Nice.
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.
And the number one selling NFL jersey for the 2017 season will be Steelers #78.
Bet sales go through the roof this week.
Oh & the Steelers are getting hammered on Facebook/Twitter.
Fans not happy at all!
Bingo, we have a right to to participate too
Actually, I don’t think Tomlin had anything to do with this at all. I think Tomlin and three other Pittsburgh coaches were standing respectfully on the sideline during the national anthem — while Capt. Alejandro Villanueva of the U.S. Military Academy’s Black Knights (his current team is of no consequence to me) was standing there at the mouth of the tunnel, singing the national anthem in its entirety.
“The Steelers chose poorly”.
If you decide not to decide you still have made a choice.
What a bunch of F’n losers, the whole lot!
Tax the hell out of the NFL.
Have not even had the tv on today.
But I did hang a new security storm door.
6 hours of time well spent. Better than being insulted by idiots playing kid games.
“Bradshaw has the IQ of a tree stump.”
Brain damage while playing for the Pittsburgh Kneelers.
Steelers owner is a huge leftist
Obama bot supreme
Bradshaw has been an idiot global media puppet for decades .
Typical suck up .
I am done with the NFL. Many Broncos took the knee today. I went from rooting for them to hoping they lose. Today they lost :)
On the Bright side the Chicago Bears beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-17 victory in overtime.
We beat the bastards. Worst officiated game ever but even the dumbassed refs couldn’t take it away.
What, pray tell, will Rush say about these treasonous creeps.
NFL’s decline will accelerate after this crap.
Terry, I have a right not to buy tickets and you can rest assured that I have bought my last.
Nice.
The Bears stood for the National Anthem as did their fans.
While teams should be concentrating on football and their opponent, now they're going to be thinking about how to deal with angry fans and an inquisitive media about the national anthem.
Hard to say if the Steelers were actually distracted by this before the game, but it is sure to be a subject that they will have to deal with all week, if not the rest of the season.
No matter how crappy the Bears have been they somehow or other beat the Steelers at Soldier and Sailors Field.
:^)
The next Trump tweet, ‘The players acted stupidly.’ Wait for media reaction.
The NFL is soooooooooo over! Boycott the bastards!!
Looks like TOMLIN TOOK THE KNEE!!! What a balless jackass!!
The GUD NEWS——I won the pool. Bad news-—I made several
trips to the steeler training camp at St Vincent College
to support these no account bastards!!!
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