“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Individuality is what makes us all special. It defines who we are, how we act and the things that make us unique. How we react to certain situations, our mannerisms, emotions and how we show or don't show our emotions, it makes us each one of us unique.
It's also a reason why we gravitate to other people. Their uniqueness makes them compelling, it draws us in and we grow to appreciate them, like them, love them or dislike them. We all respond differently to unique traits people have and no matter who you meet in your life, you have some type of reaction and feeling about them.
Of course, individuality requires people be true to themselves. Not hide who they are, not hide their emotions or mannerisms to please someone else or live by another person's standards to make them happy. We see it in our every day lives, where someone might hide the things that truly define who they are and what makes them unique, to keep those around them happy, to stay employed or be liked.
While it's easy to say people should ignore those restrictions their employer or someone around them, when a job or relationship is on the line for someone and that's vital for them, it's just easier to conform to what others want and make them happy.
This also connects to professional sports, businesses worth billions of dollars that in some cases restrict individuality for the perceived betterment of the product and its perception. An easy example is the National Football League, which is always about protecting the shield.
Roger Goodell, who represents the NFL owners and caters to their demands, represents their view of protecting the shield at all costs. It's not about the men who sacrifice their short and long-term health to give entertainment for fans and hundreds of millions of dollars for owners, the people don't matter. Who they are, what makes them unique and more real, they are just a part of the billion-dollar machine.
Players know it. In an interview with Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett put it bluntly. "The NFL doesn't want us to be individuals," Bennett said. "Look at the NBA; they are allowed to market themselves and think about their life after basketball. The NFL is all about the shield, the shield, the shield. I could go on all day about the hypocrisy of that."
Whether it's marketing, displaying emotions, looking out for the future or social activism, individuality isn't welcomed across the NFL. When Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to protest the oppression of minorities. He took a stand for others and used his platform and his freedom of speech, to bring a larger voice and audience for an issue that needed it. He was unique in that moment and by doing it, he opened the door for other athletes to release and stand up for what they believe in defending.
Naturally, those at the top ranks of "the shield", were not pleased. In talking to Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, seven anonymous executives painted a clear picture of how the NFL views that type of individualism.
Comments ranged from calling Kaepernick a traitor, saying he has no respect for the country to an executive saying he'd consider quitting if his owner requested the team signed Kaepernick. The seven anonymous executives estimated over 90 percent of NFL front office officials felt the same way and another executive told Freeman that a player hasn't been this much dislike for a player since Rae Carruth, who had his pregnant girlfriend murdered.
The absurdity of anonymous executives making these comments is something in itself. Kaepernick showed his conviction and heart to attach his name to what he believes in, a positive cause, while these executives couldn't put their own name behind ignorant comments. But it should be expected that hate is hidden behind anonymity, just like Twitter trolls spew it from a keyboard.
Even ESPN's Trent Dilfer played a part in the ignorant responses to Kaepernick, saying that Kaepernick need to be put in his place and stay quiet as a backup quarterback, because that's his job. It's offensive to say a person must stay quiet and stay in their proper place because of what role they have in society or in their job. But hey, at least Dilfer put his name behind his comments.
Kaepernick is the biggest example of a football player defying the norms, putting himself out there and defying what his employers think is 'right'. This is the core of the issue. The NFL wants silence and conformity when action or standing up for the right things doesn't benefit the bank account. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is great, caring about women's issues and not condoning assault is terrific, but the NFL's gestures are empty.
When the NFL held its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where a percentage of the money made off of pink NFL apparel is given to support cancer research, reality is it happens only because it benefits the shield. Business Insider found that only 8.01 percent of money spent on breast cancer awareness NFL apparel, actually goes towards cancer research. ESPN's Darrell Rovell found that the NFL takes 25 percent off royalty, that doesn't include the money they can make as the retailer and manufacturer.
After years of fining players who supported charities and raised awareness for things like domestic violence and mental health, there was finally some let up this year.
The NFL finally permitted customization for athletes' cleats this season in Week 13 when players wore cleats customized for a charity of their choice. Of course, there was the short fiasco where the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, who had a bye in Week 13, were not allowed to wear custom cleats in Week 14, before public pressure shamed the NFL into changing that.
Some emotion is welcome in the NFL, but it depends on who you are. If it's Tom Brady throwing a towel in a rage or yelling and complaining to an official, that's just a fiery competitor who is just in the moment. But when it's Odell Beckham Jr kicking a net or complaining to an official, views on him are very different. His head coach called him a distraction and many articles have called him selfish, immature and people have even suggested New York should explore trading him.
When Cam Newton began to criticize officiating for not calling hits evenly compared to other star quarterbacks. He receives criticism for going to the NFL and complaining about it.
The NFL does seem very focused on one thing, besides doing all they can to prevent players from using marijuana. Policing emotion seems to be near the top of their priority list. From taunting, excessive celebration or celebrating a big play with a teammate for a second too long, these penalties won't be missed. You'll see holding calls, hits to the head and defensive holding calls missed every week, but if there's any special celebration or taunting of any kind, the officials will crack down on it.
Teams do it too. When Eric Weddle, who gave the Los Angeles Chargers nine seasons, remained on the field during a halftime performance to watch his daughter perform, he was fined. When Brandon Marshall wanted to start making television appearances on his own during his own free time during the season, he was told no. As he told FOX Sports, they wanted Marshall under control and to just be a football player, leaving that box to pursue other opportunities was simply not acceptable.
You wear what you're told to wear, no special celebrations, no activism when in uniform unless the NFL benefits from it, no speaking to referees about bad officiating, only show positive emotions that are controlled and expressed how the NFL wants them to be, do what you're told to do and don't do what you are told not to. They are parts of the football corporation, not people. When you take away individuality, train young men to focus on protecting the shield and build this for an older fan base that just wants to see the product and not see the moving parts, it becomes simply a machine.
The people who put everything into it to make it work and entertain the masses, are seen as nothing more than unrecognizable wheels that play a part in making the machine run. Everything is the same, it all flows together for the betterment of the shield.
This needs to change in the near future. While the NFL is the top dog amongst professional sports now, it might not hold that spot for the long-term. The NBA is starting to grow more and more, a big part of it are obviously the stars in the game but also what commissioner Adam Silver represents.
Players are welcomed to be themselves. While the easy counterpoint is that there are only 10 players on the court at one time versus 22 in the NFL, the NBA still treats its athletes better than the NFL. Players are allowed to customize their shoes, be social activists, take advantage of any opportunities presented them and are given much more freedom to express their emotions on and off the court.
The NBA has people who don't just support an athlete's right to stand up for what they believe in and support causes, but the coaches have an active voice as well. Coaches like Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich have spoken up with their platforms to call for change, the NBA and NBA Players Association sent a join memo to players in September in efforts to make a joint force and bring positive change.
When you have the league office and coaches there to support players right to speak out and take action, it gives players more sense of security and comfort knowing they have support for their employers if they choose to protest during the national anthem or in another way. Unlike the NFL, where Kaepernick's stand for equality could lead to some teams in the NFL blackballing him.
The NBA embraces stars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin. They all built brands, became celebrities on and off the court.
It plays a part in why the tides are slowly changing in the NBA's favor. As Roger Groves wrote and documented in Forbes, the NBA is becoming increasingly more globally and the shift points towards it passing the NFL in popularity in the future.
Adam Silver and the NBA are adapting to a new, younger audience. Millennials are the next big generation of sports fans and the NBA has paid great attention to it. Silver is looking with the help of league officials at shorting the end of games, which have drawn the ire of younger fans for the start-stop-start-stop frequency in the final minutes with numerous timeouts.
ESPN documented the change in ages of the average viewing audience for sports and the NFL rose from a 43-year-old median age in 2004 to 47 in 2014, a number that is certainly on the rise. Yet while the NFL and MLB's median audience age rises, the NBA's remains consistent and still sits below 40.
The NBA is also taking great advantage of social media with players that are active on SnapChat, Twitter and Facebook Live and some of the best team Twitter accounts in all of sports that generate buzz, interactions and RTs. Silver recognizes the modern age of social media and while Vine is going away, the NBA was the one sport that encouraged fans to post six-second Vine highlights on social media. Silver sees the sharing of highlights by fans as free advertising, a tremendous way to continue to have its popularity blossom.
Meanwhile, the NFL informed teams mid-season that they would be fined if they posted GIFs, Vines or any other clips during games. The only official account that was exempt from the NFL's social media policy, was of course the NFL's Twitter page.
These are two corporations going in opposite directions, one building for the future with a fan base it knows it can serve to for decades to come. The NBA recognized that by embracing individuality, supporting players and letting everyone have fun, that their popularity and pocket will only grow from here. Meanwhile, the NFL remains stuck in its traditional, cookie-cutter beliefs and continues to cater to a fan base that is getting older and will slip away as time goes on.
It is for the betterment of the product, the athletes and the fans to embrace individuality, to recognize that this remains a game that people love and is even greater when the people who make it so fun and entertaining are true to themselves. For the NBA to embrace individuality at a time where others sports aren't is a credit to everyone involved and should be a guiding light for the future of all sports.