FS1's Sharpe: Racist U.S. Flag Is Just ‘A Piece of Cloth...Nobody Fights For

Newsbusters.org ^ | September 29, 2017 | Curtis Houck

[Kaslin]

After engaging in character assassination against Green Bay Packers fans who chose not to protest during Thursday’s National Anthem, FS1's Undisputed co-host Shannon Sharpe did the same with the American flag, declaring it to be merely a racist “piece of cloth” that “nobody fights for.”

“The flag, you see, to a lot of people, symbols, patriotism but what does that symbol actually mean? What does — what does – okay — you keep telling me that the flag means so much and it's opportunity and freedom and liberty. Okay. Can you honestly say that everybody in America has freedom and liberties and opportunity,” Sharpe wondered to co-host Skip Bayless.

FS1's Sharpe: Racist U.S. Flag Is Just ‘A Piece of Cloth...Nobody Fights For’

Bayless replied “no,” so Sharpe then noted that inequalities should be address. Fair enough. 

But Sharpe went further by showing his disdain for this country, the flag, and Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner (depicting the scene in Baltimore during the War of 1812) [emphasis mine]: 

And stop trying to sweep it under the rug. But, see, as long as you paint that narrative, oh, it's the Anthem, I can’t — no — anybody that does something to the Anthem — well, we know what the anthem was originally written for and who it was written by, okay? The flag, okay? We understand what the flag? What does it represent? When did this narrative come to be that the military and the police own the flag and only them? I can go buy a flag and I can hang it up in my backyard. We need to stop this, Skip. We need to — the flag is a piece of cloth and nobody fights for a piece of cloth.

Bayless, who was almost universally in step with Sharpe on the protest issue, broke away by telling him that he shouldn’t “say that” because “[t]hat’s the symbol of this country” and “what it represents.”
 
Sharpe then dropped a befuddling red herring, repeatedly wondering if we all should then “fight for a pair of jeans.” Bayless replied that the flag itself dates back to our country’s founding in 1776 and everything that’s come since.

The hurtful, partisan, and short-sighted debate continued to drag on with moderator Joy Taylor ending it due to a commercial break:

BAYLESS: It’s the symbol of our country. What are you talking about?

SHARPE: Okay, so the symbol of your country — so the symbol of your country is racism. 

BAYLESS: Why do white kids get shot in the '60s? For burning jeans? No, they burned the flag. And bunch of them died. 

SHARPE: The symbol. The symbol. But what does that symbol represent? So long as you         got a symbol — Skip — let me explain it to you like this. The symbol, okay, the American flag, what is the representation of that symbol? What does the flag actually mean? 

BAYLESS: You know what it means. It stands for America. It stands for the greatest country in the world. That's how most people look at it. 

Once this writer tweeted video of the segment, IJR’s Jason Howerton picked it up and it led to a series of responses from Sharpe.

As Howerton appropriately explained, it’s almost impossible to have a debate in America today as disrespect and demonizations immediately take hold. 

Sharpe’s outburst about the American flag were sponsored by Undisputed advertisers Dairy Queen, Nationwide, and Playstation Vue.

Here’s the relevant transcript from FS1's Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on September 29:

FS1's Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
September 29, 2017
3:15 p.m. Eastern

SHANNON SHARPE: The flag, you see, to a lot of people, symbols, patriotism but what does that symbol actually mean? What does — what does – okay — you keep telling me that the flag means so much and it's opportunity and freedom and liberty. Okay. Can you honestly say that everybody in America has freedom and liberties and opportunity?

SKIP BAYLESS: No.

SHARPE: Well, of you can't answer, we will have a problem and we would like to have it addressed.

BAYLESS: Correct.

SHARPE: And stop trying to sweep it under the rug. But, see, as long as you paint that narrative, oh, it's the Anthem, I can’t — no — anybody that does something to the Anthem — well, we know what the anthem was originally written for and who it was written by, okay? The flag, okay? We understand what the flag? What does it represent? When did this narrative come to be that the military and the police own the flag and only them? I can go buy a flag and I can hang it up in my backyard. We need to stop this, Skip. We need to — the flag is a piece of cloth and nobody fights for a piece of cloth.

BAYLESS: Yeah, they do. Don't say that.

SHARPE: So, you —

BAYLESS: That’s the symbol of this country. That's what it represents.

SHARPE: So they’ll fight for a pair of jeans?

BAYLESS: You should own that.

SHARPE: They’ll fight for a pair of jeans?

BAYLESS: If that's what we had chosen in 1776, that represents our nation —

SHARPE: Skip, Skip —

BAYLESS: You better believe they would.

SHARPE: Skip, it’s a piece — the symbol — listen —

BAYLESS: It’s the symbol of our country. What are you talking about?

SHARPE: Okay, so the symbol of your country — so the symbol of your country is racism.

BAYLESS: Why do white kids get shot in the '60s? For burning jeans? No, they burned the flag. And bunch of them died.

SHARPE: The symbol. The symbol. But what does that symbol represent? So long as you got a symbol — Skip — let me explain it to you like this. The symbol, okay, the American flag, what is the representation of that symbol? What does the flag actually mean?

BAYLESS: You know what it means. It stands for America. It stands for the greatest country in the world. That's how most people look at it.

[txnativegop]

Sharpe is yet another ignorant, but well off, ghetto @ss made good.

Who does not possess even the slightest reasoning ability and therefore cannot comprehend the stupidity of his statements.

I am really getting tired of this crap.

[jospehm20]

Sharpe has always been a POS.

[txnativegop]

just a guess

Fox Sports 1

[crz]

I guess this prick didnt complain when he got paid in US Dollars did he?

I am afraid its coming to a general killin in this country.

[Repeal The 17th]

I am acronym challenged.
I have yet to decipher what “DH” means in a lot of posts.
I thought it was “designated hitter”, but apparently not.

[Conservative Gato]

So what does Shannon notsoSharpe want, guaranteed success for all??? History has tried that and its always failed or has led to misery and death. Its name is communism.

We have the best system the world has ever seen where all men are created equal. Every person, regardless of color, has a chance for prosperity if they are willing to work for it.

No matter how much government you grow, it can’t guarantee success for everyone like you want. Human nature also makes it impossible as they become dependent on government like we have now. It’s been tried here in the US the last 50 to 100 years and with our massive debt, has failed miserably.

All it has accomplished is enslave Americans through government dependency. The ignorance of these leftists, like notsoSharpe, is astounding.

CGato

[Paal Gulli]

That affirmative action pinhead can try spewing that anti-American crap to the Navy, ....



... but the By-God Marines ain't buying it.

[OkiMusashi]

Shannon don’t sound too Sharpe. Hey, I played sports and love to watch sports. But, talking sports or listening to others talk about sports always kinda makes me want to puke.

Now, it’s sports AND politics being discussed on Sports Channels?? Jeez.

Just kill me now.

[Jane Long]

Shannon NotSoSharpe’s twitter feed is full of racist nonsense.

The sickening thing is reading tweets in support of his screeds.

He obviously does NOT know American history. What an @ss he’s made of himself.

[Sir_Ed]

Dear Hubby, I think...

[headstamp 2]

The voice of a liberal guilt complex.

Go count your money Shannon.

[Jet Jaguar]

Thanks.

[hanamizu]

These people need to know the history of Francis Scott Key’s writing of these lyrics.

---

Key was a lawyer trying to get the British to release a local justice of the peace who had arrested some British soldiers. The British agreed to the release but since he was aboard a warship as preparations were being finalized for the attack on Fort McHenry Key and the JOP were required to stay aboard until the attack was finished. The poem was a celebration of the fact that the fort withstood the attack.

I am struck by the fact that war in the early 19th century was so “civilized” especially in regards as to how civilians were treated—even enemy civilians. (Yes I know there were atrocities, but compare how enemy civilians fared in 20th century wars.)

[IronJack]

Can you honestly say that everybody in America has freedom and liberties and opportunity,

Yes, yes, and yes. Whether they choose to make use of those assets is THEIR decision, not "the system's" or Donald Trump's or anyone else's. Maybe it's time they grow up and accept that their status in life is the result of the choices THEY made.

[robowombat]

My ancestors in Virginia and Louisiana would have appreciated the gesture.history of

[SkyDancer]

I’d like to drag his sorry a$$ through all the veteran cemetery’s to show him those that died under that piece of cloth nobody died for. What a brainless moron. Blacks died under that piece of cloth too you idiot! G-d I hate these people.

[TigersEye]

One thing I keep in mind about dumb asses like this ... he is nothing more than a pawn being moved around the board by globalist communists.

When things get hot I will not be moved to take aim at the pawns.

[Sarah Barracuda]

If he feels that way he is more than welcome to LEAVE and move to North Korea, he can trash their flag and see what happens

[txnativegop]

good advice.

[Kaslin]

You got it, and he won’t be missed.