OPINION:
Elizabeth Warren is a progressive United States Senator from Massachusetts. Antonio Brown a professional football player who is joining her in Massachusetts as a member of the New England Patriots. It seems their home state isn’t the only thing they have in common.
Brown is undeniably one of the finest talents in the National Football League (NFL). The 5 foot 10 inch phenom makes more than 100 receptions every year and has amassed more than 11,000 reception yards in his career. Whenever he chooses to retire his next football stop is likely to be in the NFL Hall of Fame. That said, Brown is not without his detractors.
Brown played the 2010 through 2018 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, making tens of millions of dollars along the way for his effort. At the conclusion of the 2018 season however, he got into an argument with his quarterback and decided he didn’t need to practice with the rest of the Steelers team. Unhappy with the fact this upset his teammates and Steelers management, Brown requested a trade at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Steelers obliged by trading him to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a third and a fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. In Brown’s press conference welcoming him to the Raiders he said “I’m here to elevate everything around me. I’m here to just be a surge of energy, of positivity, and good force. A great teammate and to bring out the best of everyone around me cause we all know it’s not just about me.” While it sounded great, he apparently didn’t mean a word of it.
The Raiders gave Antonio Brown a contract worth $50 million dollars with $29 million guaranteed. All he had to do was show up. Brown however, missed 10 out of 11 team training camp workouts due to his own neglect. He then got into a squabble with the NFL over their helmet requirements and refused to practice or play using the mandated safety equipment that every other player in the league adheres to. When he was fined $54,000 by the Raiders General Manager (GM) for missing team meetings and practices Brown complained mightily. He was so upset in fact, he got into a verbal altercation with the GM and threatened physical violence. The team frowned on that and issued a fine of $215,000 for the outburst.
Refusing to take any responsibility for his own actions, Brown demanded he be released from his contract. The Raiders agreed and cut him loose.
What does any of this possibly have to do with Elizabeth Warren? More than you may initially think.
Antonio Brown has occasionally said the right thing at the right moment. At press conferences he has talked about the role of team and in the case of Oakland, his desire to play for the Raiders. Yet despite the comments, his actions clearly show all he is really concerned about is himself. He is like a petulant child that wants whatever he wants in the moment with little thought for the impact or end result.
Likewise Senator Warren thrills her crowds when she speaks on the campaign trail. Much the way Brown promised Raider nation he would provide a surge of energy and positivity, Warren promises Democrats that as President she’ll provide free college, forgive all student debt, offer free child care and most recently, has promised to end all oil and gas business in the United States on the first day of her Presidency.
Brown’s failed promises left his old team with a bleak future. It left the Raiders without a star wide receiver as they prepare to woo new fans in Las Vegas next year. It compromised the team’s ability to perform and win as a unit. The impact on the organization, the players and the fans will last for years to come. His total focus on himself at everyone else’s expense is nothing short of devastating for the franchise.
Warren’s many promises are essentially the same thing, except with much greater consequences. Her pledge to end fracking and shut down the oil and gas industries in the United States is intended to pander to the left and gain the Democrat nomination for President. The real world implications would be devastating. According to at least one study the oil and gas industry supports more than 5.6% of the US workforce, or a total of 10.3 million jobs. Putting one of every 19 Americans out of work can’t be a good thing.
More importantly, at this time last year America became the world’s biggest supplier of oil, surpassing Saudi Arabia. This fact means the US is less dependent on the Middle East than ever before. The US also is the world’s largest producer of natural gas. This allows us to stabilize countries like Ukraine that would otherwise be at the mercy, literally, of Russia. America’s position in oil and gas isn’t just about dollars and cents, it provides stability, preserves freedom and saves lives all over the globe. Senator Warren’s promise would end all of that.
Her promise would also hit every single American directly in the wallet. If a President Warren were to shut off the oil and gas spigot on day one, it would not only make these precious fuels more scarce, it would make them dramatically more expensive worldwide. Most alarming is the fact that alternative fuels such as wind and solar simply don’t have the capacity to make up the difference, so pesky little details like heat in the winter, or air conditioning in the summer may become a luxury unavailable to the masses. Blackouts would likely become common place.
If Elizabeth Warren is elected President of the United States, she will be the first woman to hold that office. If the little people have to suffer to implement her policies, she apparently doesn’t care. She’ll make history while leaving every US man, woman and child to hold the bag.
In his new gig with the New England Patriots Antonio Brown can make as much as $15 million in the coming year so similar to Senator Warren, he doesn’t really care if he has left Raider Nation holding the bag. The Raider organization, including not only the owners but the players, the management, the new host city of Las Vegas and of course, the fans are all damaged by his reckless self centered actions.
Likewise, Elizabeth Warren threatens to derail the US economy, weaken our position on the global stage and most importantly, have a huge negative impact on the lives of average Americans by her politically motivated, reckless and self-serving promised actions.
The bottom line is this, don’t believe either Antonio Brown or Elizabeth Warren when they make promises allegedly for the good of the masses. Better yet, just avoid them both altogether.
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