What's wrong with the game???

Friend of ours is a Cop in a very elite community here in Michigan, he said of 2 of the Lions arrested, their statements looked like a year old wrote them, can't speak, spell or write proper English.
They can go to hellll.

There are websites devoted to the details, but one of the best I've found is http://nflarrest.com/

As the site says, however, the sample size is 1700 players and the arrest rates are lower than the U.S. avg. Plus, if you want to drill down, dig deeper into the statistics, you'll find that there are a few players that have multiple arrests, such as the ten by Adam Jones of the Bengals, formerly of Tennessee with a cup of coffee in Dallas (where he kept his nose clean, but I believe Jerry Jones became gun shy after all the other incidents in Dallas)

I cannot comment too much about any other team, as I have only cursorily followed any other teams besides Dallas for the last couple of decades. I just know because of their high profile as "America's Team", that their incidents garnered much more attention. I also know that, other than a very few times, Jerry Jones has steered away from players with serious issues. I believe he only took those few chances after passing on Randy Moss, who later single-handedly destroyed the Cowboys in several games.   

Be that as it may, while I've always wanted the 'Boys to win Super Bowls, I also wanted them to be a team to be proud of. IOW, I want my Cowboys to wear white hats, be good men and good citizens, good fathers and husbands, not just good players...people like Roger Staubach, Jason Witten, Darren Woodson, many others. I'd rather have 53 good men who played hard and clean and tried to win every game...even if they didn't..., than have trophies in the case won by half of those 53 who are thugs and criminals or those who felt entitled because they can pass, run and kick a ball better than their peers.

I don't think it's the "thugs" that are driving away fans, I honestly think it's mostly to do with the anthem protests and related issues. Seeing some millionaire pro player protest the same flag, the same country that allowed them their wealth and the freedom to play a game for a living goes against most good American's sensibilities...I know it does my own. It's the hypocrisy we hate more than anything else, just as we ridicule those Hollywood elite who make their millions making movies with obscene amounts of gun violence, have walls around their palatial estates and are surrounded by bodyguards who carry weapons, yet think we, the unwashed masses, need our guns taken away.

Also, most people who delve into the issue, see beyond the false narrative that police are singling out black people for arrest and subsequently to kill while in custody. Have their been wrongful deaths of black detainees? Yes, of course there have, but very few. The rest of the time the ones killed fled the scene or pulled out a weapon or tried to grab the arresting officer's weapon or resisted arrest.   And, once again, I need to point out that more white people are killed by cops than are blacks.

It's like climate change; when people who scream about it start actually acting like it's real, then I'll start believing them. It's the same way with the theme of these pro player's protests; when they start doing something about it, when they put their money where their mouths are, when they start calling out their own community for being at fault instead of putting all the blame on cops, when they stop disrespecting the country that allows them to become rich off their talents, then I'll take their protests to heart. Until then, they can go pound sand for all I care, I'm done listening to them.

Speaking of Jerry Jones: 'We're going to respect the flag'
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Controversy over protests during the national anthem simmered down in Week 4 after a league wide spread following President Trump’s September criticism. But the political brushfire flared right back up again in Week 5 thanks to Vice President Mike Pence’s highly publicized walkout from an Indianapolis Colts game, a protest of the protests apparently orchestrated by President Trump himself. Later in the day, following a last-second loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spoke at length on the protests.

“I know this. We cannot in the NFL, in any way, give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag,” Jones told reporters after the game. “We cannot do that. I know the vice president did leave because in his opinion, the teams were. We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues. But there is no question in my mind that the National Football League and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag. Just so we’re clear.”

Jones made it clear that he prized respect for the flag over team unity: “The main thing I want to do is make it real clear. There is no room here,” he said. “If it comes between looking non-supportive of our players and of each other or creating the impression that you’re disrespecting the flag, we will be non-supportive of each other. We will not disrespect the flag.”
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Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said his players will stand for the anthem, or else.
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Jones also cited the NFL’s own “rules that are on the book” as a justification for his line in the sand. The NFL’s Game Operations Manual, as quoted by the Washington Post, addresses anthem behavior in this fashion:

The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”
               
It’s worth noting that the only “must” in that paragraph pertains to the playing of the anthem itself; everything else is either a “should,” or a violation that “may” result in punishment. To date, the NFL has used that soft language to permit players to protest without immediate recrimination, with NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart saying “our players have a right to express themselves.” Jones is indicating that the Cowboys will follow a far more hardline philosophy.

If there is anything disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period,” he said. “We’re going to respect the flag and I’m going to create the perception of it.”
               
Of course, one person’s disrespect of the flag is another’s peaceful, non-confrontational speech. One wonders how Jones might enforce that “respect” off the field — will fans in attendance be required to stand with hands over hearts? Will the Cowboys avoid wearing flag patches on their uniforms, or ditch the use of the giant horizontally-held flags so common across the NFL, all of which are in direct contradiction to U.S. government flag policy?
               
               These are pedantic questions, of course, and you could argue that fans are “exempt” from Jones’ directive because he’s not paying them. But if you’re going to allow some forms of “disrespect” in your workplace and not others, well, you’re just opening yourself up for exactly the kind of ugly legal challenge the NFL tries to evade at every turn. (Also, once more, so we’re clear: Players do have a First Amendment right to say what they wish without fear of government intervention. The First Amendment doesn’t necessarily protect them from being fired by their employer, however.)
               
               
               
               

Jones is a player's owner and I don't think there's too many of his former players who have bad-mouthed him after leaving the team (although a few who have were on the list of the Dallas arrestees) I understood his kneeling with the players a few weeks back, but was pleased he and the rest of them stood for the anthem. I don't know what dynamic he has w/ Trump other than I know he contributed to his campaign, but he's put himself between a rock and a hard spot now with his statement that he would bench any player who disrespected the flag. On one hand, he wants to support his players, but on the other he realizes this is a hot button w/ the majority of fans, esp. those here in Texas.

I have a sneaking suspicion that sales of team gear and even visits to the official website are down. While there's probably not been any drop off for any home games this year, I've read that stadium attendance is down a bit across the league for other teams and I know TV ratings have dropped a substantial amount, anywhere from 6-10%. I do know a couple of Cowboys fan sites aren't nearly as active as they've been in the past.   What that all boils down to is a hit in the ol' pocketbook, something that Jerry Jones simply cannot tolerate. Now, I'm not saying it's his only motivation, I believe he'd give up a billion dollars to win one more Super Bowl before he kicks the bucket, but it obviously has to be a concern and that's understandable.

My own boycott is not so much against the 'Boys or Jerry Jones or any particular player on the team, but against the NFL as a whole, plus the networks televising the games.