DirecTV is allowing at least some customers to cancel subscriptions to its Sunday Ticket package of NFL games and obtain refunds, if they cite players' national anthem protests as the reason for discontinuing service, customer service representatives said Tuesday.
Under Sunday Ticket's regular policy, refunds are not to be given once the season is underway. But the representatives said they are making exceptions this season -- which began in September -- because of the controversy over the protests, in which players kneel or link arms during the national anthem.
Spokesmen for DirecTV-parent AT&T Inc. (T) and the National Football League declined to comment.
(Score: 3, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday September 29 2017, @04:15PM (12 children)
From your perspective, yes. From that of the fans, no. And that of the fans is the one that matters unless you're trying to piss them off rather than convey a message. It's not the job of the fans or of myself to tell you how to speak effectively to an audience. Figuring that out is your job.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Sulla on Friday September 29 2017, @04:30PM (7 children)
I was listening to Bill OReilly froth at the mouth over this. Boomers and older are really mad because to them the anthem and flag = America, the anthem and flag =/ the president. What they saw from this event appears to be equivalent to pissing on graves at Arlington, not taking a stand against the presidents policies.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday September 29 2017, @04:39PM
Yup. It was an exceedingly poorly chosen method of communication.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Friday September 29 2017, @05:12PM (2 children)
Boomers and older are really mad
They won't be round much longer.
(Aren't boomers the woodstock generation?)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @08:37PM (1 child)
Boomers used to burn the fucking flag! You want to piss of some petty nationalist fascist Americans, just criticize they Wars of Aggression and set fire to Ol' Gory! So who are all these current day offended American conservatives, besides the Might Buzzurd?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday September 30 2017, @03:55AM
A) Not a conservative.
B) Not offended.
I've actually been offering helpful advice on public speaking this entire article.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday September 29 2017, @07:42PM (1 child)
That's it exactly. Thank you for saying it.
There are some who are slyly trying to smear everyone thus upset as nazis who actually do want cops to murder black people. It's disingenuous.
I don't care if they're protesting, except that anyone else in America would be summarily fired for engaging in political protests on the job, but let not what's going on be hijacked for more stupid culture wars.
Anyway the NFL is shooting itself in the foot with this business, because the Baby Boomers are the NFL's core audience. The numbers of Gen-X who care about the NFL are much lower than the Boomers, and the Gen-Y and Millenials care even less, especially since ESPN and the sports leagues have refused to lower themselves to broadcasting their stuff online in a reasonable fashion. Not that I have a problem with the NFL shooting itself in the foot, because I fucking hate football and football players and always have.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @08:37PM
I like football.
Not such a fan of the NFL, but the game itself is an interesting fusion of brain and brawn. I don't know of any other sport where the coach controls so much of the action.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @11:45PM
Don't assume. Don't assume. I am at the tail end of the boomer generation (born 1963) and I'm completely fine with the players kneeling for the national anthem. Frankly, it is all those who are bloviating and "frothing at the mouth" who disgust me. Of course, I'm just one data point...but there you go.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @11:58PM (3 children)
What you are failing to grasp is that perhaps--just maybe, mind you--the fans do understand the message and are offended by having their precious country called out for the not so subtle inequities minorities must face every day in this country. Inequities like being shot by cops for existing while black, for example.
I'm reminded of something Patrick Moynihan once said: I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. [biblegateway.com]
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday September 30 2017, @04:01AM (2 children)
Oh please. Shouting "Everyone's Racist" isn't going to make it true no matter how loudly you shout it.
You know that a black man is less than ten percent more likely to be shot while committing a crime than a white man, yes? Even though he's three times and change more likely to commit a crime? That math says to me the black man is getting one hell of a break.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 01 2017, @02:17AM (1 child)
But do you really believe the words you write? I guess its a rhetorical question since either way you're compelled to act the part.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday October 01 2017, @03:33PM
Since I looked up the statistics, did the math, and had an error in my math corrected? Yes, I absolutely believe what I'm saying. Facts: they're still the truth even if they trigger you.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.