Newspaper Columns

Change the NFL to the NDL, Dummies

by | Sep 28, 2017 | Newspaper Columns | 0 comments

These football players make no sense. The guys who take the knee during the national anthem. And snipe at the flag. They seem pretty dumb to me.

They are playing in London and they disrespect the flag of their country. But they stand for the British national anthem? Dumb.

Of course it seems dumb to me to risk your brain and body in such a brutal sport. Well, if you make a million bucks a year, maybe it’s not totally dumb.

But to risk the million bucks? Just to declare your feelings? That seems dumb.

What are the rights and wrongs in this? They are simple.

First, these dummies have a right to protest against the flag. They can protest against the president. Against anything they want. They don’t like our beer or Christmas? They hate our television or opera? Trump’s hair? Ivanka’s sneakers? Let them have at it. Protest ‘til the cows come home. If they even know what cows are.

But… And this is a big but. This is a supreme but. But…you don’t do your protests on the job. When you work for somebody you don’t protest on the job. You don’t do things that will hurt the guys who pay you to work. Unless you are dumb.

Let’s suppose you run a restaurant. You hire wait-staff. You give them uniforms. One of them decides to wear a tee-shirt instead. It’s got a big protest on it. “I hate _______.” Could be Trump he hates. Or gays. Or women. Or Democrats. Fill in the blank.

He snarls at your customers. “I hope you didn’t vote for ________. He’s an idiot. He’s dumb.”

If you don’t fire him, you’re dumb. If you decide to join his protest, you’re dumber than he is.

I mean, why would a guy making good money in your restaurant want to hurt your business? Why would he insult the customers who give him the fat tips? Because he’s dumb. Does he think he will help his job? Will he help the restaurant? Will his protests encourage customers to return? “Sweetie, let’s go to that restaurant where the waiter insults us.”

These million-dollar players are insulting the customers. The customers who buy the tickets. The ones who watch the big game on Sunday. And Monday. And Tuesday morning and those whacky times. These players are giving so many of them the finger. Dumb.

Ask yourself this: (Don’t ask them. They are too dumb to know what you are talking about.) Do you think this makes the NFL product more appealing to folks? Do you think folks are rushing to pop the popcorn and line up the brews so they can watch a bunch of millionaires disrespect their flag?

The NFL’s ratings have been slipping anyway. And stuff like this will bring them back? Right.

Dumb guys with dumb unions nearly put the auto industry out of business in Detroit. (Along with dumb management that would not stand up to them.)

Dumb guys with dumb unions suffocated several great newspapers long before they should have declined. Printers faced do or die decisions. Go back to work or kill the paper that employs you. They chose the killing.

They were dumb. These guys playing football are dumb. Employment 101. When you take a job you give up your right to protest for the hours you are on the job.

Off the job you can do any damned thing you want. Parade outside the stadium in lingerie. Protest the flag, limburger cheese and racial profiling in chess matches. Nobody cares. But if you take the money for the job you had better do your work and shut up.

Otherwise you are dumb. Don’t wait ‘til a thousand head crashes corrode your brain. You don’t have one.

From Tom…as in Morgan

You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com. You can read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com.