Untended Consequences

Untended Consequences

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, December 11, 2017

You have heard the term “untended consequences” but have you ever given it serious thought as to what it means.  Here is a definition from the Internet http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/law-of-unintended-consequences that sums it up nicely:

“The superfluous consequences may or may not be foreseeable or even immediately observable and they may be beneficial, harmful or neutral in their impact. In the best-case scenario, an action produces both the desired results and unplanned benefits; in the worst-case scenario, however, the desired results fail to materialize and there are negative consequences that make the original problem worse.”

Consider the unintended consequences of a professional sports personality or personalities taking a knee during the National Anthem; there are many to think about.

• Fan support diminishes, loss of income from fewer ticket sales
• Fan support diminishes, loss of income from the sale of team approved apparel
• Fan support diminishes, local businesses income suffers from lack of customers in host cities
• Fan support diminishes, national and local advertisers stop their advertising expenditures
• Lower paying jobs associated with professional sports will be cut to offset loss of income
• Professional players will have less leverage over owners for their future income demands
• Marginal players will be cut from the teams to save money whereas in the past they may have been retained
• Team owners will have to make financial cuts to services
• The very people the players supposedly take knees for will suffer the most
• Intended or not, most of the players who take knees are Black thus providing the fuel for increased racial tensions throughout America
• Loss of revenues to the very cities that spend millions if not billions to build stadiums

But it continues…

• Loss of income means less money to pay the professionals on the teams
• Massive incomes will begin to decrease
• College athletes will NOT receive the massive bonuses as previously paid
• Television networks will not pay the millions is now pays to air games on their networks
• If taken to its eventual outcome, without some type of interference, professional sports may fade away and cease to exist as we now know them to be

But wait, on the good side…

• Previous supporters will now have more spendable income for other endeavors
• Previous supporters will now have more time to dedicate to other endeavors
• Other sports will benefit by increased viewers/supporters

You the reader can probably create even more pluses and minuses to add to the above lists.  The point is that from the very first player who took a knee, Colin Kaepernick, the reason that players decided to take a knee have morphed into many reasons.  It is doubtful that if you polled all the players taking a knee, the purpose for which they initially did it would be lost and barely recognizable.  Speaking of Kaepernick, remember he initially said he was taking a knee because of Police Brutality towards Blacks; remember?  He even wore socks that depicted Police as Pigs.  Since then his purpose has changed and apparently so has his attitude. 

But what about the rest of the players who take knees during the National Anthem.  Why are they doing what they do?  Do you think they would all tell you the same thing – inequality in America’s “social justice?”  What does the term “social justice” even mean?

If you look up the term “social justice” on the Internet,  https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=Definition+Social+Justice&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8: 

“Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

"individuality gives way to the struggle for social justice"

It is amazing is it not that when someone applies a word or words to describe something, some words make it sound really good like “social justice”, who could be against that?  Meanwhile other words make the same thing sound absolutely horrible like the actual definition of “social justice.”  Most people, certainly not you, won’t take the time to look up the definition of “social justice” and then they just assume that it represents a good thing and not a bad thing.

Within the definition lies the words, “distribution of wealth.”  If ever there was a definition of Socialism or even Communism, “distribution of wealth” is it.  Is that not what happens in countries that employ either a Socialistic or Communistic form of government?  You know that it is. 

Let’s talk about “distribution of wealth.”  What does that mean.  To me it means that if I make more than you, I should be willing to give to you some of what I have earned in order to “level the playing field” as far as wealth is concerned.  Kaepernick makes millions.  All players in the NFL make millions of dollars.  In one case a kicker makes over 4 million dollars a year.  For what?  Kicking a football that takes maybe 3 minutes at most during a game.  You can do that math as to the value of kicking a football.  To me it is just not worth paying someone over 4 million dollars to do.  Heck, I’d do it for 3 million saving the team 1 million; not a bad deal right?  So what if I don’t kick the ball quite as far.  How far do you have to kick it to be worth 4 plus million dollars? 

My question is this.  If “social justice” or “distribution of the wealth” is so critical to these players taking a knee, why don’t they practice what they preach and give money to people who make less than they do – share the wealth; they can start with me.  And speaking of sharing the wealth, the NFL Commissioner makes in excess of 44 Million Dollars a year.  For what.  I would gladly do that job for $100,000 a year.  Look at the money the NFL would save if that were to happen.  I don’t see Roger Godell sharing any part of his 44 million dollars.

Why is it that players and management don’t share their millions in their wealth with the less fortunate?  Why? Because it is not the capitalistic way to do things.  Wallace Wattles in his book The Science of Being Getting Rich wrote that if you truly want to help the needy, make money and then invest the money you make in things that would help the poor to become rich themselves.  No one ever was hired by a poor person. 

The Unintended Consequence started by Colin Kaepernick is that the NFL is doomed to failure because it is difficult for people to garner any sympathy for Kaepernick’s cause, whatever that cause really is, when he is making millions of dollars and they are not.  A great many people would gladly sit on the sidelines, stand and salute the flag during the playing of the National Anthem and then sit back and enjoy the millions someone has agreed to pay him for being a failure on the field.  America, whata country!

I have made the decision NOT to watch any of the National Football League thus making me part of Kaepernick’s unintended consequences.  I have been an avid fan since I can remember back in the 50s and idolized my namesake, Jim Brown with the Cleveland Browns.  I have been a New Orleans Saint fan since they were founded in 1967, over 50 years ago.  But no longer.  Kaepernick’s unintended consequence was that he painted a redline on the field of play and I refuse to cross it.  It violated my principles and my belief in America.  Yes he has a right to do what he did and he also has a right to consider the consequences of his actions.  Unfortunately thousands of other people are also reaping the consequences of his actions including some who may have lost a job because of him taking a knee.

Don’t get me wrong.  I do not blame Kaepernick for what is happening in the NFL.  No, he did what he feels he had a right to do.  I disagree with that because when you sign a contract to work for someone else, you agree to their terms of employment and it is your duty not to undermine the product of the owners.  If you want to protest you do it outside your place of employment, not inside as Kaepernick did.  Who is to blame for the falling attendance at NFL games?  Roger Godell, the Commissioner.  He should have put his foot down and create his own redline for the players.  Cross it and pay the penalty.  It is that simple.  It is called leadership.  What I truly fail to understand is how 32 NFL team owners extended his contract for five years for being a failure at what he does.  Look at how he mishandled spousal abuse and now the players taking a knee.  It did not take an income of 44 million dollars to screw up the NFL as much as he has.  Again, I would do it for considerably less and maybe even get better results.  In fact I know I would just as you would.  Godell lowered the bar so low that anyone could now do a better job.

You tell me, where have I gone wrong in my analysis?  I’ll wait…….

Yours truly,

Unintended Consequence