1stladyofthenfl.com
EVERYTHING YOU WANT AND NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2008 N.F.L. SEASON.
The Lady you want and need to visit for all things NFL.
No Fun League
It’s Obvious That The ‘F’ In NFL Does Not Stand For Fun- Unless It’s The No Fun League
July 23, 2008
Commissioner Roger Goodell has done it again. He has found one more way to slowly remove anything that resembles fun from the NFL. His latest form of paranoia comes from a sign that Paul Pierce used during the NBA playoffs. Pierce says that the sign was not gang related and he can be seen showing the sign before several games. He says that it is something that the team created that stands for “blood, sweat, and tears.”
Goodell has now hired gang sign experts to review certain signs used by players of the NFL. Jemele Hill does an excellent job in discussing some of the negatives of Goodell’s hasty actions in her story, The NFL Has Overreacted On Gang Signs.
Not only is the NFL doing more harm to their image by creating a problem that does not seem to exist, they are also taking away another form of entertainment from the game. It is, after all, a game…isn’t it?
Yes, the NFL has become an almost $8 billion dollar business, but all of the business is taking away from the fun.
Several of these men have been playing football since they were very young and they have a good time doing it. If Ocho Cinco and T.O. enjoy entertaining the crowd, why not allow them to do so?
These men go out and play one of the most brutal sports and it is as if Goodell wants them to be miserable doing so.
Goodell’s conduct policy is harsh, but respectable; but Hill is accurate about the whole gang signs situation being blown out of proportion.
It is definitely racial profiling. There is no nice way to say it. It would definitely be preferred if race did not have to enter into all of this, but it is true. Cultures are different. Pop culture, especially hip-hop, has become more mainstream, but the people who emulate the hip-hop culture are mostly blacks because it is the culture that is most relatable to many blacks.
Take Soulja Boy’s smash hit, Crank Dat Soulja Boy, for example. The derogatory meaning of the term and dance, superman, was completely missed by most people who did this dance as if it were the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel, but yet and still children (especially young girls) of all races would been seen on television commercials or shows performing this dance.
The point is that sometimes the original meaning of certain things (hand gestures included) is lost once it becomes popularized or mainstream.
The other problem with these hand gestures is which ones do you fine players for? As Hill states, some hand signs are used to show pride in hometowns or fraternities. Think of how many hand signs are thrown up in clubs. It has become difficult to figure out what sign represents what city, but those from that city always know. Several hundred signs can be seen at a given point in clubs in a city like Miami, Florida. Not only is there the 305 sign to represent Dade County, but neighborhoods even have their own individual signs. There could be hundreds of neighborhood signs in Dade County alone. The signs are just to show their pride. This is usually only seen in black clubs.
Again, cultures are different. Blacks and whites do not always do the same things for enjoyment. To most blacks who put up these signs in clubs, it is to show pride and to have a good time.
Commissioner Goodell apparently wants to make apples out of oranges, but even if he does not want the players to have fun while playing, at least allow the fans to be entertained while watching. That may be too much to ask of the Commissioner. He seems to prefer to encourage stereotypes rather than fight
July 23, 2008
Commissioner Roger Goodell has done it again. He has found one more way to slowly remove anything that resembles fun from the NFL. His latest form of paranoia comes from a sign that Paul Pierce used during the NBA playoffs. Pierce says that the sign was not gang related and he can be seen showing the sign before several games. He says that it is something that the team created that stands for “blood, sweat, and tears.” Goodell has now hired gang sign experts to review certain signs used by players of the NFL. Jemele Hill does an excellent job in discussing some of the negatives of Goodell’s hasty actions in her story, The NFL Has Overreacted On Gang Signs.
Not only is the NFL doing more harm to their image by creating a problem that does not seem to exist, they are also taking away another form of entertainment from the game. It is, after all, a game…isn’t it?
Yes, the NFL has become an almost $8 billion dollar business, but all of the business is taking away from the fun.
Several of these men have been playing football since they were very young and they have a good time doing it. If Ocho Cinco and T.O. enjoy entertaining the crowd, why not allow them to do so?
These men go out and play one of the most brutal sports and it is as if Goodell wants them to be miserable doing so.
Goodell’s conduct policy is harsh, but respectable; but Hill is accurate about the whole gang signs situation being blown out of proportion.
It is definitely racial profiling. There is no nice way to say it. It would definitely be preferred if race did not have to enter into all of this, but it is true. Cultures are different. Pop culture, especially hip-hop, has become more mainstream, but the people who emulate the hip-hop culture are mostly blacks because it is the culture that is most relatable to many blacks.
Take Soulja Boy’s smash hit, Crank Dat Soulja Boy, for example. The derogatory meaning of the term and dance, superman, was completely missed by most people who did this dance as if it were the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel, but yet and still children (especially young girls) of all races would been seen on television commercials or shows performing this dance.
The point is that sometimes the original meaning of certain things (hand gestures included) is lost once it becomes popularized or mainstream.
The other problem with these hand gestures is which ones do you fine players for? As Hill states, some hand signs are used to show pride in hometowns or fraternities. Think of how many hand signs are thrown up in clubs. It has become difficult to figure out what sign represents what city, but those from that city always know. Several hundred signs can be seen at a given point in clubs in a city like Miami, Florida. Not only is there the 305 sign to represent Dade County, but neighborhoods even have their own individual signs. There could be hundreds of neighborhood signs in Dade County alone. The signs are just to show their pride. This is usually only seen in black clubs.
Again, cultures are different. Blacks and whites do not always do the same things for enjoyment. To most blacks who put up these signs in clubs, it is to show pride and to have a good time. Commissioner Goodell apparently wants to make apples out of oranges, but even if he does not want the players to have fun while playing, at least allow the fans to be entertained while watching. That may be too much to ask of the Commissioner. He seems to prefer to encourage stereotypes rather than fight