Free Republic

From Alejandro Villanueva's absurd apology for standing up for the flag, to his team's decision to stay off the field during the playing of the national anthem, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done an amazing job of extending a bad press cycle for themselves. And maybe that's because they are prioritizing protection of their flag-haters over the interest of pleasing their fans. First, there was the locker-room evasion. In the name of 'team unity' and a stated desire not to get involved in the politically charged atmosphere of President Trump's objections to players 'taking a knee' as the national anthem...

Yesterday, Pittsburgh Steeler tackle Alejandro Villenueva was hailed as a hero for seeming to buck the tide of disrespect for the United States that is the flavor du jour in the Roger Goodell’s NFL. While the Steelers cowered in the locker room rather than pretend for a couple of minutes that they were proud to be Americans, Villanueva, West Point graduate, Army Ranger, and decorated combat veteran, stood alone on the sideline. Now Villanueva says it was all just a big, big mistake. This is via Chris Adamski who covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: