2020 NFL Off-Season Thread

[Lineker]

BOB has confirmed that he will be kneeling for the anthem this year. 

 

One way to get fired by our asshole owners, I suppose.

[gunnar hendershow]

I thought the racist owner died? Did he just get replaced by another racist?

[Lineker]

The son.

[Meacon Keaton]

That’s biological racism, Jeff.

[Lint]

9 hours ago, damsher hatfield said:

I thought the racist owner died? Did he just get replaced by another racist?

I was going to say that was the owner of the Panthers, but no...I just had my racist owners mixed up!

[Lineker]

Quote

Baker Mayfield worked out in an “I can’t breathe” T-shirt on Saturday, posting video on Instagram. It prompted a fan to ask if the Browns quarterback would kneel for the national anthem this season.

“Please tell Browns fans you’re not going to be kneeling this season,” the fan wrote, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Mayfield replied with a pointed answer: “pull your head out. I absolutely am.”

Mayfield has spoken out since George Floyd’s death May 25 at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and he now plans to back up his words in the pregame by joining teammates in protesting social injustice and police brutality.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said earlier this week that the team has not yet discussed the anthem. The Browns are forming a leadership council, which will take the lead on the issue.

“The honest answer is I don’t know,” Stefanski said. “I want to make sure when we get together, that’s one of many issues we need to talk about in this movement, if you will. That’s something that I promise you we will spend as much time as necessary as an organization listening to each other, understanding each other and then we will make a decision together. I hesitate to say because I want to make sure that I am sitting with our guys on things like that.”

[Meacon Keaton]

Good for Baker.

[Lineker]

Quote

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield plans to kneel during the national anthem this upcoming season to support protests of social injustice, police brutality and racism.

In answering a post from a fan on his Instagram account Saturday that pleaded with him not to kneel, Mayfield responded: "Pull your head out. I absolutely am."

Mayfield has been outspoken about the need for more understanding and justice in the nation following the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.

"It's a pivotal time for change," Mayfield said Thursday. "What's being addressed now obviously has been going on for a long time. So now everybody's finally coming together to address it. And doing it the right way of holding people accountable."

Mayfield wore an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt while working out. Later, he posted another message outlining his stance on kneeling.

"Everybody so upset about my comment doesn't understand the reason behind kneeling in the first place," Mayfield wrote. "I have the utmost respect for our military, cops, and people that serve OUR country. It's about equality and everybody being treated the same because we are all human. It's been ignored for too long and that it my fault as well for not becoming more educated and staying silent."

"If I lose fans, that's OK. I've always spoken my mind. And that's from the heart."

On Friday, Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien said he would kneel with his players if they chose to do so during the anthem.

Earlier this week, new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear he would back his players in any peaceful demonstrations.

"My position is I want to make sure I support our players," Stefanski said. "First things first, I want to make sure I sit down with them and talk. ... I can just promise you this: We will spend as much time as needed to make sure that we are all on the same page and we are a united front from a player, staff, you name it [standpoint]."

 

HOUSTON -- In a response to a person tweeting that he was "pretty sure" J.J. Watt would not be taking a knee during the national anthem, along with three American flag emojis, the Houston Texans defensive end made it clear that taking a knee is not about the American flag.

"If you still think it's about disrespecting the flag or our military, you clearly haven't been listening," Watt tweeted on Saturday.

Last week, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized after initially saying he will "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America."

On Friday, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said he will take a knee during the national anthem next season with his players to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

"Yeah, I'll take a knee -- I'm all for it," O'Brien told the Houston Chronicle. "The players have a right to protest, a right to be heard and a right to be who they are. They're not taking a knee because they're against our flag. They're taking a knee because they haven't been treated equally in this country for over 400 years."

When the majority of Texans players took a knee against the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 after then-team owner Bob McNair said in an owners meeting, "We can't have the inmates running the prison," in reference to player demonstrations and protests during the national anthem, Watt was injured and not on the sideline.

Watt has addressed the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man from Houston who died last month while in police custody after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes, calling it "disgusting" and "upsetting."

"I've seen the video, and I think it's disgusting," Watt said. "I think that there's no explanation. I mean, to me, it doesn't make any sense. I just don't see how a man in handcuffs on the ground, who is clearly detained and clearly saying, in distress ... I don't understand how that situation can't be remedied in a way that doesn't end in his death. I think that it needs to be addressed. Strongly, obviously."

[Lineker]

ESPN 2020 NFL mock expansion draft: Picking players for a hypothetical 33rd team

[Lineker]

Plenty of Dallas and Houston players have tested positive for Coronavirus - including Zeke.

[Maxx]

If I had to pick the most likely Cowboys player to get Covid, it would be Zeke.

[The Buscher]

It's not surprising to see the Texas-based players getting it given the spike in cases there.  The reality is that outbreaks are going to keep popping up everywhere as long as things continue to reopen, and populous cities like where many NFL teams are situated are always going to be high risk.  Once flu season comes around it'll be even worse, with testing remaining imperfect I think anyone with flu-like symptoms will be asked to quarantine regardless of test results.

I can still see the season starting on time but I'm not convinced that they'll be able to finish it.

[Lineker]

 

[Meacon Keaton]

Go die in a fire, Goodell. You helped sabotage his career. You don't get to give your fucking blessing. 

[DYSI]

https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/16/aldrick-rosas-arrest-new-york-giants-kicker-hit-and-run-t-bone-crash/

 

Jesus, guy just ruined his life and whoever else was involved. 

[Maxx]

New York Giants and scumbag kickers, name a more iconic duo 

[Szumi]

NFL owners and racism?

[GhostMachine]

Philadelphia Eagles (well, any Philly team, actually) and asshole fans?

 

[Lineker]

Rams and Chargers confirmed for Hard Knocks. 

[Lineker]