Alex Butler - UPI
Posted on 09/25/2017 11:44:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva surprised his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates Sunday when he stood in the tunnel for the national anthem at Soldier Field.
Several Steelers players told ESPN that they expected the entire team to stay in the locker room -- as planned -- for the pregame song.
But the former Army Ranger decided to walk out of the locker room and stand in the tunnel with his hand over his chest during the rendition. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stood on his team's sideline during the song, without his team behind him.
Villanueva served multiple terms in Afghanistan.
His jersey has skyrocketed in sales since he took his stance on Sunday. His jersey sales trailed just Marshawn Lynch, Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, Antonio Brown and Aaron Rodgers as of 7:45 p.m. on Fanatics.com. according to 247 Sports.
His jersey was the top seller of any player as of Monday afternoon.
A spokesman for Fanatics told ESPN that Villanueva has been the most popular player in the NFL, when it comes to merchandise sales on the site, for the last 24 hours.
Tomlin revealed that his team would not participate in the national anthem on the field in an interview before the game.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
One jersey “shot up” and the rest in the burn barrel is a net loss of about a billion.
Thank you soldier. Makes me proud to have served.
5.56mm
You can get one of those jerseys with #82 on it but they call it “82nd Airborne Tribute Limited Football jersey”.
http://shop.goarmysports.com/Army_Black_Knights_Mens_Football_Jerseys
My dad did the same for me 34 years ago. He’s since retired from the practice of law, but at 86 years old, he’s still a fighter pilot.
Colonel, USAFR (Ret)
#BoycottNFLAdvertisers #BoycottTheNFL #BoycottNFLSponsors #KickThemInTheWallet
Alex Butler - UPI
Save your money.
I’m glad you grew up.
Most of us have a lefist stage...its something that you go through, like the anal stage.
By the time I hit thirty, I was voting Republican. As for the anal stage, I’m still working on it.
By the time I hit thirty, I was voting Republican. As for the anal stage, I’m still working on it.
I noticed, as a youngster, my dad would get a tear in his eyes whenever the National Anthem was played...He served with Patton’s Third Army in WWII...
I realized why he got this tear when I returned from Vietnam in 1969 because I followed right along with the tears...
The swelling of pride in my chest and the overwhelming feeling of love for the country and flag does things to patriots all....
His teammates are total d!cks for letting him stand there by himself.
I hope he asks to be traded to the Cowboys.
I ordered a T-shirt. I wonder how many of his teammates secretly regret what they did and wish they’d had his courage and patriotism.
Went to West Point football site...no Villanueva jersey available...even checked with whoever was at other end of customer service live chat...so it goes
I know there are better people than that who would love to be reporters. But they can’t get a job, because the people doing the hiring are moral lepers.
They have a football jersey with an 82 on it. That was HIS number at Army.
Please trade this great patriot to the Lions, Rooney and Tomlin. We’ll take him!
And it wasn't just that Villanueva looks both sad, and determined, and alone, and yet, clearly not alone!
And he embarrassed his pos community organizer, er, 'coach', and doubly embarrassed a true Hall of Famer in Rottenburger, who should have known better.
Someone make Villanueva an Honorary FReeper. Do we have a certificate or some such? Like a Kentucky Colonel? You know, we really should have something like that, even if it's only one a year, this is the right man as the inaugural member.
And kudos to that security bro behind Villanueva. This ain’t about Amish, this is about Shitlock & the moral lepers at ESPN and their absolute comrades inside the NFL (a whole silo of ‘vice’-prezs representin’ diversituh).
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