It's always disappointing to me when I see one of my favorite bands or actors trading the traditional stage for a political soapbox. When I go to a concert or a movie, my intention is to get away from the craziness of the world for a few hours. When politics are injected into the mix, there's always a tendency to ruin the atmosphere for many of the fans.
The latest example of this comes to us from the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens recently accepted a $130,000 contract to promote the President Obama's Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). This comes after the NFL made a decision to ignore pleas from the Obama administration to promote the hotly contested healthcare plan.
This especially disappointing to me as I am a big Baltimore Ravens fan. I love watching them play on Sunday afternoons. But, I really don't look forward to see the organization pushing Obamacare down my throat. Quite frankly, they have really pissed me off on this one. At this point, I couldn't care less if won another game this season. They have risked angering a big portion of their fan base in order to promote a political agenda. I just don't get it. At the very least, I think the fans deserve an official explanation from the Ravens organization.
Although entertainers and professional athletes certainly have a right to their opinions, I don't think that it's a good idea to rub the fans' faces in it. In any group of people, it's very likely that a decent percentage won't share your political belief. So, why would you risk alienating any of them? Shouldn't all the fans be important? After all, they paid to hear you sing, act or throw a ball. When did ESPN and VH1 become CNN or Fox News?
It really ticks me off to have my tax dollars going to my favorite football team to promote something that I don't support. Although I haven't found any specifics on why the Ravens chose to go against the NFL's decision, I have a suspicion that some of Maryland's "Obama-ass-kissing" politicians could have been a major factor.
As silly as it might sound, I actually feel betrayed by my team. I'm not sure what kind of long term impact all of this will have on me. Right now, I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with it. Maybe I'm just caught up in the emotion right now and I'll eventually find my way through it.
Under normal circumstances, I would stick with my team through thick and thin. However, when they start pushing a political agenda, especially one that I don't agree with, it really makes it tough for me to just sit back and ignore it. To add salt to the wound, I have friends who are big fans of the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, etc. They will undoubtedly be giving me a bunch of bullshit over this. And what will I be able to say? Nothing! I'll just have to sit there and take it. Do you how humiliating it's going to be to have a Pittsburgh fan bust my balls over, of all things, Obamacare?
I'll probably get over this but the bottom line is.......Football teams should focus on playing the game leave the political grandstanding to the assholes in Washington.
kw
http://washingtonexaminer.com/super-bowl-champ-baltimore-ravens-getting-paid-130000-to-promote-obamacare/article/2537602
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Ken , I couldn't agree with you more nor could I have pit it any better .I follow what's going on in the Country and its not good , I see what this so callef Affortable Health Care will do to hurt this country even more , and as you do I like to sit down on Sundays and watch the Team I love .The last thing I want coming on the screen during a game is Politics especially my team promoting it.If I see one of those players getting on there and try and tell me how great it is , I'll change the channel and watch a movie , I'm not giving up 3hours to watch a team that is for some that I and most if the country is against.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what they were thinking on this one, Ed. It's tough to absorb...
DeleteBecause I love Ravens football so much I am so pissed off about this that I cannot even intelligently articulate my rage, Help . . .
ReplyDeletev.
Maybe we should bombard team management with emails or phone calls or something? Remind them that this is their bread & butter out here? Or would they even care ??
ReplyDeletev.
Not sure if it will make a diiference, but the can be contacted via email at contactus@ravens.NFL.net or by phone at (410) 701-4000. I plan on sending them an email and letting the know that getting involved in a controversial political movement isn't going over well with many of the fans......Ken
ReplyDeleteOops, meant to say "the Ravens can be contacted"
ReplyDelete