NFL Ratings Decline on Heel of Kaepernick Protests and NFL Boycott
NFL Ratings Decline on Heel of Kaepernick Protests and NFL Boycott
NFL Ratings Decline on Heel of Kaepernick Protests and NFL Boycott ~ There have been numerous attempts to spin the decline in ratings that the NFL has experienced at the start of the 2017-2018 season. One thing that the league and its proponents have gone out of their way to do is to avoid giving credence to the idea that the decline in ratings has anything to do with the NFL Boycott surrounding the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick due to his protest of police brutality.
The truth is that it is not that simple; the decline in ratings is the result of a number of different influences that have set a trend over the last several years. However, the protests and the boycott has been a part of these influences.
Not only are the ratings declining because proponents of Kaepernick are foregoing watching the games, but there are a number of dissenters who are upset because other players are protesting by either sitting during the national anthem or by holding up their right fists in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The dissenters want the league to put a stop to it because they believe it is disrespectful. The NFL has found itself in the middle of a pinch that will ultimately force them to take a position that is more decisive than the one they are currently taking.
The recent mishandling and brutalization of all-pro defensive end, Michael Bennett in Las Vegas, the acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley, and the news that the Department of Justice will not charge the police officers responsible for the death of Freddie Gray has brought tensions surrounding this topic to a head.
What concerns me is that lack of solidarity and unity among the Black collective. This is a time for us to put of comforts and luxuries aside in order to show our true strength — sending a message that we plan to make our presence felt, not only in the NFL but in any situation in which we are being mishandled and marginalized. ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.
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Building a Better Black Man
We cannot elude the reality associated with the current state of Black manhood. We can’t pretend that African American adolescent and young adult males are reigning terror on inner-city Black neighbors for power and territory they don’t own.
We can’t pretend that Black men, in significant numbers, have not found it to be an acceptable course of action to procreate and then abandon their progeny. We cannot pretend that the second leading cause of death for Black females between the age of 15 and 44 is intimate partner homicide (predominantly at the hands of Black men).
We can’t pretend that Black men have deemed to be acceptable to openly degrade and disrespect the Black woman. He has attached himself from his responsibilities as protector, provider, leader and more.
The only way that we overcome this social deficit is to address the issue early in life before our young Black males become contaminated with erroneous ideologies and values. This is done through proper and comprehensive racial socialization and the best way to do that is a universal rite of passage mechanism. I created the Black Men Lead rite of passage program to provide young Black males across this country with the access to the type of engagement and stimulation that will build a Better Black Man…
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