Posted on 09/24/2017 1:51:03 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ sideline at Soldier Field was almost vacant, save for a few stray workers and four members of the coaching staff who stood at attention as the Star-Spangled Banner was sung in a deep bass by Lyric Opera of Chicago veteran Wilbur Pauley.
The only Steelers player within range of his voice was offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger who stood just outside the tunnel to the locker room, near the corner of the end zone.
The rest of the Steelers chose a unique protest in response to Donald Trump’s unprovoked verbal assault on their rights, as American citizens, to protest whatever injustices they might perceive. They remained in their locker room until it was time to begin the game.
Previously, they had avoided any on-field national anthem protests subsequent to Colin Kaepernick’s visible campaign regarding several episodes of harsh or deadly police treatment of African-Americans that occurred in summer 2016. Steelers players always had maintained it was out of respect for Villanueva, a valued teammate.
However, Trump’s rant this weekend at a rally in Alabama coerced every NFL locker room into making some sort of decision.
The Steelers chose wisely: They decided not to take Trump's bait.
What Trump wished to accomplish with his frantic Friday night vitriol was to entice every NFL player — but particularly those who are African-American — into wider and perhaps more involved protests so that those who have followed every one of his ludicrous convolutions could view their opponents more clearly.
That Trump continued to underscore his antipathy with tweets that were presented both Saturday and Sunday only reinforced his determination to force the players’ hands on this.
Every single player who knelt or raised a fist Sunday had not only the right to do so, but also the profound justification.
The man who was elected to serve as the president of the nation in which they work and reside had labeled some of them “sons of bitches” for choosing to exercise their First Amendment right to protest and declared they should be suspended from their jobs or fired for these actions. This represented both fouler language and stronger condemnation than he applied to the white supremacists whose Charlottesville protests in August resulted in the death of an innocent young woman.
Sunday morning on ABC News, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin had attempted to justify his boss’ histrionics by explaining such protests should not be transacted while one is working one’s job; Mnuchin criticized the NFL for policing other personal statements the players might make through their apparel but not with their conduct during the national anthem.
However, work rules are a matter for the employer to decide in concert with whatever representation the work force might maintain. So if this were the subject of Trump’s rage, then perhaps the profanity should have been unleashed toward the NFL owners who either neglected — or chose not — to force such language into the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2011.
Trump declared the course he wanted those owners to follow — emphasis on the word “follow” here — but only opted to debase the players choosing to protest. He knows which Americans he values, and he wants those people to gain an unobstructed view of the ones he does not.
The Steelers were criticized by former coach Bill Cowher on CBS’ "The NFL Today" for their silent protest. “I think there’s a strongest message to be sent to be out there,” Cowher said. “You can still be united, but you can also have different thoughts on it. Whether you are kneeling, or whether you are standing, it’s an individual right. And I think it’s a stronger message than not going out there at all … We can be united, but we can think differently.”
The Steelers’ action reflected an awareness, however, that nothing about Trump’s words or actions indicates unity to be among his goals.
“People died for freedom,” Steelers Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw said on Fox's “NFL Sunday.”
“I’m not sure our president understands that freedom.”
Sunday before they played the Chicago Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers freely exercised their right not to participate in a benign pregame ritual that Donald Trump had chosen to turn into a referendum on fitness to live in his America. Theirs was a most eloquent silence.
Bradshaw has the IQ of a tree stump.
This is going to end all sports if it is not stopped...
Only Trump supporters will try out for the Olympics??? the rest will boycott???
“I’m not sure our president understands that freedom.”
Okay Bradshaw. Do you fly around in your own 757, or Air Force One, or head a billions of dollars empire?
And you talk about what Trump cannot understand?
Trump can understand the difference between legitimate protest and giving the entire nation the middle finger. You evidently cannot.
You use to be my neighbor down in Louisiana. You just sold out. Were you cheap?
Horsecrap spin. The stillerz sans #78 are disrespectful jackasses
This character fancies himself as some sort of mind reader who perceives precisely the motives of any and everyone, just one presumptuous statement after another.
And the Steelers took the cowards way out of the controversy, nothing at all eloquent about that.
” Donald Trump’s unprovoked verbal assault on their rights”
Clueless absolutely clueless.
“He couldn’t spell ‘cat’ if you spotted him the c-a.” - Hollywood Henderson
Now, why do you want to go and insult tree stumps?
Won’t be long before this virus infects college sports when the anthem is played. The end result will be somewhere along the line the tradition of playing the anthem before sporting events will be jettisoned so college administrators and team owners can slither away from the issue and not get caught in the midst of declining attendance of their predominately white male audience and black athletes who choose to spit in the face of those who come to see them play.
They HID in the locker room. Hiding is not a "unique protest", as the author puts it. The only way they could have made this worse for their image is to send John Podesta out to make a speech on their behalf.
In the meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles all stood for the American flag.
https://twitter.com/AndreaMPie/status/912000782395944961
mostly rich, black, millionaire, men protesting inequality to a viewership of mostly white, blue collar, working class poorer men.
Anyone else see how pathetic, and hypocritical this is?
God bless Alejandro Villanueva, the only true Patriot out there today.
I teared up when saw him standing there, all 6’9 330 pounds of him! While the rest of his pansy ass teammates were stomping their feet in the locker room & changing their diapers, this guy showed more heart/soul & balls than anyone in the NFL.
“
“People died for freedom,” Steelers Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw said on Fox’s “NFL Sunday.”
“I’m not sure our president understands that freedom.”
Says the man who is recognized as the dumbest mother F%^ker in sports so it is not surprising he thinks Trump doesn’t understand something more complicated than a run play.
How’s this: Teams show no respect for the country that enabled them to become millionaires and I withdraw my support of them and their sponsors. As I posted earlier, every college football player hoping for a career in the NFL can thank today’s players for lower salaries and bonuses which will be the result of lower franchise revenue.
I think you're correct.
The Steelers hid under their beds.
Bradshaw’s response: “This isn’t nuclear physics, it’s a game. How smart do you have to be?”
Who did they play and who won? Did the opposing team stand for the National Anthem? I read the guy’s diatribe but didn’t see anything except the same old nonsense infecting the press today!
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