Christopher Johnson: Let the players kneel.

[cheaterhater]

I have to admit, I'm sick of hops. I am so sick of every microbrew and craft brewery doing IPAs, double IPAs, special IPAs. At what point do we just fill a pint glass with hops and water?

I'm friends with the brewmaster of Wachusett Brewery up in Massachusetts, and they do some good stuff. But every brewery competes to see who can be the hoppiest. Just give me a medium amber ale, something like Bass. Sam's a good lager, and their Oktoberfest is great. Perhaps my favorite lately has been the Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest.

Here in Connecticut, there are some good breweries, like Two Roads. But so many are stuck in that hoppy contest.

I like the smooth strong beers. the ones that are tasty and strong but you don't really taste the booze. Some hop combinations are over the top, but some are really good. I like a beer that I can sit for a while and enjoy just 1 or 2 at most. I have a buddy down the street. I can only play with him once or twice a year. He drinks crap beer and a lot of it and fast, so if I hang with him, every time he drinks a beer he feels like he has to get me another too and he grabs it, opens it and hands it to you. You can't do that with the beers I drink and I can't Coors light like him. Usually gets ugly

When i started trying different beers, Sam Adams was considered craft beer and I used to drink it. I liked the winter pack, with Old Fezziwig and the Cranberry one. Then I decided that Sam reminded me too much of the patriots so I quit drinking it. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm a little over the top in my dislike for the patriots. Actually another buddy brought me to the Cambridge house in Granby and they had an ipa that they made that was so tasty, I then became an ipa guy. I lost the taste for lagers and the Oktoberfests and now my taste buds have changed and I can't drink them any more.

Where are you in Ct.? I'm from New Hartford. Seems like a new brewery every other day in this state

 

[cheaterhater]

So back to our history lesson, slavery, no matter who started it, is crazy to me. Aren't we all supposed to be created equal?(well maybe everybody except cheatah fans)

The other thing that gets me is Holy Wars. Since the beginning of time wars have been fought in the name of God. Does anybody really believe God is in favor of war?

Maybe SackExchange has a good history lesson on Holy wars for us too

For me, I would have liked to live like Kevin Cosner in Dance with Wolves, except I wouldn't have left at the end. Although, I would have a hard time without my stereo. Besides beer , my other vice or hobby is music. I think it was in one of the National Treasure movies?(not sure) where the guy says that all he wants is a set of speakers so loud that they can blow a women's clothes off. I just about have that and music is playing at my house most of the time

 

[butterscotch]

When there is Bud why would you want anything else. Look at history the best family TV show of all time "Father knows best" named his only son after the best beer. When someone asked Bud -dy Holly if someone could make a better beer then Bud he said "That’ll Be The Day " Bud Harrelson took on Pete Rose when Rose said there was a better beer then Bud (that statement got him banned from baseball. Even the movies Air bud became a super star. Bud Abbott would slap Lou Costello every time he would say there might be a better beer out there. "who is on first" of course it is Bud...........................
R. Budd Dwyer Killed himself when someone said that bud was not the king of beer .....you see folks just look at history.

 

[cheaterhater]

When there is Bud why would you want anything else. Look at history the best family TV show of all time "Father knows best" named his only son after the best beer. When someone asked Bud -dy Holly if someone could make a better beer then Bud he said "That’ll Be The Day " Bud Harrelson took on Pete Rose when Rose said there was a better beer then Bud (that statement got him banned from baseball. Even the movies Air bud became a super star. Bud Abbott would slap Lou Costello every time he would say there might be a better beer out there. "who is on first" of course it is Bud...........................
R. Budd Dwyer Killed himself when someone said that bud was not the king of beer .....you see folks just look at history.

Keep thinking that way you'll have a lot more money in your pocket then the rest of us

 

[SackExchange]

I like the smooth strong beers. the ones that are tasty and strong but you don't really taste the booze. Some hop combinations are over the top, but some are really good. I like a beer that I can sit for a while and enjoy just 1 or 2 at most. I have a buddy down the street. I can only play with him once or twice a year. He drinks crap beer and a lot of it and fast, so if I hang with him, every time he drinks a beer he feels like he has to get me another too and he grabs it, opens it and hands it to you. You can't do that with the beers I drink and I can't Coors light like him. Usually gets ugly

When i started trying different beers, Sam Adams was considered craft beer and I used to drink it. I liked the winter pack, with Old Fezziwig and the Cranberry one. Then I decided that Sam reminded me too much of the patriots so I quit drinking it. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm a little over the top in my dislike for the patriots. Actually another buddy brought me to the Cambridge house in Granby and they had an ipa that they made that was so tasty, I then became an ipa guy. I lost the taste for lagers and the Oktoberfests and now my taste buds have changed and I can't drink them any more.

Where are you in Ct.? I'm from New Hartford. Seems like a new brewery every other day in this state

New Hartford? We looked at houses up there! We ended up settling in Colchester after I got my doctorate. My brother is in Fairfield (though he's a Fish fan).

 

[cheaterhater]

New Hartford? We looked at houses up there! We ended up settling in Colchester after I got my doctorate. My brother is in Fairfield (though he's a Fish fan).

Yeah, I grew up in Warren, met my wife at UConn, she was from Danielson, and works at UConn health so we moved here, kind of in the middle of where we both work. She's getting her doctorate right now. Oh my God, it's a lot of work. She comes home from work and starts the homework and goes to bed at midnight, wakes up and starts over. Dummy me, told her to go for it. If only I knew how much work it would be. I find myself working less and doing more housework and driving around of kids more than anything but it has to be done and since I'm self employed and the economy stinks I have plenty of time for it. can't wait for her to be done though

I'm sure you already know Butterscotch lives in Southbury

 

[SackExchange]

Yeah, I grew up in Warren, met my wife at UConn, she was from Danielson, and works at UConn health so we moved here, kind of in the middle of where we both work. She's getting her doctorate right now. Oh my God, it's a lot of work. She comes home from work and starts the homework and goes to bed at midnight, wakes up and starts over. Dummy me, told her to go for it. If only I knew how much work it would be. I find myself working less and doing more housework and driving around of kids more than anything but it has to be done and since I'm self employed and the economy stinks I have plenty of time for it. can't wait for her to be done though

I'm sure you already know Butterscotch lives in Southbury

I did not know that.

We just got a dog from a rescue in Southbury. Jets fan, too.

 

[butterscotch]

I did not know that.

We just got a dog from a rescue in Southbury. Jets fan, too.

my to goldens are jet fans too lol

 

[butterscotch]

Why do some of us still live in CT?

 

[lounap23]

Wow. I’m very disappointed to see that our acting owner made the following statement regarding player protests of the National Anthem: “Trying to forcibly get the players to shut up is a fantastically bad idea”.

So I have a question, Chris. Would you have any objections to employees at Johnson and Johnson staging up outside your corporate headquarters during company hours, and holding a protest over some perceived injustice about the treatment of the American worker?

How were ratings last year? I heard the NFL took a hard hit in ratings. NFL Sunday Ticket lost many customers last year, and many teams lost many season ticket holders. So yes, maybe it is time to tell these players to shut up at work, and protest on their own time.

BTW, 49er protesters Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reed are still looking for jobs.

I am glad he said what he did... I personally say stand for the National Anthem but what a player does or doesn't do isn't anyones right to tell them. The fact Reid and Kap are looking for jobs will cost the NFL a lot of money.... Book it... Whether we agree or disagree in America I can guarantee you the courts will always uphold the constitution which gives us all the rights of freedom of speech and expression.. Just because we don't always see eye to eye doesn't mean the opposing view shouldn't or can't be expressed... I root for the Jets to win football games... I am sure I don't agree with quite a few of the players on a vast number of subjects. Deciding who to draft on anything other than football abilities are idiotic.

Ratings have been slowly declining for many years.. But guess what... Revenue has done nothing but increase... So as long as Networks shell out big bucks and advertisers keep paying big bucks to the networks for as space during games the slight decline of in ratings means nothing... Plus their are several reasons for a decline in ratings that have nothing to do with the national anthem protests.... matter of fact most experts say the protest had minimal to no impact to ratings.... Where as the bigger issues are the cost of services for Sunday Ticket, the huge decline Satellite and Cable viewer ship over the last 5 years and peopel relying solely on the internet and streaming services for their entertainment. With no access to live broadcast as well as streaming live feeds illegally... And of course rule changes in the game that have turned fans off.... So I see your point Brick but the NFL isn't hurting because of Protests and Chris Johnsons point of View 100% dead on accurate.. Because when you look at the demographics of the NFL players than you can clearly understand why is a fantastically bad idea to tell them what to when it comes to what they deem a civil rights issue.

 

[SackExchange]

Why do some of us still live in CT?

Good schools, good potential for employment, at least for me in academia. Close to practically everything.

 

[AFA2017]

I am glad he said what he did... I personally say stand for the National Anthem but what a player does or doesn't do isn't anyones right to tell them. The fact Reid and Kap are looking for jobs will cost the NFL a lot of money.... Book it... Whether we agree or disagree in America I can guarantee you the courts will always uphold the constitution which gives us all the rights of freedom of speech and expression.. Just because we don't always see eye to eye doesn't mean the opposing view shouldn't or can't be expressed... I root for the Jets to win football games... I am sure I don't agree with quite a few of the players on a vast number of subjects. Deciding who to draft on anything other than football abilities are idiotic.

Ratings have been slowly declining for many years.. But guess what... Revenue has done nothing but increase... So as long as Networks shell out big bucks and advertisers keep paying big bucks to the networks for as space during games the slight decline of in ratings means nothing... Plus their are several reasons for a decline in ratings that have nothing to do with the national anthem protests.... matter of fact most experts say the protest had minimal to no impact to ratings.... Where as the bigger issues are the cost of services for Sunday Ticket, the huge decline Satellite and Cable viewer ship over the last 5 years and peopel relying solely on the internet and streaming services for their entertainment. With no access to live broadcast as well as streaming live feeds illegally... And of course rule changes in the game that have turned fans off.... So I see your point Brick but the NFL isn't hurting because of Protests and Chris Johnsons point of View 100% dead on accurate.. Because when you look at the demographics of the NFL players than you can clearly understand why is a fantastically bad idea to tell them what to when it comes to what they deem a civil rights issue.

I am not glad what he said and I am against kneeling for the Anthem. Everyone has a point of view. Some of you voted for Trump, some for Hillary and others said, "What the F***"! I still root for the Jets, have my Sunday Ticket and yell my displeasure at the TV when the players kneel. Some of us are Firefighters, Police officers, Veterans and Active Duty military members who look upon the National Anthem in a different way that Lawyers, Teachers, Business Executives, and every day Americans who may look at it. One thing at the end of the day is we are all Americans. Only the idiots are not NY Jet Fans!!

 

[butterscotch]

Good schools, good potential for employment, at least for me in academia. Close to practically everything.

Yes Teachers have it good here but many people are leaving by the truck loads

 

[BlindsideD'Brick]

I am glad he said what he did... I personally say stand for the National Anthem but what a player does or doesn't do isn't anyones right to tell them. The fact Reid and Kap are looking for jobs will cost the NFL a lot of money.... Book it... Whether we agree or disagree in America I can guarantee you the courts will always uphold the constitution which gives us all the rights of freedom of speech and expression.. Just because we don't always see eye to eye doesn't mean the opposing view shouldn't or can't be expressed... I root for the Jets to win football games... I am sure I don't agree with quite a few of the players on a vast number of subjects. Deciding who to draft on anything other than football abilities are idiotic.

Ratings have been slowly declining for many years.. But guess what... Revenue has done nothing but increase... So as long as Networks shell out big bucks and advertisers keep paying big bucks to the networks for as space during games the slight decline of in ratings means nothing... Plus their are several reasons for a decline in ratings that have nothing to do with the national anthem protests.... matter of fact most experts say the protest had minimal to no impact to ratings.... Where as the bigger issues are the cost of services for Sunday Ticket, the huge decline Satellite and Cable viewer ship over the last 5 years and peopel relying solely on the internet and streaming services for their entertainment. With no access to live broadcast as well as streaming live feeds illegally... And of course rule changes in the game that have turned fans off.... So I see your point Brick but the NFL isn't hurting because of Protests and Chris Johnsons point of View 100% dead on accurate.. Because when you look at the demographics of the NFL players than you can clearly understand why is a fantastically bad idea to tell them what to when it comes to what they deem a civil rights issue.

Lounap23, you are another old school poster who I enjoy reading.

I am also a big supporter of constitutional rights including freedom of speech. But to me, there’s a difference between the right to free speech on your own time, and doing it at work. As I said before, the kneeling in protest of the treatment of black male Americans is a matter of perception. The statistics don’t back what they’re protesting. Sixteen unarmed black males were killed by police in 2016. And there were many different circumstances surrounding each case. Some were police brutality, some were cases of individuals refusing to follow police commands and advancing towards officers with unknown objects, etc. Many different scenarios. No broad brush can be used to characterize them all. The fact that 93% of black males are killed by other black males is a harsh reality that isn’t being addressed by those who push this narrative. Instead, they attempt to divert the nation’s attention towards authority figures like the police. That’s disingenuous.

If the players in the NFL want to really make a difference in their communities, get involved as mentors in the inner cities. Become “big brothers” to young black men and steer them in the right direction. Many don’t have fathers around to teach them how to be responsible young men. So they join gangs for acceptance. Big brothers programs are very positive and effective.

That’s how I see it, anyway.

 

[AFA2017]

Lounap23, you are another old school poster who I enjoy reading.

I am also a big supporter of constitutional rights including freedom of speech. But to me, there’s a difference between the right to free speech on your own time, and doing it at work. As I said before, the kneeling in protest of the treatment of black male Americans is a matter of perception. The statistics don’t back what they’re protesting. Sixteen unarmed black males were killed by police in 2016. And there were many different circumstances surrounding each case. Some were police brutality, some were cases of individuals refusing to follow police commands and advancing towards officers with unknown objects, etc. Many different scenarios. No broad brush can be used to characterize them all. The fact that 93% of black males are killed by other black males is a harsh reality that isn’t being addressed by those who push this narrative. Instead, they attempt to divert the nation’s attention towards authority figures like the police. That’s disingenuous.

If the players in the NFL want to really make a difference in their communities, get involved as mentors in the inner cities. Become “big brothers” to young black men and steer them in the right direction. Many don’t have fathers around to teach them how to be responsible young men. So they join gangs for acceptance. Big brothers programs are very positive and effective.

That’s how I see it, anyway.

Excellent post.

 

[cheaterhater]

Yes Teachers have it good here but many people are leaving by the truck loads

Yeah, if I depended on middle class people to hire me, I'd be working for nothing. The people from NY who are building weekend homes worth 5 times or more my house are the ones who keep me going. Without them I'd have to leave the state

 

[Elias]

Lounap23, you are another old school poster who I enjoy reading.

I am also a big supporter of constitutional rights including freedom of speech. But to me, there’s a difference between the right to free speech on your own time, and doing it at work. As I said before, the kneeling in protest of the treatment of black male Americans is a matter of perception. The statistics don’t back what they’re protesting. Sixteen unarmed black males were killed by police in 2016. And there were many different circumstances surrounding each case. Some were police brutality, some were cases of individuals refusing to follow police commands and advancing towards officers with unknown objects, etc. Many different scenarios. No broad brush can be used to characterize them all. The fact that 93% of black males are killed by other black males is a harsh reality that isn’t being addressed by those who push this narrative. Instead, they attempt to divert the nation’s attention towards authority figures like the police. That’s disingenuous.

If the players in the NFL want to really make a difference in their communities, get involved as mentors in the inner cities. Become “big brothers” to young black men and steer them in the right direction. Many don’t have fathers around to teach them how to be responsible young men. So they join gangs for acceptance. Big brothers programs are very positive and effective.

That’s how I see it, anyway.

That's the thing, people always cite statistics but there are things that are not captured in statistics and probably cannot be quantified or felt by anyone unless the color of their skin was black.

Black people get pulled over, questioned by police, etc.. Also, officers are more trigger happy when it comes to african-americans. These will only get addressed if awareness is raised about them.

Black on black crime is a separate issue. There's millions of issues out there but you protest what you feel passionate about.

It's a polarizing topic. These issues are not easy because everyone sees things through their own eyes. We need to put ourselves in the other's shoes and understand what they are feeling oppressed by.

 

[BlindsideD'Brick]

That's the thing, people always cite statistics but there are things that are not captured in statistics and probably cannot be quantified or felt by anyone unless the color of their skin was black.

Black people get pulled over, questioned by police, etc.. Also, officers are more trigger happy when it comes to african-americans. These will only get addressed if awareness is raised about them.

Black on black crime is a separate issue. There's millions of issues out there but you protest what you feel passionate about.

It's a polarizing topic. These issues are not easy because everyone sees things through their own eyes. We need to put ourselves in the other's shoes and understand what they are feeling oppressed by.

I hear what you’re saying, Elias. I believe racial profiling happens. And it’s not right. And I also know that police presence is higher in American inner cities, which have high concentrations of blacks, and overwhelmingly have higher crime rates. So it’s inevitable that police will have higher incidents of contact with black and Latino people. That inflates the statistics, and paints a picture that has more to do with poverty than it does with race. Poor whites have frequent contact with police too, but it rarely gets reported because poor whites don’t have civil rights groups monitoring police activity anywhere near the extent that black communities do.

When a poor white person gets shot by police, whether it was justified or not, do we see the same protests and endless cable news coverage that we saw with Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri?

There’s something else going on here.

 

[SackExchange]

Yes Teachers have it good here but many people are leaving by the truck loads

Not necessarily. Budget cuts have forced most Connecticut state colleges to rely more heavily on adjunct faculty, paid per course without benefits and legally restricted to how many courses they can teach for the state. Tenure-track jobs are scarce, and tenure itself is dying.

It's the case throughout higher education across the board, but especially in states where tight budgets lead to cuts in the state college system. So while people complain about their taxes, an entire generation of academics have worked hard to earn doctorates, only to face piecemealing together teaching at multiple colleges to make a living, denied any certainly, stability, or benefits.

 

[butterscotch]

Not all teachers but many in the public schools & private colleges are doing very ,very well.

An entire generation of people have worked hard to start a business, only to face high taxes so that they can't make a living plus do without any certainly, stability, or benefits. There is no tenure in business. This is life. But look I agree it is tough times for many.