I was not going to watch the SuperBowl. Having done so, there was not much to commend it, apart from 49er Moody breaking the SuperBowl record for longest field goal, only to have his record broken not long after by the Chief's Butker. That was cool. Neither team played especially well, far below what I expect to see in such a climatic finish to the season as all such events are meant to be: "The Two Best" vying for the ultimate prize of the sport.
Anyway, there's much to justify never watching professional sports again, just as there to justify rejecting Hollywood films and TV shows. But I love sports and can't always help myself. I watch my teams...typically the Bears and Bulls, but don't watch games between other teams if one of them isn't my own. During the playoffs I'll watch some of the games, and pay more attention to the conference finals deciding the SuperBowl contenders, though I didn't this year. I do similar with the NBA.
That said, the reason I wasn't going to watch because they again chose to foist upon the fans and nation a performance of someone singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by referring to it as the "Black National Anthem". I hate this crap. There is no "white" national anthem. There's only the National Anthem of the United States of American, known as the "Star-Spangled Banner". It's the anthem for an entire population of people who each regard themselves as citizens of the United States...and actually are. Thus, for one segment of our population to presume they're worthy of their own anthem they can refer to as a "National" anthem is divisive in a most racist manner.
I have no problem with the song itself. I'm thinking of doing a cover of it myself in either Bluegrass or Headbanger style. (I haven't decided yet). It's a nice tune and the message is a good one. No freakin' problem at all with it.
I don't even have a problem that the song is held as especially meaningful for a particular segment of the population. I'm rather partial to Grand Funk's "T.N.U.C" for example. It speaks to me. I'll even go a step farther and say I don't have a problem with black people regarding the song as a "Black Anthem". But they don't get to call it a "national" anthem, because they have no nation. They are Americans, not "African" Americans or "Black" Americans or any other thing as if they are separate and apart from the non-black fellow Americans. We are all the same in God's sight and as such, it's not at all something toward which MLK Jr was striving. And we've just been inundated with high praise for that guy as if he was a president or an Apostle of Christ.
I had wondered if we'd see people sitting or players kneeling for either song. I didn't notice anything like that during Reba's rendition of our one true anthem. I saw a bunch of folks still looking for their seats, as well as people sitting during Andra Day's tortured performance of "Life Every Voice.." I say "tortured" because she grimace in a variety of ways while singing. I had muted it when it began, because I wasn't interested and went about doing other things. But when I would check the tube, there she was appearing to be in pain. Now, I'm guessing she was wailing on as if giving praise to God or as if someone shot her dog. I didn't notice Reba doing that. She looked happy and proud for the opportunity and did a good job. I'm sure this Day chick can sing like nobody's business, but again, on principle, I wasn't interested. (And then there was this "Post Malone" dude singing "American the Beautiful". What the hell is his problem? )
The performance of this song, as if it is actually a national anthem, is no more than pandering to the morons who run the bullshit narratives about how oppressed black people are by white racists in this country. I get it, Day and all those black football players are suffering daily simply because they're black people. God help them. They just must weep all day long in their mansions. But hey...if we can continue to stoke racial division, then let's have everyone sing their anthems before the games. Wake me when it's over. I wanna watch football.
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When, say, the White Sox play the Blue Jays in Toronto, they play the Canadian anthem first and the Star-Spangled Banner second. When they play in Chicago, the play our anthem first. At least this is how it happens during the playoffs. I believe they do it in the NBA and the NHL, but I'm not sure. I haven't paid attention. I just recall that happening in MLB. Anyway, why the hell is "Lift Every Voice..." performed before the actual National Anthem? I think it's because Roger Goodell and the team owners are nutless panderers to the BLM types who aren't worth the time of day. There are real and serious problems in the black community, and we only hear about the assholes who make their bones on it rather than actually doing black people any good. The accusations by dumbshits like Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James are lies, though they're not bright enough, honest enough or mature enough to truly learn. They're chumps for the cause promoted by race-hustlers like Ibram X Kendi, Al Sharpton and the like. "BLM" type slogans painted on football fields or Washington DC streets don't to damned thing to improve the lives of those who are suffering.
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I haven't heard at this point, but I am keen on seeing continue low ratings for the SuperBowl, as compared to what its traditionally compelled in days past when men played the game. I don't have cable service, and I don't have standard television. We're doing the streaming thing, mostly via Firestick. I don't know the details of how all that works. It could be there's some manner in which viewers through these types of streaming service are counted along with every one to determine just how good or bad viewership was. In my case, because I now live in S. Carolina but still wish to watch Chicago sports teams, I use an "IPTV" app loaded on through my Firestick. Thus, this seems to be another layer which I'm unsure as to whether it is recognized by those who do the counting of viewers. I'm hoping that's not the case so I can continuing watching my teams without being added to those who by their viewing support or are complicit in the woke shit promoted by pro-sports these days.
This is another of those things wherein if I could get what I want and need without supporting assholes who promote evil and immorality, I'd continue to do so without a single care. But with each purchase, with each viewing, with each radio station which gets my ear, I wonder if the provider is a lefty jackwad or a spineless right-winger. It's clearly a case of being in but not of, but it still bothers me to know that I'll drive myself crazy trying to find only those I can trust are companies of real character.
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My last item relates to my state of S. Carolina. I get emails from a number of my reps and my state senator Sean Bennett sent one which listed a number of things which happened in the senate. Among them is what appears to be both House and Senate agreeing to what is known as "Constitutional Carry", by which any law abiding person who can legally obtain a firearm (not a felon or lunatic, for example) can carry that piece as they choose without permission from the state government. A concealed carry permit will still be available for those who wish to carry their weapon in other states who will honor that permit (as every state honors one's driver's license), but knowing one can carry within the state borders means one's every day life can be a bit more protected from harm and a permit so one can carry in other states can be handled as needed.
This is a good development and at this point I believe it still awaits the governor, Henry McMaster's signature to close the deal. Should he do so, I believe that would make us the 27th state with Constitutional Carry. For the modern progressives out there, that means more than half the states in the union do less to infringe upon our God-given right to defend ourselves, than do shitholes like Illinois, New York, California and the most disappointing to me personally, Hawaii.
I haven't read the bill yet. The quick version sounds reasonable, as it adds to the penalties for illegal use of firearms. That's OK with me, so long as they're dedicated toward knowing the truth of why one chose to use their rod. At the same time, I also haven't heard from local 2nd Amendment groups who have been sending me emails about the progress of this push for Constitutional Carry. (Bennett referred to it as "permitless carry", or some such wording) Such groups would get specific about whether the bill goes far enough, whether it is a watered-down, impotent bastardization of what it should be, or whether it's a true victory for Americans.
From here, the next step would be to begin working toward national reciprocity. This means getting the stupid in states like those I just mentioned to push their moron leaders to get with the program for the benefit and safety of all Americans. Hawaii...again, most disappointing to me...will be a severely tough nut to crack as they just has a ruling which basically said the US Constitution is NOT the law of the land and that they don't have to abide it or SCOTUS rulings regarding the 2nd Amendment and how it should be understood. It's like Hawaii is run by people like Dan. It makes me wonder how they can enjoy the immense beauty of that state with their heads rammed so solidly and deeply up their asses.
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Finally, getting back to the SuperBowl, I'm really hacked about the current OT rules for this sport. Could there be a more wussy-fied league of huge dudes engaged in a contact sport? From the first they enacted this rule change, I've been outraged at how whiny it is! In the good old days when men played the game, if one could not win the game, and instead only tied, Overtime was played in a "Sudden Death" manner, which meant the first to score...regardless of how (touchdown, field goal, safety)...would be the winner of the contest. Somewhere along the line, some girly man insisted both sides should have a chance to score...as if that wasn't always the case. Back then, if one won the OT coin toss and chose to receive the kickoff, that team could possibly end the game with a field goal or touch down. Indeed, all one had to do was get into field goal range, which take less effort that it does to score a touchdown. But what of the other team? As was true of the entire regulation period of play, that team's defense has the job of preventing the other team from scoring any points. That's as important as having a good offense. If the defensive team succeeds, their offense then has the opportunity to score and end the game in their favor. There should be no whining given each team had the opportunity to outscore the other during regulation. Now that each team failed, their opportunities still result in an outcome based on which team had a good offense and/or defense.
The 49ers got a favorable coin toss and elected to receive the kick so that their offense can get busy. They marched down and scored a field goal. In the old days, when men played the game, that would have been the end of the game with Frisco being the league champs this year. But NOOOO! The Chiefs have to have a chance to score, too! Had they only been able to score a field goal, the OT period would proceed. It's stupid! There are two acceptable options to bring a little sanity to a game which has been horribly sanitized over the last few decades:
1. Go back to the Sudden Death plan.
2. Play an entire OT period of whatever time limit chosen for overtime and let each team score as many points as they can. The team with the most points wins. Period. This would be like how the NBA does OT and, more importantly, HOW FREAKIN' REGULATION WORKS!!!
It's like they don't want fans anymore!
