Hey Fam,

I am a musiq HEAD, and this argument was never addressed head on from honest, varied perspective, so I clipped this from GIRAFFEBALLZ, a show about weed, love, knowledge and US.

Let's TALK...

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By: Bob E. Freeman
Bmick#8

This is a post that has been long overdue. And it should’ve been written years ago, but there were more pressing issues to think and write about. But now on the heels of the NFL trying to place a stranglehold mandatory v-a-x initiative on its players, I figure its time to get it all out in the open.

There was a time when football was my favorite sport to play and watch. From 1989-1995, it was my sport. I remember when the NFC East was the NFC “Beast” and anyone winning that conference was all assured of winning the Super Bowl. Sure I was a die hard Cowboys fan, but the Eagles had Randall Cunningham, and the New York Football Giants had legendary defensive players and had an epic Super Bowl run in 1990 that cemented my fandom. Throw in the big time, bone crushing hits that made the sport popular, and it was the perfect balance of brutality and ballet.

My fandom waned as the Cowboys star dimmed, and my interests in other things intensified (school, girls, drugs, music) but you could catch me watching some fool’s ball on the right Sunday if a matchup was intriguing enough. Even if I didn’t watch, I still kept up with who played for what team. But with each passing year, I noticed subtle changes the competition committee would employ to make the game more exciting for the casual fan. I would say by the mid 2000’s, the league was obviously trying to push the league in a direction that would benefit players like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady. Now, the NFL is glorified Arena League ball, or comparable to flag football on steroids. But there are several reasons why I don’t watch the NFL. Here they are:

Reason #1: The Death of the Big Hit

I fell in love with football because it was a gladiator sport. If you were a receiver going across the middle, chances were you were going to get crushed into smithereens. Big hitters like Steve Atwater, Ronnie Lott, Chuck Cecil, Andre Waters, Thomas Everett would take a receivers head off. Yes it was violent, and it was dangerous, but that was the fun of it. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry from last decade was the last penchant of real football left. Now the league has legislated all the big hits out of the game. Defensive players can only hit the quarterbacks between the numbers on their uniforms. Hits above the shoulders or below the knees get flagged and they introduced a “defenseless receiver” rule where if a player isn’t looking, they can’t be hit. Whatever. I blame fantasy football. So much money and viewership is made from gambling and fantasy football participants–many of which never really cared for the game until they started playing–that the league has a vested interest in keeping the offensive players healthy; even at the expense of the defensive players (who still have to make their money somehow).

Reason # 2: Thursday Night Football

You can pinpoint both an uptick in injuries and a drop off in quality of games right around 2006, when the league introduced Thursday night games. The thinking was that Sundays and Mondays weren’t enough football for the week, the world needed more product which would equate to more money for owners and a crumb or two for the players. How the NFLPA agreed to this, I don’t know. But it has been proven time and time again that they have the weakest player union in all of sports (one could even argue that in a sport driven by Black athletes, it is a microcosm for the larger world, where Black faces like Gene Upshaw and DeMaurice Smith, serve as “representation” for the larger population, but only obtain benefits for a small minority). The Thursday night games have been mostly poor quality, filled with turnovers and injuries. Players often complained about the shortened week after a Monday night game, where there is a quick turnaround and less time to recover from the week’s previous game. Now a team can play on Sunday and then turn around and play four days later. Most players say that they are usually still bruised and aching up until Friday of a normal week of play. To add insult to injury (pardon the pun), the NFLPA agreed to a 17th game, starting this upcoming season. All I can say is that we teach others how to treat us. The NFLPA is as fangless as the Congressional Black Caucus.

Reason #3 The Plantation Model

The NFL is just one big plantation. It really starts back when players are in college, playing for these huge programs that generate millions of dollars for universities (Football generally makes money for the rest of the sports at a school) and their coaches. Players have to keep in line and if they so much as speak up about an issue within the program or in society, they can get their scholarship revoked or playing time culled if they offend a coach or donor. This feeds into the mentality of the pro player who becomes conditioned to just shut up and play. The optics of this look really bad when considering there are no Black owners in the NFL, and only one Black general manager–in a sport that is about 70% Black (especially at the skill positions). There are only a handful of Black NFL head coaches, and for a long time, you would be lucky to see two or three Black starting quarterbacks.

Then there are the uniforms. The league is extremely particular about how a player should look during the game. A player can get fined for having the wrong-colored socks or cleats. Any messages written on their uniforms–no matter how well intentioned—can be garner a fine of tens of thousands of dollars.

To top it off, players couldn’t even openly celebrate without their team getting penalized on the field and garnering a fine later in the week. The NFL is the king of squeezing out the individuality of its players in favor of a “uniform” look.

Lastly, there is the issue of Colin Kaepernick. While I can agree that the NFL is a private industry (that somehow garnished non-profit status while raking in billions of dollars) and they have the right to give a job to whomever they want, as a consumer, I also have the right to support or not support that industry. There was a large contingent of fans (and let’s face it, most of the owners are huge GOP donors) offended by what Kaepernick was saying in the media, and by what he was protesting. Was there collusion to keep him from landing another job? Probably. Kaepernick didn’t have to opt out of his contract with one year remaining, and he didn’t have to sign that settlement. But he is probably better off for doing so. He made millions in a sport where your livelihood can be taken away in one play–which reminds me– NFL players are the only sport without guaranteed contracts. They can rip a player’s contract up at any time and send them out in the street.

Reason #4 Roger Goodell

I could write a whole article about the buffoonery of Roger Goodell if it weren’t already well documented. It's no coincidence that the quality of play in the NFL dropped around the time Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped down in 2006. Goodell anointed himself the judge, jury, and executioner of “The Shield''. Players were now being fined and disciplined for off the field matters in addition to what they did on the field. Goodell bungled high profile scandals like “Spygate”, “Bountygate”, the referee lockout of 2012 (which was an embarrassment), (the alleged) CTE cover up by the NFL that resulted in Will Smith making a movie and using a bad accent in it, and also the Ray Rice fiasco. I couldn’t figure out how such a bumbling idiot was able to keep such a profile job until I read that the NFL had made the most money it had ever made with ole Roger Dodger manning the helm.

As it is, with a lot more adult responsibilities, I don’t even think about the NFL very often. Sundays are spent with family or working on projects. I don’t miss it. In fact, I missed it more when I was watching it–pining for the good ole days of Ronnie Lott and Bo Jackson, and Mike Singletary. But it was a good run. I’d go as far as to say 2012-2013 was the last year I really had any vested interest in who won the Super Bowl. Every year thereafter, I just hoped it was anyone but the Patriots (which could be another post in itself). Who knows, maybe I would’ve outgrown it anyway. All that being said, I guess I’m happier without it. Even if it is America’s favorite sport

Tom Brady is probably the GOAT in terms of the NFL today, whether you like the guy or not, he's a beast. But, if he never played for the Patriots, do you think he would have been as successful? I don't know if Tom Brady could have become the best with other teams. He has Bill Belichick as well, and I think he helped grow Brady into the player he is today.

I like thinking about this sort of stuff, like what if he played for another team? Or maybe he sat behind Bledsoe for another season or two and then was traded off to another team or played later for the Patriots. I don't think his career would have gone the same. What do you guys think?

When the time comes and I tie the knot with my future special someone, I don't know what to expect. The idea of getting married and going through a wedding kinda scares me. I want to do it, but I worry about the cost, the location, who's all going to show up, and more. I honestly want to do something small, maybe even at the courthouse with just us and the parents maybe. I just don't want to deal with a room of people seeing me get married. I know it's tradition and part of getting married, but I don't want to go through the whole thing.

With all the news of dinosaurs being discovered and scientists finding DNA, do you think we are getting closer to the possibility of cloning a real dinosaur? It was a dream when it came to movies like Jurassic Park/Jurassic World, but that was all make believe for Hollywood. But we've known of other animals being cloned, like a sheep or goat (I forget), so why is it that we can't clone a dinosaur with the DNA we have found? I'm also reminded of the woolly mammoth that was discovered frozen, and had DNA. I just don't know if the DNA is too outdated to be used, but I am curious to see dinosaurs maybe being cloned. Of course not anything like T-Rex up in here, but maybe the tiny ones.

What do you think? Would you be down for them cloning even the biggest of Dinos?

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Texas gave away land so Jerry Jones could own a team

Those tornados made one hell of a mess! Was anyone in the thick of things? I live more northeast so we got some heavy winds and a temp drop but nothing too serious. I was without power yesterday evening on and off for about 5 hours which sucked but I managed.

I was looking at some pictures and couldn't believe the destruction. I feel so bad for people who were directly affected. Right before Christmas too. For some reason, I never consider December to be a time for tornados but mother nature has plans of her own.

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Today we’re talking about the 6 Reasons Why You Won’t Make Money in MLM.

• You’re Competing Against Your Up and Down Line
• There’s No Demand for the Products You’re Selling @4:00
• Your Product is Too Expensive @5:15
• You’re Too Far Down the Pyramid @7:00
• The Compensation Plan Rewards Recruiting @8:00
• The Entire System is a Facade @10:50

Have any of you ever been in an MLM? What level of success did you reach?

We're getting closer to a one stop shop in the health department. Pretty soon we will be eating pills filled with turkey like the Jetsons. Or I can blather, blather and blah, blah blah for the kids that ate paint chips as a child...🥴

Very interesting. We don't have bodies when we die and this looks like exactly what I would think.

If you look at the top right of the video, at 6:20 you can see an orb leave right at death.


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The interview begins around 6:30

Ish gets really dark around 8:00

Kanu might've been right all along!

I haven't really ghosted anyone aside from women I've talked to on some dating sites in the past. There was a few girls I met on dating sites that I just lost interest in, or they weren't that responsive to begin with. I've been ghosted my fair share on dating sites. I've been ghosted after dates in real life, just a few, but it stung big time when it did happen. Have you ever been ghosted? Or have you ever done the ghosting?

Growing up, who was your go to idol? Someone who you could always look up to, or someone you respected a ton. I think when I first saw Denzel Washington in movies, was the first time I knew I could be there one day. Even though I would never do acting, haha, but it was a cool dream to have growing up. Then I saw Denzel in tons more movies, and he became pretty much one of the top billed actors of the 90s and 2000s. I wish he was in more movies these days, but the dude is probably slowing down on the acting game.

He was just one idol I had, but he was the one that I seemed to look up to the most. It also helped that he's a pretty wise dude.

Who was your idol growing up? It doesn't have to be celebs either, could be a parent, grandparent, sibling, neighbor, teacher, etc. Anyone you idolized and maybe wanted to be like when you grew up.

It's been a little over a year since the PS5 and Xbox Series X & S came out, and it's still fairly tough to get either console at the stores. Scalpers are making it hard for anyone to get it, unless they are willing to pay their high prices. I haven't purchased either new console yet. For one, I am not seeing a ton of games on each console yet, and they both cost a lot. I haven't even bothered to buy either console yet.

But, I plan to get both consoles eventually, I might just wait another year or so though. Anyway, have you been able to get a console legit without having to go through scalpers?

The game is only $5. Thinking about getting it. Haven't played a side-scrolling platform in a while. Reminds me of the old-school classics from the '90s.

It is a bit old at this point since it came out in 2018 so that is likely why it is so cheap but it seems like, based on the reviews, it is a solid game with a good story. I don't get too into stories. I care more about gameplay. Looks to have some puzzle aspects in the levels as well which can be a lot of fun.

Anyone here play this? Is it worth the hype?

At 40 seconds that "Ohh" was zesty AF

😂

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These dudes are a damn joke. If your gaydar didn't beep from the first second of this video, you might be Team GHEY.

Just kidding, but there is nothing you can say to defend this foolishness.

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They say that Musa crashed the price of gold in Egypt. Jeff hasn't championed anything that doesn't bring him any money. On the other hand, white people are always stressing over the amount of money that a Black person has. It's like a full time job for them.

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Breathtaking.

What the actual F#@* is she talking about? It's these type of coons who rationalize dusty, ghetto F'boy ish.
The fact that most of these people who defend this fruit booty won't admit they were wrong, is the reason they are looked at like the sell outs they are.
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I have never thought about doing something like this when I was young.
Then the dad speaks and now I know why.🥴


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Pretty good article, my great grandma can pass for white and I've heard these type of stories growing up. I hate knowing I have white blood in my family tree, but I know it wasn't intentional.
I can trace my family tree back to the 1800s wish I could go back further.