Basketball player won't continue her protest

ESPN ^ | 3-4-3 | ESPN.com news services

[hobblemaster]

Virginia freshman Deidra Chatman has had a change of heart.

After protesting U.S. foreign policy by turning her back on the American flag during the national anthem Sunday, Chatman said she will not do so in the future, The Washington Post reported in Tuesday's editions.

Chatman is the second player to turn her back on the flag this season after the well-publicized protest of Manhattanville senior forward Toni Smith.

"I did not intend for my actions on Sunday to offend anyone," Chatman said Monday in a statement obtained by the paper. "I would much rather have the attention focused on our team. Since we are a team, in the future I will stand with my teammates facing the flag honoring our country."

Virginia upset then-No. 6 North Carolina 69-59 and many of her teammates were unaware of Chatman's protest at the time.

"I don't think she intended for there to be a reaction at all," said Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said to The Post. "It sounds like it was spontaneous and she hadn't really thought it through…"

"It's not about whether she loves the country, doesn't love the country. It's just her personal feeling about the possibility of war."

Littlepage meet with Chatham, who is a reserve forward on the Cavs' squad Monday afternoon, and coach Debbi Ryan declined comment in the report.

[driftless]

Ditto. As individuals, these players are free to protest whatever. But if they are allowed to protest as members of an athletic team or some other private concern, then anyone could protest whatever they wished at their workplace or wherever in total disregard to their employers wishes.

[AppyPappy]

Hoo bump

[Mudboy Slim]

"I did not intend for my actions on Sunday to offend anyone," Chatman said"

Duhhh!! What did she think would happen?!

RAT-dolts...SHEEEESH!!

Thanks fer the bump...MUD

[Willie Green]

You can either keep up your "protest" in the stands, or you can play basketball - you can't do both.

LOL! Spoken like a true coach!
If you can't keep your mind focused on the game, you sit the bench.
There's no room for distractions, period.

[TomB]

i'm always happy to see the mob bring people into conformity. anyone else?

What mob?

It looks like she got a few dirty looks and caved. I dare say that conservative students on most college campuses today get much more grief (some of it coming from the institutions themselves) every day than this girl got, and yet they persevere.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

No Hoos is good news.

GO HOKIES!

[Corin Stormhands]

I don't know why these people don't MOVE out of the country!!

Well, she does go to school in the People's Republic of Charlottesville.

[Sam Cree]

"It's just her personal feeling about the possibility of war."

It's not about the possibility of war, IMO. What the Left truly fears here is that the war might be successful.

Charlottesville is getting hopeless, politically, anyway.

[zbogwan2]

Just let Deidra turn her back on the flag of Iraq while she's in Iraq. She'd be a statistic rather quickly I'm sure.

[FirstTomato]

These people who turn their backs on the flag want publicity, then can't stand the heat and retreat. Reminds me of the cowardly "human shields" who just came rushing back from Bagdad. When called upon to have the convictions of their beliefs, they back down in fear.

Same for the Hollywood types. It seems that all these America haters take advantage of their own freedoms, of the Constitution protections they have, of their country, and of the liberty that our military has paid for with their blood; then spit on those same advantages.

When they are exposed to the light, at first they are arrogant, then they get nervous. They can't reconcile their beliefs with reality. They are spoiled, ungrateful wretches who don't have the character to stand up for what they supposedly believe, because at the core they believe in nothing but saving their own butts.

[sport]

They should kick the bitch off the team.

[Bonaparte]

She will never be cadre material.

[Dont Mention the War]

"It sounds like it was spontaneous and she hadn't really thought it through…"

The very definition of liberalism.