[Shiver Metimbers]

To Shiver, et. al.

Though I don't totally 100% disagree with the Tuzo 29's post, nor do I 100% agree with your follow-up post, I will say that the quality of your post should be nominated for The Pulitzer. Overall, the level of discussion is beyond superb.

Another minor issue regarding the black balled "2nd rate" quarterback. I'm sure you're old enough to remember that Kaepernick took the 49ers to the Super Bowl v. the Colts . . .er The Ravens (I'm gettin' old, too). A game that the 49ers clearly should have won were it not for the egregious non-call of interference of a perfectly thrown TD pass to Crabtree in the end zone while the defender was literally riding his back in the last 120 or so seconds of the game. But, hey! The narrative was The Ray Lewis story in the MSM press. IMO, the fix was in. The narrative had to be fulfilled. Fairy tail ending. Mission accomplished.

And that's the big elephant in the room, the press - the MSM. A James Bond movie was even centered around the power of the press. It goes back to "The Sinking of The Main" and has not stopped. The narrative IS the thing . . . which brings us back to the protests in what used to be a neutral venue and the "uniting" of nations. But don't tell that to Hitler in the 1936 Olympics - Jesse Owens, the foil. It's been going on since the beginning of time - or at least in sports (e.g. ancient Greece).

So the culture wars, even in sports, has gone back far longer than the last three years. Inappropriate? Of course (also IMO) The biggest stage to back a point - agreed upon or disagreed - but getting it out there in spades? Of course. (Shades of the the raised fists at the 1968 Olympics praising "Black Power"and furthering a movement that changed the country).

It's a big pain in the ass if it's against the current MSM ("Deep State") narrative. But, sadly (again IMO) the Rapinoe stunts on the international stage seem clearly in line with the current MSM Globalist agenda. It's a very big war, the Globalists vs the Nationalists (not a dirty word). And it's not going to stop very soon.

But, kudos to you for your posts, Professor!

Your post really kicks the level of discourse up a notch, so "top marks" and kudos back at ya!

Zeroth, I sit corrected regarding Kaepernick and his skill level, I had quite forgotten his once-potent performances with the '49ers. Guilty of talking out of my hat there, bad form and no excuse. Thank you sir may I have another

To be honest, the NFL was already on probation with me over the continuing degradation of the game via continuous and bad-to-worse rule changes, as well as multiple examples of awful refereeing that made one wonder whether "the fix was in", so I wasn't paying as much attention then as I used to do. Didn't even watch that Superbowl. Bit of homework to do there, better late than never I hope. (I like the German fuller phrase, Besser spät als nie, aber besser nicht spät.)

First, you've hit on a more fundamentally important point historically, and I bow to your larger vision and connecting of Bigger Dots. Thanks for reminding me of the 1936 Olympics, the "Superman" propaganda and the shameful treatment of Jesse Owens both there and here. Mussolini's (ab)use of the 2nd World Cup in 1934 would be a slightly earlier but no less egregious example. I guess one has to admit that some political posturing and propaganda was involved in the First Revived Olympics in 1896, too.

All in all, point well made and well taken: the use of Sports to further political postures is not new, maybe stretches back through all of human society. Yep, you nailed that one.

Perhaps what IS new in this context: it is not now governments doing it as a furtherance of their unification goals, generally with the support of the bulk of their own populations who already wish to proceed along such paths (ex. Italy and Germany aforementioned, possibly ancient Greeks?), it is being done by individuals who quite clearly intend to divide the populace, and who do not have the support of even a majority thereof. It is not "flipping the bird" to rival countries, it is flipping that bird to their own country and everyone in it who doesn't agree with them. In a word, disrespectful and a case of shiteing where you eat.

2nd, you've assigned me homework regarding the use of sports venues for political purposes in ancient Greece. Studied ancient Greece pretty thoroughly back in the day, so either my memory blinked again or my classes and subsequent personal reading never covered that aspect. Another excuse to do more reading and research, tone up a few couch-potato brain cells, yippee!

3rd, well-made points regarding "venue for impact" both here and in the '68 Olympics.

And finally, most importantly and fundamentally, the Big Elephant discussion. Wow, yes, great, spot-on and other highly-impressed expressions!!

That succinct bit of your post deserves more consideration than I can give at the moment, domestic insistence taking me afk for now.

Thanks again for the very thoughtful and insightful post. Rep!