · 07-22-2020, 10:32 AM

The problem with this, is that it will be tightly controlled, and the message will be scripted

**Blovius_Maximus** · 07-22-2020, 11:12 AM

Just cut to the chase. Let them put little “D's” and little “R's” on their helmets. An extra loud cheer for thee. An extra long boo for thou.

Can't wait for the weekly pregame network spotlight on Player X and what his decal means to him. That coverage will undoubtedly be accurate, fair, balanced, and not at all prone to some sort of unethical quid pro quo.

Also can't wait for the conspiracy theories when a CB swats away rather than intercepts a pass. Or when an All Lives Matter DE “Siragusa Sacks” a Black Lives Matter QB.

No doubt cognac-powered Sunday afternoon conversations at the Charles Emerson Winchester Country Club will be even more genteel than usual. Same for at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Can we get this to NASCAR level? Why stop at one decal? Why stop at political speech? Can players keep money their political/commercial sponsors send them? Will it go to the NFL? Or will it go the NLFPA? Or should we have a some sort of cross promotional parity formula wherein 10% of proceeds from a popularly funded cause goes to it's Bizarro counterpart...because, after all, the games can’t be played without the players who wear the Bizarro decals too. All Causes Matter.

At least prop betting is will be more interesting.

Yeah, this will be good. Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows.