I don't agree with the business competitor analogy. The NFL largely markets itself as one entity, but no one would bat an eye if he wore an MLB hat. Sports apparel is just different than wearing Pepsi gear while working for Coke. Most everybody grows up wearing sports apparel. It's often worn based on the color. Sometimes people like multiple teams. Sometimes they'll be fans of particular players. There are myriad reasons to wear a different team's apparel and the reasons not to aren't as strong as they used to be. In the world before FA things were different. Players largely played in one place and never left. Nowadays you go in knowing that odds are you'll play for several different teams in your career. The mindset is different.
That's always been his personality. The tats he wears were another mini controversy. People said it was a dumb thing for a QB to do. He basically acted the exact same way. He stood his ground and said he would wear what he wanted and told everybody else to get a life.
We are talking about a public figure here, not some waitress in a restaurant. But to be honest if I was thinking of buying a Chevy and I pulled up to a stop sign and the salesman was sitting there in a Ford, I might make me think a bit. So you think this somehow has had a positive effect on sales of NFL merchandise? Seriously? I think most NFL fans are indifferent, a percentage of the 49er fans are pissed and most dolphin fans are amused. I'm not saying CKap is some evil person who needs to be punished or fined. I'm saying what he did wasn't very wise from a PR standpoint and there seems to be no good reason for him having done it other than he wanted to. Sorry but in my book that's a sign of immaturity.
I think it's a sign of individuality. Some people are more comfortable toeing the line and acting like they're owned, others aren't.
And here I thought the NFL was the No Fun League because of a group of conservative billionaire owners. It obviously translates down to the fanbases.
If I'm wearing pro football team merchandise, fashionable or not, it will always be Miami Dolphins stuff.
Make you think or change your mind completely/ Again, you're advocating for a world in which your place of business defines your entire existence, right down to the picture on your shirt. Sure it has a positive effect overall. Do you think the NFL would rather see this headline or another about Aaron Hernandez? Again, the teams all share in apparel sales. Every team wins the more there's passionate discussion about team apparel.
Bulls***. What distorted reality do you live in? Every dollar the NFL makes is because the league and its players offer a product that millions of us can't live without. What's next in this world of improbable hypotheticals, discussing future oceanfront property value in Nevada if the ice caps melt? Wait, so you think Kaep should tailor decisions about his personal life to suit the expected reactions of dramatic overbearing people he doesn't even know? That's disturbing. But to answer your question, yes, I do think it says something about his personality. It hints at an admirable strength to not let others dictate his life, a rarity in this day and age, so I solute him for it.
I just imagined us beating San Fran in a future SB.....this would obviously be revisited. Thats why you don't do these things. Even the ESPN commercial with Big papi trying on a yankee hat, while funny, was a bad joke.
I'm the one living in a distorted reality. Really, where do you think that money comes from? Its not an improbable hypothetical, there have been plenty of failed professional sports leagues. They failed not because they don't have the best athletes in their sports but because they don't attract enough fans. People tailor their actions to fit social norms every day, there's nothing disturbing about it at all, it's how society works. Really so let's take this to the extreme. What if CKap wore a hat with an offensive slogan on it, be it racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-semetic whatever. Would that still be acceptable? I mean he is only exercising his right to be an individual. Society shouldn't dictate to him that he can't wear a hat like that. It would be disturbing if they did, right?
Even down to fan message boards! LOL I think you and I had an exchange via PMs about this a while ago, Phinish. Some people are just too close-minded. Cannot believe this is still being talked about, even if it is mid summer.