NFL 2017-2018 Season

[Brian Baldwin]

Just as soon as Brian gets off his ass and starts tthe 2017-2018 NFL season thread and I can point out the errors of his Shitty Pitty supporting ways there.

Cleveland is going to sweep your Bengals this year and you're gonna cry like a little bitch Ryan... My First prediction of the new season.

Let the fun begin guys!

[Ryan Ruck]

Cleveland is going to sweep your Bengals this year and you're gonna cry like a little bitch Ryan... My First prediction of the new season.

Let the fun begin guys!

You know... With Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis still around, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

It helps to set your expectations low so you aren't disappointed!

[Ryan Ruck]

What to do to remedy dropping viewership... I know!

Report: NFL launches LGBT initiative, NFL Pride

August 18, 2017

The NFL launched its LGBT initiative, "NFL Pride," on Wednesday at a 150-person gathering at league offices in New York, according to Outsports.

"NFL Pride" was created by the league's Diversity Council and was spearheaded by gay NFL employees John Cora and Michael Castor, according to Outsports.

To coincide with discussion on the initiative, several openly gay professional athletes served as keynote speakers for the launch and open panel. The speakers, who discussed ways to create a more inclusive environment in sports, included: MLB executive Billy Bean, former NBA center Jason Collins and, most notably, former NFL offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan, who came out publicly earlier this summer. O'Callaghan said he contemplated suicide during his playing days with the Kansas City Chiefs because of his life outlook when he was in the closet.

O'Callaghan told USA TODAY Sports this summer, "Early on I decided that I could never come out. When you’re in the closet, it’s a scary place. You think no one will love you, especially if you hear slang and people talking bad about gay people. You think they’re talking about you. ...You hear people you love talk and say these things and you think that’s exactly how they think of you. Or they will if they knew you. You just decide not to let them know you."

Do you want me to stop watching NFL? Because this is how you get me to stop watching NFL.

Not like the Bengals offer a whole lot of incentive either...

[Brian Baldwin]

most of that community doesn't watch the NFL anyway. Mostly just us cavemen. Though a lot of conservative women watch it now too. I don't have any issue with gays, but the decline in viewership isn't what the NFL says it is. It's a protest against people like Kaepernick who refuse to honor our nation and calling us racist while he sits there doing little and still earning 19 million for the season. NFL needs to wake up or it'll soon disappear.

[Brian Baldwin]

Pittsburgh almost lost to Cleveland. Thank god our defense was on top of things. Chiefs royally stomped the Pats though. That film will be watched by every team they both face for the rest of the season. Bengals.... Well, we'll see. I don't think they're as bad as the game suggested to be honest.

[Ryan Ruck]

I'm not going to lie, I actually forgot the start of the Bengals' season was this past Sunday.

Apparently I didn't miss much considering they got shut out by the Ravens 20-0.

Seems Dalton had 4 picks and a fumble. Sounds like just a horrible game...

I guess I'll try to catch them this Sunday, or at least listen to the game while I do something else. I do have an underbody protection kit to install on my truck...

[Brian Baldwin]

Most every QB in the League had to shake off the rust this past Sunday, and let's face it, half the teams had to lose like each week. I will say I saw an article by Tyler Eifert the TE for the Bengals and he's a top notch patriot. Don't know how he ended up with the Bengals lol.

[Ryan Ruck]

Most every QB in the League had to shake off the rust this past Sunday, and let's face it, half the teams had to lose like each week. I will say I saw an article by Tyler Eifert the TE for the Bengals and he's a top notch patriot. Don't know how he ended up with the Bengals lol.

Eifert is most certainly a great player! He has pulled Dalton's ass out of the fire more than once. We're definitely lucky to have him.

[Ryan Ruck]

Well, I did manage to remember the Bengals played Houston today but I didn't get to start watching until after half time.

Another game, another loss. 13-9. 0-2.

8 consecutive quarters without a single touchdown.

Who Dey!

[Ryan Ruck]

Sliding NFL Ratings Could Throw Networks For A Loss

September 15, 2017

In a fractured media environment where award-winning scripted dramas compete for the public's attention along with goofy cat videos, one of the few things that multibillion dollar media and entertainment conglomerates could count on to attract millions of viewers -- and generate the ad revenue that keeps them in business -- was the National Football League.

These days, however, the most popular U.S. professional sport isn't such a sure bet. According to Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser, viewership for the NFL was down 14 percent on a year-over-year basis during the first week of the 2017-18 season. That's the lowest level of same-week viewing since 2009.

As a result, Walt Disney (DIS), parent of ESPN; CBS (CBS), parent of CBS MoneyWatch; Fox (FOXA), parent 21st Century Fox and Comcast (CMCSA), whose properties include NBC, are in a bind. They've counted on the NFL to buttress their business as audiences for cable and broadcast networks have dwindled in recent years. It has been an expensive strategy.

Fox, CBS and Comcast signed a $27 billion deal with the NFL for the right to broadcast games through 2022. ESPN reportedly pays $1.9 billion per year for the rights to "Monday Night Football," a 73 percent increase over the previous contract. NBC and CBS signed a $900 million deal in 2016 for the rights to broadcast Thursday night games.

"The bigger question is why and how have sports defied gravity for so long," Pivotal's Weiser said, adding that broadcasting the NFL had "high fixed costs." He noted: "At the end of the day, people are using their TV sets less than they used to."

Theories abound attempting to explain the ratings drop. Among them: the public's attention being diverted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Before that, the nastiest presidential campaign in recent memory fixated viewers away from the gridiron.

Others have pointed to the controversy around former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a fan turn-off. Injuries to stars such as wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants haven't helped, either, nor do the retirements of fan favorites such as Peyton Manning.

Some sports fans have argued that the quality of the league's product has slipped. Some evidence justifies these concerns. According to 538.com, only three games in the season's Week One were decided by 7 or fewer points, the lowest number for an opening week since 1973. Teams combined for 40.4 points per game, the sixth-lowest mark since 2012. Many of the games weren't even close, with the average margin of victory at 3-to-1.

To be sure, the viewership picture isn't entirely bleak. The opening contest on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" featured two of the league's most popular teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. It posted a 5 percent viewership gain over the previous year.

CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves, for one, isn't worried about the drop-off in NFL TV audiences, which he attributed to the hurricanes. He told CNBC recently, "I think the NFL is still the best property on television."

Moonves' optimism is shared by Amazon (AMZN), which bought the rights to stream 10 NFL games this season. Once the league's broadcast deal expires, Weiser expects the e-commerce giant to bid along with other tech stalwarts such as Apple (AAPL) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOG). That might make an expensive business even more pricey for the media companies.

[Brian Baldwin]

Yet they refuse to admit that unpatriotic behavior by some athletes have viewers steamed. About half their viewership losses pertain to that.

[Brian Baldwin]

I think the Bengals pull an upset this week. Just a feeling. I also believe that Jacksonville has a real chance to knock down Baltimore in England. Not as likely of the two predictions but we'll see.

[Ryan Ruck]

I think the Bengals pull an upset this week. Just a feeling. I also believe that Jacksonville has a real chance to knock down Baltimore in England. Not as likely of the two predictions but we'll see.

Well, it wouldn't be unheard of for the Bengals. They do have a knack for pulling out a win in tough games while completely bombing on games that should be a "gimme".

I won't be holding my breath though...


In other news, the whole Anthem thing just got a lot more interesting with Trump getting involved in it.

As I said, I'll give him kudos when he deserves it and, he's not wrong here.

'Tell That Son of a B**** He's Fired': Trump Blasts NFL Anthem Kneelers

September 22, 2017

President Trump railed against National Football League players who have knelt during the national anthem.

Trump said that he and Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who he was stumping for in Huntsville, are "unified" by "great American values."

"We're proud of our country and we're proud of our flag," he said.

He said players who disrespect the flag and kneel for the national anthem should be ejected from the stadium and cut from the team.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'get that son of a b**** off the field right now - he's fired,'" Trump said.

Love this: @realDonaldTrump on NFL players disrespecting our flag/anthem: "get that son of a bitch off the field right now - YOU'RE FIRED!"

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 23, 2017

"Some owner is going to do that," he said.

.@realDonaldTrump: NFL players that kneel during the anthem are disrespecting our flag & history. Owners should fire them #Tucker @FoxNews

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 23, 2017

Trump said players' shows of disrespect are the main reason behind a decline in NFL ratings.

He also mentioned that the game has grown more litigious, with hard hits and other recurring incidents during a game now being penalized more often.

Trump riffed on a referee from last weekend, saying his wife was likely proud to see him on television so often as he penalized such tackles.

"They're ruining the game," he said of anthem-kneeling players and overly litigious officiating standards.

Watch more above.

And the butthurt flows forth from the overgrown children getting shoveled truck loads of money to play a game and the idiot Goodell who is overseeing this whole dumpster fire...

NFL Commissioner, Players’ Union Angrily Denounce Trump

September 23, 2017

The National Football League and its players’ union on Saturday angrily denounced President Donald Trump for suggesting that owners fire players who kneel during the national anthem and that fans consider walking out in protest “when somebody disrespects our flag.”

“Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players,” the league commissioner, Roger Goodell, said in a statement.

DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, tweeted: “We will never back down. We no longer can afford to stick to sports.”

Trump, during a political rally in Alabama on Friday night, also blamed a drop in NFL ratings on the nation’s interest in “yours truly” as well as what he contended was a decline in violence in the game.

Smith said the union won’t shy away from “protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens as well as their safety as men who compete in a game that exposes them to great risks.”

Trump kept up his foray into the sports world on Saturday, when he responded to comments by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who has made it clear that he’s not interested in a traditional White House trip for the NBA champions.

“Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” Trump tweeted while spending the weekend at his golf club in New Jersey.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump was rescinding the invitation for Curry or the entire team.

Several athletes, including a handful of NFL players, have refused to stand during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest of the treatment of blacks by police. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the trend last year when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, hasn’t been signed by an NFL team for this season.

Trump, who once owned the New Jersey Generals of the U.S. Football League, said those players are disrespecting the American flag and deserve to lose their jobs.

“That’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,” Trump said, encouraging owners to act.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ’Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,” Trump said to loud applause.

Trump also predicted that any owner who followed the presidential encouragement would become “the most popular person in this country” — at least for a week.

The players’ union said in a statement that “no man or woman should ever have to choose a job that forces them to surrender their rights. No worker nor any athlete, professional or not, should be forced to become less than human when it comes to protecting their basic health and safety.”

The NFLPA said “the line that marks the balance between the rights of every citizen in our great country gets crossed when someone is told to just ‘shut up and play.’”

Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy tweeted, “It’s really sad man” and then used an obscenity to describe Trump.

On the issue of violence on the field, Trump said players are being thrown out for aggressive tackles, and it’s “not the same game.”

Over the past several seasons, the NFL and college football have increased penalties and enforcement for illegal hits to the head and for hitting defenseless players. A July report on 202 former football players found evidence of a debilitating brain disease linked to repeated head blows in nearly all of them. The league has agreed to pay $1 billion to retired players who claimed it misled them about the concussion dangers of playing football.

During his campaign, Trump often expressed nostalgia for the “old days” — claiming, for example, that protesters at his rallies would have been carried out on stretchers back then. He recently suggested police officers should be rougher with criminals and shouldn’t protect their heads when pushing them into squad cars.

It’s also not the first time he’s raised the kneeling issue. Earlier this year he took credit for the fact that Kaepernick hadn’t been signed.

Television ratings for the NFL have been slipping since the beginning of the 2016 season. The league and observers have blamed a combination of factors, including competing coverage of last year’s presidential election, more viewers dropping cable television, fans’ discomfort with the reports of head trauma and the anthem protests.

Ratings have been down even more in the early 2017 season, though broadcasters and the league have blamed the hurricanes that hit Florida and Texas. Still, the NFL remains by far the most popular televised sport in the United States.

Trump said the anthem protest was the top reason NFL viewership had waned.

“You know what’s hurting the game?” he asked. “When people like yourselves turn on television and you see those people taking the knee when they’re playing our great national anthem,” he said.

Trump encouraged his supporters to pick up and leave the stadium next time they spot a player failing to stand.

“I guarantee things will stop,” he said.

[Ryan Ruck]

As expected, the Bengals did not disappoint, managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I just had that feeling as they walked off the field for half time since that's how it usually goes.

At least they all managed to be on the field for the Anthem. Guess they figure they can't do anything to alienate the few fans actually still watching them.

Which brings me to my next point.

My hats off and deep respect to Army Ranger Capt. (Ret.) Alejandro Villanueva of the Steelers for being a man and having the balls to be the only one on the Steelers to come out for the Anthem during their game against Chicago.



Fuck the rest of those sorry, sackless Steelers players for being a bunch of taint licks and sitting in the locker room, for not just being classless and disrespectful but for abandoning their teammate who did serve and put his ass on the line instead of just being some ghetto goblin who can run fast.

If I was Villanueva, I'd be on the phone at half time with my agent to get traded if I had teammates who treated me like that.






P.S. Fuck the Seahawks and the Titans too. You spoiled pieces of shit!

[Ryan Ruck]

No surprise, as a longtime NFL fan and someone who's been somewhat involved in the NFL, Rush is opening his show with this.

Said for the first time in 45 years of being a fan, he didn't tune in to watch his favorite team, the Steelers, or any other team on Sunday.

The NFL did more today to protest America than it has ever done to protest domestic violence committed by its own players. Congrats, Roger.

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 24, 2017

[Ryan Ruck]

Some interesting things I've seen some people post in relation to this:

The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the NFL League Rulebook. It states:

“The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition...

...It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of the draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

Last year, the Dallas Cowboys wanted to wear an emblem on their uniforms to honor five police officers killed in the line of duty. The NFL said No because it is against the rules.

Three teams violated league rules by not being on the field when the anthem was played yesterday and the league won't do dick about it.

The league has chosen what side they want to be on.

[Ryan Ruck]

Farewell to the National Football League

September 23, 2017

For my health, sanity and productivity, I quit watching the NFL regularly on television about the time Clint Longley single-handedly beat the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving Day, 1974. I tuned in periodically in the early '80s, but gave it up entirely by the end of the decade -- in part because I was then living abroad. When I returned to the States nearly a decade later, I found I no longer cared, and eventually even gave up on the Super Bowl.

There was never the slightest chance I would go back, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't, as I cut the cable long ago and learned I can live quite happily and more cheaply without it -- no sports, no CNN, no Fox News. But even if I hook up the old satellite dish again here in my rural New England community, I still wouldn't watch pro football now that the NFL and some of its players have injected racial politics into a sport that, more than any other, pioneered on-field integration and got white America cheering for black athletes.

So I found the president's remarks in Alabama rather refreshing.

President Donald Trump has ratcheted up the national controversy over black National Football League players who refuse to stand while the U.S. National Anthem is played before games. During a Friday night political rally in Alabama, Trump called on fans to boycott teams that allow players to engage in that particular form of protest.

The league's TV ratings have slid since quarterback Colin Kaepernick, then the leader of the San Francisco 49ers, began the trend in September 2016.

'Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, "Get that son of a b***h off the field right now! He is fired. He's fired!"' Trump boomed. His crowd applauded and chanted 'USA! USA!'

There's no question that the has-been Kaepernick exacerbated the league's slide in the ratings, but he alone is not responsible for it. The games have lengthened from three hours to four, while providing the same minuscule amount of "action" -- eleven minutes. The players have grown ever more interchangeable; the teams might just as well field squads of tattooed robots. To illustrate just how far off the rails the league has gone, Los Angeles -- a city that has no use for pro football and proved it could live without the Rams for years -- now has two teams.

And the injuries -- always the game's dirty little secret -- have become ever more damaging, even as the rules are constantly tinkered with, and the refs throw more flags. The players have simply become too big, too fast, and too heavily armored. Even though it's unlikely to succeed, the recently announced lawsuit by the family of the late Aaron Hernandez will surely focus national attention on the issue of brain damage:

On Thursday, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who committed suicide in April while serving a life sentence for murder, was posthumously diagnosed with a "severe" case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to head trauma. The New York Times reported that diagnosis, as well as the fact that Hernandez's lawyer, Jose Baez, plans to sue the NFL and the Patriots for $20 million on behalf of Hernandez's 4-year-old daughter.

"Aaron Hernandez succumbed to the symptoms of CTE," the suit states, in part. "As a result of the defendants' conduct and the injury experienced by Aaron, Avielle Hernandez was deprived of the love, affect, society and companionship of her father while he was alive."

The NFL responded to news of the suit Friday, telling reporters on a conference call, "We intend to contest the claims vigorously," according to USA Today. The report noted that the suit could face a potential issue that could derail the claim that the Patriots and/or the NFL should be held financially responsible:

The lawsuit could face one major league hurdle: Hernandez was not listed among the players who opted out of a concussion settlement with the league.

Yes, yes, Hernandez was also a murdering thug, one of many thugs in a league that seems to court them. And, no, the NFL and football did not cause his murderousness, as the Times notes:

It’s a natural presumption to make, given the tragic suicides of Junior Seau, Dave Duerson and other former football players diagnosed post-mortem with C.T.E. And it’s a question that the courts will have to wrestle with.

On Friday, the National Football League vowed to defend itself against a lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Hernandez’s daughter and fiancée, who claims that his injuries and death were a direct result of his participation in football.

The science itself — like most attempts to link brain biology to behavior — is murkier. In recent decades, researchers have made extraordinary strides in understanding the workings of brain cells, neural circuits and anatomy. Yet drawing a direct line from those basic findings to what people do out in the world is dicey, given the ineffable interplay between circumstance, relationships and personality.

“There’s no serious argument about whether violence comes from the brain,” said Owen Jones, director of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience at Vanderbilt University. “It’s just hard to make a credible claim that a particular brain injury has caused a particular act of violence.”

Players like Kaepernick and Hernandez give the league a bad name, so it's hardly surprising that the NFL's ratings are down again this season. Explanations and excuses offered include the weather (hurricanes!), low quality of play and shortening attention spans -- although who actually watches an NFL broadcast intently between trips to the fridge and visits to the john?

CBS has suffered early. Per Anthony Crupi of Ad Age, through the first two weeks of the season, CBS's Sunday NFL windows had averaged 13.9 million viewers, down 10% versus 15.2 million last year. Sports Media Watch said CBS’s 8.4 rating for its Week 2 single header lineup was the lowest for a Week 2 single-header since at least 1998.

NBC had a particularly ugly night with the Packers-Falcons. The game drew 20.2 million, well down from last year’s Week 2 game (Packers-Vikings, 22.8 million) and the Seahawks-Packers in 2015 (26.4 million). It was the least-watched Week 2 Sunday Night Football game since 2008. Crupi reported NBC’s three primetime games so far had averaged 22.1 million viewers, down 7% from 2016.

But if you ask this former fan, the rot runs deeper. Football, which is practically the state religion in Texas and across the South, used to be closely tied up with patriotism and love of country. The militaristic component of the sport, which was presented as akin to war, appealed especially to red-state dwellers. But sportscasters and sportswriters are overwhelmingly leftist in their outlook, and their eagerness to turn Kaepernick into a civil-rights icon has repelled a sizable section of football's core audience -- and one that, by the current evidence, is growing.

Naturally, the NFL commissioner played right into Trump's hands:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell fired back at President Trump on Saturday for encouraging league owners to remove players who take a knee during the national anthem, saying Trump’s “divisive comments” show “an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL.”

“The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture,” Goodell said in a statement. “There is no better example than the amazing response from our clubs and players to the terrible natural disasters we've experienced over the last month.”

“Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”

The NFL chief's comments came the morning after Trump told a crowd at a rally for Alabama Senate candidate Luther Strange (R) that NFL players will stop kneeling if fans left games. "When people like yourselves turn on television and you see those people taking the knee when they are playing our great national anthem – the only thing you could do better is if you see it, even if it's one player, leave the stadium," Trump said. "I guarantee things will stop."

The divisiveness didn't start with Trump, however, it started with the NFL itself, which appears to be emulating Hollywood in its attempt to drive away half of its potential audience. But in the NFL's case, it's even worse, considering that Real Americans are their audience. Unless the league radically reforms, it's headed for the last roundup.

Let's give the last word to that great Cowboy, Dandy Don Meredith:

[Ryan Ruck]

So... Did Villanueva get taken to the team woodshed for making Tomlin, Rapistburger, and the rest of the team look like the toolbags they are? Sure seems like it as it seems a bit unlikely an Army Ranger would get lost between the locker room and the tunnel.

'I Threw My Teammates Under The Bus': Alejandro Villanueva Says He Planned To Join Steelers In National Anthem Boycott And Only Ended Up On The Field When He Accidentally Walked Out Of The Tunnel

September 25, 2017

The Pittsburgh Steelers player who is being heralded for taking the field on Sunday for the national anthem despite the rest of the team boycotting has now revealed that it was all a big mistake, and he meant to be in the tunnel with his fellow players.

'Unfortunately I threw my teammates under the bus, unintentionally,' Alejandro Villanueva said on Monday.

'Every single time I see that picture of me standing by myself I feel embarrassed.'

Villanueva then explained that he had asked to stand in the front of the team with the captains of the squad at the last second so that they showed some respect for wounder veterans.

That plan backfired though when he did not stop to check that the captains were by his side as he walked to the opening of the tunnel, which is how the 6ft 9in lineman ended up in plain view on the field as the national anthem began to play.

His admission comes after thousands across the country declared him a hero for his actions, and began purchasing his jersey in record numbers to show support for what they thought was a calculated move.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also said on Monday that he was meant to be by Villanueva's side at the time, but got held back by the melee in the tunnel after the tackle walked too far out.

'When we came out of the locker room into that tunnel, it was a very small area,' explained Roethlisberger.

'There was a flag or something coming off the field so there were a bunch of Bears fans, coming off the field holding that thing going in front of us, so it kind of held us up.'

Villanueva, who was deployed to Afghanistan three times, said Monday that he has no issue with his teammates or anyone else in the league taking a knee during the national anthem.

'I will support all my teammates, and all my teammates and all my coaches have always supported me,' said Villanueva.

He later noted: 'We as a team tried to figure it out, obviously we butchered it, I’m not gonna pretend I have some kind of righteous voice.'

Villanueva, 29, pointed out as well that a number of players who have kneeled at games in the past made a point of thanking him for his service later in the game.

'I take no offense,' said Villanueva.

'I don’t think veterans at the end of the day take any offense. They actually signed up and fought so that somebody could take a knee and protest peacefully whatever it is that their hearts desire.'

Villanueva would not however speak about his personal beliefs or feelings towards President Donald Trump, who has derided those athletes who opt to take a knee or sit out for the playing of the 'Star Spangled Banner.'

'I don't have anything to say about the commander in chief and his decisions,' said Villanueva.

'Nothing to comment about what the president says.'

He also took some time to lash out at those who have attacked the team's coach, Mike Tomlin, for allowing the boycott.

'For anybody who thinks Coach Tomlin is not as patriotic as you can get in America, I’m offended by that,' said the Army veteran.

Video from the game on Sunday seems to confirm Villanueva's account, as he can be seen walking to the end of the tunnel wall, at which point he mouths the word 'nope' to someone on the field.

He then remains standing where he is, and begins to mouth the anthem with his hand over his heart, something that his follow players also did in the tunnel as it was not a part of the boycott.

Villanueva was also hidden from almost all of the crowd in his perch as well, with only those close to the tunnel entrance along with photographers and camera crews getting clear shots of him just off the sideline.

And after the anthem finished playing, Villanueva stood in place before running out when the rest of his team took the field, suggesting that he in no way meant to break free from the pack.

His teammates were not aware that this was an accident however, and a number of the players could be seen staring Villanueva down as they took the field.

The crowd immediately began booing the team, but given it was an away game it was unclear if that was specifically directed at them for the anthem boycott.

Prior to Villanueva's appearance, the man who won two Super Bowls for the city of Pittsburgh said that he now regretted the fact that the team refused to stand on the field for the national anthem during Sunday's game.

'I was unable to sleep last night and want to share my thoughts and feelings on our team’s decision to remain in the tunnel for the National Anthem yesterday,' said Roethlisberger in a statement posted to his personal website.

'The idea was to be unified as a team when so much attention is paid to things dividing our country, but I wish we approached it differently. We did not want to appear divided on the sideline with some standing and some kneeling or sitting.'

He closed out by saying: 'I appreciate the unique diversity in my team and throughout the league and completely support the call for social change and the pursuit of true equality.

'Moving forward, I hope standing for the Anthem shows solidarity as a nation, that we stand united in respect for the people on the front lines protecting our freedom and keeping us safe. God bless those men and women.'

Villanueva reporteldly took a tongue lashing from head coach Mike Tomlin after he decided to take part in the pre-game national anthem ceremony on Sunday while the rest of his team remained out of sight in the locker room.

'Like I said, I was looking for 100 per cent participation, we were gonna be respectful of our football team,' Tomlin said following his team's 23-17 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Villanueva got caught at the edge of the end zone at Chicago's Soldier Field when the anthem began, and immediately out his hand over his heart.

His teammates, who were surprised by Villanueva's actions, remained either in the locker room or stood near the tunnel out of sight of the crowd.

Tomlin, offensive coordinator Todd Haley, offensive line coach Mike Munchak and running backs coach James Saxon all stood on the field for the national anthem.

He later said that many of the players 'felt like something needed to be done'.

He also revealed that the team held a meeting on Saturday and decided not to come out of the locker room for the anthem.

Tomlin noted the decision wasn't unanimous, but the intent was to have his team focus on the game and not President Donald Trump's comments about players who chose to protest during the anthem.

'We're not going to play politics,' Tomlin said. 'We're football players, we're football coaches. We're not participating in the anthem today - not to be disrespectful to the anthem, but to remove ourselves from the circumstance.'

He added: 'People shouldn't have to choose. If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn't be forced to choose sides.

'If a guy feels the need to do something, he shouldn't be separated from his teammate who chooses not to. But when we come out of locker rooms, we come out of locker rooms to play football games.'

Villanueva was also a key member of the team's protest planning ahead of Sunday's game.

The team decided that moving the protest off the field and out of sight of the crowd was a way to keep solidarity - those who wanted to stand could still stand inside the tunnel.

Linebacker James Harrison told Penn Live that everyone was involved in the pregame plan to remain out of sight of the crowd.

'We thought we were all in attention with the same agreement, obviously,' Harrison said. 'But I guess we weren't.'

Villanueva has previously said he supported players' frustration over racial injustice, but he didn't want to overlook the anthem because of his time in the military, where he earned a bronze star for valor during his tours overseas.

Several people took to social media to praise Villanueva for his decision to stand near the field during the pregame national anthem, including Lara Trump.

'Kudos to this incredible American. Thank you for your service & respecting our flag, sir. (sic) (Only #Steeler to come out for nat'l anthem),' the president's daughter-in-law tweeted.

Others called the Steelers a 'disgrace' for not taking part with Villanueva, despite their move to stay out of sight to remain out of the protest narrative.

Teammates said on Sunday that they respected Villanueva's decision.

'Al is a unique circumstance, what he's been through, some of the things he's talked about before,' guard David DeCastro said. 'I've got a lot of respect for Al. I

' wish there was a different way to do this thing. We've got some people who look at the national anthem as patriotism, soldiers, all the stuff that it means, and obviously, people are upset, and I understand that.

'I just wish both sides understand that they want the right thing, but doing it through the national anthem, I wish there was a different way.'

Defensive end Cam Heyward said: 'I don't want to go into that, but we support our guy Al. He feels he had to do it. This guy served our country, and we thank him for it.'

In 2014, Villanueva, then a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, told CBS News' Don Dahler why he joined the Army.

'I just couldn't stand by the sidelines and watch other people do the work,' he said.

A year later in 2015, Villanueva married his wife Madelyn.

More than 200 NFL players who either knelt, sat, stretched or prayed during the Star Spangled Banner to protest Trump's remarks on Sunday.

Three teams didn't even take the field until the national anthem was over.

Several players raised their fists during the protest, while others did so after scoring touchdowns during the game.

The protest campaign against racial inequality was started last year by former 49ers quarterback Kaepernick. Only six players participated last week.

But Trump's weekend attack on athletes sparked angry reactions from around the sports world and drew defiance from most of the NFL.

He suggested the NFL was going soft for cracking down on big hits. He uninvited the NBA champions Golden State Warriors to the White House after Stephen Curry and other players indicated they weren't sure they would accept the invitation.

Players, owners and commissioners past and present chastised the president for his divisive remarks.

After calling for NFL players who protest to be fired, Trump tweeted Sunday that the league should make it mandatory to stand for the national anthem and that fans should shun anyone who doesn't.

So Ranger School couldn't break him, Regiment couldn't break him, and the Taliban couldn't break him but apparently SJWs did.

Enjoy your pieces of silver Villanueva! You can fuck right off with the rest of the Steelers and ever other flaming asshole in the NFL. Enjoy your slide into obscurity.

[Ryan Ruck]

You know what I think ticks me off about this whole thing?

Football on Sunday (or Monday or Thursday as the case may be), and especially the Super Bowl, used to be a communal event I was able to enjoy with family and friends. Making up some wings, pizza, dip and what have you, drinking some beer, and having a good time for a few hours during what could otherwise be a stressful week.

Don't really get into other sports the way I would football, and college football has never been a huge interest to me, so it's not really like the experience can be substituted.

All of that blown to hell now because of these selfish pricks who think we care about them doing anything other than being entertaining by them throwing or running the ball down the field.

[Ryan Ruck]

Did anyone else find it interesting how the whole "take a knee" thing seemed to have been petering out after Kaepernick got his 15 minutes and then blew back up?

Hmm...

Fake Twitter Accounts Stoked NFL ‘Take a Knee’ Debate

Russia-linked accounts tweeted about NFL protests to create division

September 27, 2017

Russia-linked Twitter accounts used to influence the 2016 American presidential election were also active during the recent debate about protests in the NFL, according to the New York Times.

The network of bot accounts tweeted on both sides of the issue using relevant hashtags to “divisions in American society by simultaneously sending conflicting messages to different users segmented by political and racial characteristics,” according to the Times.

The effort reflects a similar one used by Russia to influence voters and create conflict using ads on Facebook.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement last week that the company would turn over to Congress 3,000 political ads purchased by Russian accounts during last year’s segment.

“I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity,” Zuckerberg said in a live video. “Facebook’s mission is all about giving people a voice and bringing people closer together. Those are deeply democratic values, and we’re proud of them. I don’t want anyone to use our tools to undermine democracy. That’s not what we stand for.

The Times report asserted that Twitter bots may have been used “even more extensively” than Facebook ads in the Russian influence campaign last year. A report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy found that of the 85 news stories promoted in the last week by 600 accounts suspected of links to Russia, 25 percent were anti-American in nature.

Facebook, Twitter and Google have all been called to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Nov. 1 in regards to the Russia issue.