National Anthem....the other side of the coin!

Thank you, great share!

• Amen

Saw this and loved this.  HS coaches should jump on this.  The kids will learn and share with their other friends.  Actually, maybe a few of the dads will start learning from their sons.  I was kind of shocked the past baseball season...

I love this country!

Someone who won't stand for our National Anthem should not live in this country, let alone make millions playing a game.  There are other ways to address issues.  Seems like acts like that just escalate the problems.  Veterans come in all faiths, race and economic backgrounds.  Maybe everyone needs to know the history of the Star Spangled Banner.

Amen to that! That's why when I saw this I just had to share! Seems like the media allows sports figures too many opportunities to express their rights and opinions in often very inappropriate ways....but then again, that's what makes our country so much better than any other place in the world! God Bless the USA!!

Whatever do you mean "wasn't a Hokie fan"?  

What a teaching moment by Buzz (Tech's head basketball coach)!

  Hokieone

PG Totally agree.

Permit me to offer a few thoughts in an effort to turn this thread to something related to our site and away from politics: 

I served in the military for 30 years, so I think my patriotism cred is solid enough to withstand whatever hits I take from saying I'm not fond of coerced public demonstrations of loyalty.

Thus, I think the team's official position is correct. They encourage but don't require participation. Players may be citizens of other countries. They may have urgent pre-game matters to tend to. They simply may not want to participate. The team gives them the choice. That seems reasonable to me.

However, players who choose not to participate should do so in a manner that doesn't distract from the business at hand, which is playing together as a team to win a game.

Many players feel strongly about all sorts of political or religious issues. Presumably, they don't all agree. Calling attention to one's individual opinions moments before game time when teammates are in the final stages of their pre-game preparation is not likely to have a positive effect on the team's focus, motivation, unity, and performance.  This makes the demonstration selfish.

In addition to being selfish, it's bad manners. The playing field, sidelines and dugouts at sporting events are not forums for players to express opinions on subjects unrelated to why they are on the field. The team owners invest a lot of money creating the game day stadium experience for the fans, and it is rude to hijack that experience for one's own purposes. (Also, that carefully scripted game day experience is designed to keep people buying tickets so the teams can pay the players.)

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

He didn't give his opinion until asked. It was noticed by an NFL TV reporter who asked his opinion - he gave it. I think he tried to make it clear he wasn't seeking publicity, but rather just doing what his conscience told him to do. I don't have a problem with that. As a veteran who actually risked his life and took the lives of others in the name of that flag, I'm proud to live in a country where you can choose to act on your own values and morals and not have it forced on you.

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

Do you really believe that this generation of youths is different that past generations of youths in this?

roothog66 posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

Do you really believe that this generation of youths is different that past generations of youths in this?

Yes, because everything is so instantaneous now with Facebook updates, Instagram, and other social media.  Someone posted this awhile ago on here but I think it bears bringing it up again.

roothog66 posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

He didn't give his opinion until asked. It was noticed by an NFL TV reporter who asked his opinion - he gave it. I think he tried to make it clear he wasn't seeking publicity, but rather just doing what his conscience told him to do. I don't have a problem with that. As a veteran who actually risked his life and took the lives of others in the name of that flag, I'm proud to live in a country where you can choose to act on your own values and morals and not have it forced on you.

I agree entirely. The greatest thing about the US is the right to feel it isn't the greatest.

As a Boomer I have to stick up for my generation.  We are just as absorbed in our own opinions and activities as any generation before or after. Were we not, Facebook would not be valued over $300 Billion.  (Today's kids, AKA Generation Z, are not nearly as active on Facebook, except in private chats and groups; too many old people there. They are on Instagram, Snapchat, and to a lesser extent Twitter)

roothog66 posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

He didn't give his opinion until asked. It was noticed by an NFL TV reporter who asked his opinion - he gave it. I think he tried to make it clear he wasn't seeking publicity, but rather just doing what his conscience told him to do. I don't have a problem with that. As a veteran who actually risked his life and took the lives of others in the name of that flag, I'm proud to live in a country where you can choose to act on your own values and morals and not have it forced on you.

If you sit out the national anthem you are GOING to be asked, and he had his soundbite ready.

Kaepernick has a right to do this.  However, people also have a right to disagree and express their displeasure with it.  People can legally burn the flag.  It doesn't mean I am ever going to condone it.  With all due respect to Swampboy and other veterans who have given to this country, this type of behavior is despicable.  I understand your point Swamp, but people also have the right to disagree with this viewpoint.  They have the right to teach their kids that this is NOT the type of behavior to emulate.  I'm sure you don't disagree with me.

What is most infuriating to me is this is coming from a man who is making $19 million a year.  In what country are a group of people supposedly "oppressed", but can make $19 million a year??  I was flipping in and out of the VMA awards last night and saw almost NO white people.  Every one of the "oppressed" people that were on the stage were multi millionaires.  They all certainly have MUCH more money than me.  I think this idea of an "oppressed" people is getting blown WAY out of proportion.

America remains the land of opportunity.  It remains the land where if you work hard enough and want to succeed enough, you can do whatever you want.  This goes for sports, music, business, trades, whatever.  I just think when you have a multi millionaire protesting that his race is "oppressed", there is something wrong there...

Of course, this is JMHO, but I don't think anyone is going to convince me otherwise.

roothog66 posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

Swampboy posted:

Part of growing up is learning that the world doesn't revolve around you and most people really don't want to know what you think about everything. I recently went to a religious service of a group of which I am not a member. I didn't care for it and disagreed with much of it. I suppose I could have made my disagreement known by refusing to stand or kneel at the designated times and by holding a news conference in the lobby to explain why. But I didn't. Nobody asked my opinion, so I kept it to myself and smiled politely.  Would that have been too much to ask of this player?

This generation of youths seems to have a large percentage that don't understand this. 

He didn't give his opinion until asked. It was noticed by an NFL TV reporter who asked his opinion - he gave it. I think he tried to make it clear he wasn't seeking publicity, but rather just doing what his conscience told him to do. I don't have a problem with that. As a veteran who actually risked his life and took the lives of others in the name of that flag, I'm proud to live in a country where you can choose to act on your own values and morals and not have it forced on you.

Roothog, 

Generally speaking, people do not make it clear they're not seeking publicity by granting interviews to national media and then following up with even longer interviews.

BBallMan, 

Not sure exactly where you thought we disagreed. We both agree he had the right to do it. We both agree people have the right to express disapproval of it. And it doesn't look like either of us thought it was a good idea. What am I missing?