Boycotting NFL games

[TheKey]

The NFL players collectively bargained for this policy. Its not violation of due process. They signed up for it.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I'll be joining you in your boycott. I've heard the arguments about "preponderance of the evidence" rather than "guilty beyond all reasonable doubt" and I'm not convinced. to my mind, the NFL should only suspend based on someone actually having been convicted in a court of law. Zeke hasn't been convicted by either standard. It should not be the NFL's job to determine someone's guilt. That's the job of the courts. So I'll boycott with you. I know some people will think I'm only punishing myself as I won't put a dent in the NFL's coffers. Whatever. I can use the time to do something fun like going out to movies with the family. I'm tired of the NFL's BS.

No disrespect to your opinion but my view is very different here. I don't see this as the NFL trying to be judge and jury. I see this as business. Goodell is doing what he was hired for. This is all about business IMO. I don't think the NFL cares one way, or the other, about lawful adjudication. I think they are all about the business of protecting the NFL.

I 100% believe this is all about business..

 

[thunderpimp91]

regardless. the NFL needs to understand that the fans matter and they are not just numbers to them. if FANS work together, then they can change the league. other wise its business as ususal.

So whats your goal? You get a bunch of people to not watch the NFL for a few weeks, and then what? The NFL does away with the Zeke suspension? They fire Goodell? What comes from not watching 1 or 2 games?

 

[Tabascocat]

Go ahead and boycott with the very small number of other people, that will accomplish nothing. I will be watching the NFL while enjoying some BBQ and cold beer!

 

[thunderpimp91]

No disrespect to your opinion but my view is very different here. I don't see this as the NFL trying to be judge and jury. I see this as business. Goodell is doing what he was hired for. This is all about business IMO. I don't think the NFL cares one way, or the other, about lawful adjudication. I think they are all about the business of protecting the NFL.

I 100% believe this is all about business..

Exactly right. I disagree with the suspension, but Goodells job is to protect the NFL brand. He would much rather have a group of pissed off Cowboys fans who 98% of which will still be tuning in every sunday than losing advertising over DV issues.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

No disrespect to your opinion but my view is very different here. I don't see this as the NFL trying to be judge and jury. I see this as business. Goodell is doing what he was hired for. This is all about business IMO. I don't think the NFL cares one way, or the other, about lawful adjudication. I think they are all about the business of protecting the NFL.

I 100% believe this is all about business..

I see your point, and we can respectfully disagree. I have no problem with that. I just think the league is overcompensating over the flak it got over the Ray Rice incident. Zeke should not be punished for what Rice did (and we have it on tape proving Rice did it) when Zeke has not been proven to have done anything wrong. That's my view, though I'm not mad at you if you disagree.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I don't disagree with your assessment of NBA. the difference is in the NBA, one players makes 50% difference in a team's performance and its future. you need one start and couple of good players to be a good team.....but that's what happens with a team that has 5 starters and about 8 players that play most of the season.

the game for NBA and Baseball is different. They have 162 games, vs. 16 and less violent. Baseball has no competition for about 3-4 months out of the year. they can afford to give guaranteed contract. NFL is injury prone and short season. they can't afford to do that.

The NFL has more control. I prefer that, but them being their own judge and jury is over the top.

 

[VACowboy]

I don't disagree. but we the fans didn't. and I guarantee that this will be a point of contention in next round of negotiations.

Oh, without a doubt. Negotiations over the next CBA are going to be a war. Until then, though, the players have no rights when it comes to suspensions. The league can legally do whatever the hell it wants.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I see your point, and we can respectfully disagree. I have no problem with that. I just think the league is overcompensating over the flak it got over the Ray Rice incident. Zeke should not be punished for what Rice did (and we have it on tape proving Rice did it) when Zeke has not been proven to have done anything wrong. That's my view, though I'm not mad at you if you disagree.

I don't think thats it at all RC. To be honest, I believe the NFL is laying the hammer on Zeke because they see what he could be. I have said much of this before but my view on this is pretty much as follows:

Zeke is not the best I've ever seen but he could be a generational player. For the NFL, he could be the face of the League. In fact, together with Dak, the NFL sees this as the next step towards future audiences. Both of these guys are young, they are appealing to the opposite sex and they are both very well spoken, in addition to being extremely talented. They are on a team where they could conceivably win multiple championships, if a few things go their way. They could be worth a great deal of money to the NFL but, they have to be able to present the right image. As young as he is, Zeke may have already ruined his chance at that but, maybe not. The truth of the matter is that the memory of the fan base is pretty short. The NFL is sending a message and it's really not about Ray Rice. Rice is done and in a couple more season, he will be a footnote and that's it. I don't believe the NFL is even thinking much about Ray Rice. They are thinking about the future and the future, in there eyes, can not be an extremely talented idiot who is always making the wrong kind of front page news.

Seriously, I would not even be a little surprised to find that Jerry might be in favor of the NFL sending this kind of message. I have zero proof of this but I would not be surprised if Goodell actually does have support of Jerry in this. Think about it, it's much, much easier for Jerry to send a message through the NFL, while publicly supporting Zeke. He has it both ways. Again, all of this is just supposition on my part, but it makes a lot of sense if your goal is to send a message to Zeke.

 

[Ring6]

Post your list of advertisers if you don't mind. Thanks.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I pretty much do not watch any NFL games that do not have the Cowboys playing anymore. In many cases, I haven't even watched the Cowboys games in some weeks.

I grow tired of the NFL's ways the same way I started growing tired of the NBA's ways starting in 2002. I stopped watching NBA all together by 2007. The NFL is on the same path with me.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Post your list of advertisers if you don't mind. Thanks.

Who are you asking this of?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

The NFL definitely goes overboard with its control, but I for one am thankful that the set up is not like the NBA. Where the inmates run the asylum. The players basically collude on where they are going and what they are going to do. They run the league and run the teams now. At least the top ones. And MLB with the 100% guaranteed contracts is bad business.

There needs to be a good medium though. I don't want chaos either but it has to be fair.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I pretty much do not watch any NFL games that do not have the Cowboys playing anymore. In many cases, I haven't even watched the Cowboys games in some weeks.

I grow tired of the NFL's ways the same way I started growing tired of the NBA's ways starting in 2002. I stopped watching NBA all together by 2007. The NFL is on the same path with me.

It's interesting, I don't watch either nearly as much as I used to. I don't know if it's because I'm tired of the BS or if it's because I'm just older now and I don't have the time to devote to it, as I used to have. Either way, I do agree with you. The BS surrounding professional sports certainly does nothing to add flavor to the sport for me.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

am going to boycott NFL games for 1 or two game over the Zeke incident. In this nation we have law and due process and both were followed in this case and they did not seek to pursue and prosecute. There was evidence, or supposed evidence against Zeke, there was also contradictory statements and evidence against his girlfriend. I am not here to judge one way or other. there is plenty of doubt either way. it wasn't a clear cut case.

With this, without 100% proof or evidence, The NFL is putting itself above the law. When they selectively choose to prosecute and punish a player, above and beyond the law I think then the NFL is taking itself too seriously and has gone beyond where it needs to be on social issues.

Goodell has been doing this for years. When there is undisputed evidence, I can understand. But where there is doubt, conflicting facts, etc. then the action taken by NFL is nothing but an empty publicity stunt. yes, a publicity stunt, with Zeke being the pawn. They want to show a tough stand against domestic violence, yet in falsely without proof positive evidence that he did it, including conflicting evidence that she was out to get even with him, they have gone too far. In fact, now they have jeopardized the very players that are the foundation of what they are.

and secondly, Hardy, who had a case against him, which later settled out of court was given a 5 game suspension. Zeke a 6 game suspension. brown a 1 game suspension. its a freaking comedy show.

and IMO worse yet, if Zeke is to appeal and his sentence reduced then its even a bigger show of BS by NFL. just a publicity stunt as I said. They had a better chance of dismissing this. punishing him for his other discretions that fall under the Personal Conduct Policy, and withstand the storm of those who wanted to punish Zeke. They could have pointed to the law, lack of clear evidence, and point to the over zealous who want to use NFL and NFL players a pawn for domestic violence in the US.

I have sent NFL an email and comment and plan to boycott NFL for one weekend. Its going to be hard having football season but not watching. But NFL is about money, the publicity stunt they pulled is about money and I will make a stand with my money. I told them that I will not purchase any products from their advertisers for one week and am in the process of letting those advertisers know, that I am boycotting them.

the Fans in the NFL have power. we have power of our pocket book and our eyes watching their product. I encourage everyone to do the same. it will take a few minutes, it will take a little discipline, but it will force NFL to change the way it does business if there is enough fans coming together and combining their dollar-power.

While it is your right to do this, and I normally encourage people to boycott a product if they do not like something about the leadership of that product.

I would also ask you to boycott these fan forums while you are boycotting the NFL.

Don't want to turn these forums into a format for you to recruit nor are you truly boycotting the NFL if you are on the boards on a daily basis talking about it.

So boycott away if you want, have no problem with it and wish you the best...but boycott it all, including fan forums like this one.

 

[Ring6]

Who are you asking this of?

Sorry not clearer. The OP said he'd not purchase from the advertisers. I'm asking the OP to post the list if he is willing.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Sorry not clearer. The OP said he'd not purchase from the advertisers. I'm asking the OP to post the list if he is willing.

Gotcha. Sorry, had no idea if you wanted me or somebody else to comment or what? It's Monday..........

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Its entertainment. Even if Zeke is gone for 6 games-- the sky isn't falling. We can still win some games. I don't agree with Goodell's decision here-- but "this too shall pass." Just not something I'm gonna let disrupt my life lol.

no, sky isn't falling and that's not what I intended to convey. Yes its entertainment. its my entertainment. its my money, my time and it would be better with Zeke than not with Zeke. so I want my money's worth.

yes, it will pass, so will goodell. sooner than later.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

The NFL players collectively bargained for this policy. Its not violation of due process. They signed up for it.

don't disagree. I think the next CBA will be tougher specially in negotiating power of punishment and the process.

with that said, it is still a publicity issue for NFL. I don't think in their heart-of-hearts the NFL cares about domestic violence. its a show. its a publicity stunt. if it was a real issue, they would have been on it, at Ray Rice from the get go. they didn't. so it became a publicity night mare. and now its under microscope.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

No disrespect to your opinion but my view is very different here. I don't see this as the NFL trying to be judge and jury. I see this as business. Goodell is doing what he was hired for. This is all about business IMO. I don't think the NFL cares one way, or the other, about lawful adjudication. I think they are all about the business of protecting the NFL.

I 100% believe this is all about business..

I agree. its business and what's best for business. its public perception. its the fans perception.

and the business exists not because of players. or owners. because there is a market. there is market because of the fans. there is buyers because of the fans. So the fans can influence the business. so the business has to take into account the fans, their opinions and their reactions.

they can make what ever decision. so can the fans.