Any prior service besides me have issues with this "salute the to military campaign"?

I don't mind a camo hat here or there but I just find it incredibly disrespectful how the coaches sideline jackets look like some kind of mockery of the uniform and that sleeve tab looks like some "Big Red 1" patch on LSD.

I just think it's a mockery of the military the way Nike is trying to make things a fashion statement and how they're just pimping new clothing lines in order to sell more product.

The new trend is to push corporate patriotism as cool and it really bothers me. I'm no strict military historian but there are certain things that have significance to those of us who served and I can't stand this false praise and corporate underpinnings.

Maybe I'm the only one.

End of rant.

Doesn't bother me any. I suppose I could understand how it'd upset you with them making it a fashion statement. NFL doesn't really give a **** about military. BB is the man for not doing it.

It's recruiting plain and simple. I could do without it.

Never served, but it pisses me off. They all look like posers.

Concur. I could see it for the one week that includes Veteran's Day. After that, let it go.

It's just like the pink with breast cancer awareness. It is not about supporting a cause; it is about being as loud as you can to draw attention to yourself supporting the cause for good P.R. value.

And hey, if that means they can make some $$ by selling some merch, all the better.

FirstAndGoal said:

I don't mind a camo hat here or there but I just find it incredibly disrespectful how the coaches sideline jackets look like some kind of mockery of the uniform and that sleeve tab looks like some "Big Red 1" patch on LSD.

I just think it's a mockery of the military the way Nike is trying to make things a fashion statement and how they're just pimping new clothing lines in order to sell more product.

The new trend is to push corporate patriotism as cool and it really bothers me. I'm no strict military historian but there are certain things that have significance to those of us who served and I can't stand this false praise and corporate underpinnings.

Maybe I'm the only one.

End of rant.

Click to expand...

You're not the only one. Bill Belichick thinks the same of the whole Salute to Service propaganda....

Bill Belichick is the Only NFL Coach Not Wearing "Salute to Service" Apparel and Headsets

I thought Coughlin looked ridiculous last week.

Agreed (not having served, mind you).

XLIX said:

It's just like the pink with breast cancer awareness. It is not about supporting a cause; it is about being as loud as you can to draw attention to yourself supporting the cause for good P.R. value.

And hey, if that means they can make some $$ by selling some merch, all the better.

Click to expand...

It's absolutely disgusting what some of these organizations have done collecting money that should be going towards these causes but taking a high majority of the donations. NFL doesn't do prostate cancer awareness which I believe is almost as deadly as breast cancer because it's not profitable.

XLIX said:

It's just like the pink with breast cancer awareness. It is not about supporting a cause; it is about being as loud as you can to draw attention to yourself supporting the cause for good P.R. value.

And hey, if that means they can make some $$ by selling some merch, all the better.

Click to expand...

To make matter worse, I heard that only 15c out of every $1 spent on Breast Cancer merchandise goes to breast cancer research. The NFL pockets 85c of it....

Between the "Word Champions" banners (despite it being a US-only game), the patriotic song with hand on heart, the celebration of militarism, the flyover, etc., looks like some real North Korea-style jingoistic propaganda, IMO,

Or to imagine it a slightly different way, imagine seeing the North Koreans playing a sport only in their country calling themselves "world champions", praying to their flag and having the players quasi dress up like Military, it starts looking pretty Nationalistic.

Froob said:

NFL doesn't do prostate cancer awareness which I believe is almost as deadly as breast cancer because it's not profitable.

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Well, to be fair, prostate cancer affects mostly men... and how many men really pay attention to football?

tasmlab said:

Between the "Word Champions" banners (despite it being a US-only game), the patriotic song with hand on heart, the celebration of militarism, the flyover, etc., looks like some real North Korea-style jingoistic propaganda, IMO,

Or to imagine it a slightly different way, imagine seeing the North Koreans playing a sport only in their country calling themselves "world champions", praying to their flag and having the players quasi dress up like Military, it starts looking pretty Nationalistic.

Click to expand...

I disagree. I have no problems with the National Anthem being used, but I do take exception to some of the performers who try and make the song all about them. I don't mind the flyovers either.

But as a veteran (US Navy, 5K hours of combat aircrew time) I do take exception to all the "cammo" stuff being used. Coach has it right. Like I said above, I can see doing the cammo stuff on the game closest to Veteran's Day. Otherwise, leave it alone.

but but but, they are donating 1% of every camo item purchased!

tasmlab said:

Between the "Word Champions" banners (despite it being a US-only game), the patriotic song with hand on heart, the celebration of militarism, the flyover, etc., looks like some real North Korea-style jingoistic propaganda, IMO,

Or to imagine it a slightly different way, imagine seeing the North Koreans playing a sport only in their country calling themselves "world champions", praying to their flag and having the players quasi dress up like Military, it starts looking pretty Nationalistic.

Click to expand...

1. The flyovers are a total waste of tax payers' money.
2. Nothing wrong with singing the national anthem - it is done in every sport, in every country around the world
3. I also agree that calling the Superbowl champs or the MLB champs - WORLD CHAMPIONS is a joke. In MLB it's even worse, considering there are other countries in which baseball is played, yet we self-proclaim ourselves as WORLD champions. Football is ******ed in a different way, by way of us being the only country that plays this game on any meaningful level.

Froob said:

NFL doesn't do prostate cancer awareness which I believe is almost as deadly as breast cancer because it's not profitable.

Click to expand...

That's because it has ZERO to do with cancer awareness, and 100% to do with revenue for the NFL. Since 95% of NFL fans are males, there's no need to attract more males to the game (=buying more NFL merchandise). The NFL, by way of looking for additional sources of revenue, came up with the genius idea of attracting females to the sport (=more income opportunity), and picked breast cancer. It's very simple. Has nothing to do with cancer. It has EVERYTHING to do with the greedy NFL and its money-making machine.

I never served and I thought the salute to service gear looked pretty cool. I considered buying one of the coach's sweatshirts, but changed my mind pretty quickly. I think they made them look too good, if that makes sense. I'm not going to buy them for the same reason I'm not going to buy a USMC or 82nd Airborne jacket: I didn't serve and neither did any of my immediate family. I'm not worthy of pretending I'm not affiliated with any of those branches of the military (or specific units) and the NFL gear crosses the line into making it look like you did, IMO.

STOLEN VALOR!!

I'm prior service and it bothers me not.

It all seems very forced and disingenuous, but then again, what do you expect from the NFL?