| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Home Front: Culture Wars | |
| NFL stands behind Kanye West | |
| 2005-09-07 | |
| The National Football League is refusing to punt Kanye West, despite the rapper's controversial trashing of President Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina. The NFL stood by the hip-hop star Tuesday at a Los Angeles press conference announcing the talent lineup for the upcoming Opening Kickoff special this Thursday. Well, of course they did, what did you expect? I'm sure someone will be screaming "Freedom of Speech" here soon! The roster still includes the Chicago-based rapper, who made waves Friday when he ignored the TelePrompTer and lashed out at the White House response to hurricane victims during NBC's live telethon, saying "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Well, then, why'd he send in the military? If he REALLY didn't care, he would've just stayed in Crawford and eaten BBQ. I mean, Cindy Sheehan and her moonbats are gone now. Why would he even lift a finger if he could just continue his "vacation"? The network edited out West's remark from the West Coast rebroadcast and hastily issued a press release that said that the "Gold Digger" rapper's "opinions in no way represent the views of the network." "So much for Freedom of Speech," replied John Q. Doo-Gooder, head of the ACLU. West was asked several times to comment on his remarks at the NFL press conference, but declined to address the issue, saying that between the hurricane and the controversy, it created "a lot of pressure for one human being." "And, yes, I must shoulder ALL of this burden myself. F#*k all you crackers," he added. "I don't want to detract from the show at all, because it's entertainment, and a lot of times, in a time of need, we need entertainment to lift people's spirits," West added. "Besides, how else am I gonna sell millions of records if I don't get on TV, punk?" he concluded. League spokesman Brian McCarthy, meanwhile, told the Los Angeles Times that West "expressed an unscripted opinion." Performers, McCarthy said, were selected "for their entertainment value, not their political views." "Of course we select them for their entertainment value. Look at all the great Steve Brener, a rep for the event, did not yet know what songs West is planning to perform during his "medley," aside from a version of "Heard 'Em Say," but it's a safe bet the Time magazine cover subject will not be performing the new track "Crack Music," in which he raps, "Who gave Saddam anthrax?/George Bush got the answers." Oh, I wouldn't put it past him. Guess the NFL can "credibly deny" that he wouldn't sing that song, just b/c it wasn't in their lineup. Just like NBC can deny it b/c he strayed from their script.
How 'bout just not showing the whole performance? Some football fans are having an increasingly difficult time buying the league's position regarding halftime and preshow talent tapped by the NFL in its quest to lure increasingly a younger and more diverse demographic. Boy, that's the understatement of the year. Myself? I've never really cared for pro football (love college football), but this definitely puts the nail in the coffin of me ever watching the NFL again. Last month, many pigskin faithful of the conservative ilk were outraged that the league was launching a campaign featuring the Rolling Stones, whose latest release, A Bigger Bang, features a scathing indictment of the Bush administration in the form of the track "Sweet Neo Con." "But we hire them for their entertainment value, not their political stances." The Los Angeles Times suggested ... (ya think? I'd say it should be more than a "suggestion") ... the league hasn't learned any lessons after suffering backlash in the wake of Janet Jackson's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" incident last year or Nicollette Sheridan's towel-dropping segment preceding a Monday Night Football game last November. Perhaps it's easier for the NFL to back West now that the Grammy-winning artist is the hottest thing in music. "Yeah! And don't forget my million album record sales, boooyyyyy!" His new album, Late Registration, will top the charts with sales expected to exceed 900,000 when Nielsen SoundScan releases its weekly report Wednesday. It would've hit a million, but 100,000 were looted in 'Nawlins. Aside from West, Good Charlotte, Rihanna and Maroon 5 will also play the Opening Kickoff special, which takes place at the Los Angeles Coliseum Thursday. The free event begins at 2:30 p.m. PT, with portions airing live and on tape during the 5-6 p.m. pregame on ABC. The season kicks off at 6 p.m. with the Oakland Raiders taking on the New England Patriots. Guess I'll just have to watch Brit Hume's show during that time. Meanwhile, West is putting his words into action regarding Hurricane Katrina. He will perform on BET's S.O.S. (Saving Ourselves) benefit on Friday and then join the Stones, Kelly Clarkson and Paul McCartney for the ReAct Now: Music & Relief special on MTV, VH1 and CMT this Saturday. Several more instances where I'll be watching Fox News this weekend (if I'm not heading to the Mississippi coast myself to help out). | |
| Posted by:AFP correspondent guy |
| #14 B-A-R - less teeth too. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-09-07 17:46 |
| #13 Maybe get the NHL pakcage on cable. Hockey's a better game anyway; much, much faster. :) |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-09-07 16:18 |
| #12 I seem to recall that after the Janet Jackson debacle they promised "No more live feeds" now they are claiming he was live? Don't learn, do they, and lie to boot. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-09-07 15:13 |
| #11 There are good people in the NFL, and complete assholes too. I'm all for letting all of them mouth off to see who the dickheads are and who aren't. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-07 15:10 |
| #10 Looks like I'm going to get a lot of reading done until the last few weeks of the season when the games start to matter and there's no college action. Maybe get the NHL pakcage on cable. Good Bye NFL. Nice knowin ya. Shame you had to turn into Hollywood's bitch. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2005-09-07 12:50 |
| #9 Hmm... I think someone needs to loose their nonprofit status. Aren't nonprofits barred from engaging in politics? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-09-07 11:21 |
| #8 Kanye West, Just another ignorant street hood that doesen't know anything about the way government works. He's just a mindless idiot selling a bland product to mindless little dolts. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-09-07 11:02 |
| #7 Much less the way it's SUPPOSED to work according to founding documents, Armyguy! |
| Posted by: BA 2005-09-07 10:16 |
| #6 Kanye West, Just another ignorant street hood that doesen't know anything about the way government works. |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2005-09-07 10:14 |
| #5 Time for the in-depth chitchat and personal interviews up in the commentator booth anyway. |
| Posted by: Gleamble Claviter9685 2005-09-07 09:49 |
| #4 Pregame & halftime are the times you should be cooking food for your buddies; never watched these shows & never will. |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-09-07 09:43 |
| #3 I too stand behind Kayne West ... in order to put my foot in his A&*! |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-09-07 09:15 |
| #2 What do you expect from a league who worships Ray Lewis - convicted of obstruction of justice in a murder investigation, which is a much worse offense than Martha Stewart's obstruction in a dropped insider trading case. By the way, who killed those people, Ray? It happened in a limo in which you were riding during the murders. Should West go off it will be the first and last MNF football game I watch this year. |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2005-09-07 09:12 |
| #1 Here's a question? Why's the NFL need this bullshit concert in the first place? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-09-07 08:40 |