Penalties for Kneeling Being Considered

Suppose it depends who the moment is for. Most moments of silence I’ve been around are for people I’ve little knowledge of or little reason to make waves about.

Is the anthem just a de facto moment of silence? It seems like it’s something more. Something multifaceted. It’s been claimed by more than troops.

 

You don't. And I don't. But we ain't the only NFL consumers, and it's become clear that a sizable portion of the NFL's customer base does care.

And I'd again point out that keeping "politics and religion away" is precisely what the NFL has sought to do since the day this story began. They tried simply letting the players do as they pleased in the hopes that it would blow over, and stuck with it for nearly two years. Did not work. So now they're trying something different.

 

You're right, of course. I'll just move to Colorado to relax and toke up and stay the hell away from this fucked-up NFL shit.

 

That’s one to look at it.

Another is empty liberalism is ruining it.

I think neither are, personally.

 

I stand. Sometimes I sing along because I like the tune.

My reasoning is it’s easy. There is a zero percent chance someone will bother me if I do nothing. It’s the same reason I don’t shout Hebrew prayers to interrupt the pregame Christian prayer at a public school. I think it’s stupid, but not stupid enough to make a scene.

It seems weird that something is hypothetical blather unless I live it. I don’t push the full limits of most of my rights, but I’m damn happy they’re there.

 

I support Kaep, though. From the start. His kneel was peaceful protest, not empty liberalism.

 

"I'm listening to the fuckin' song!"

 

I'll buy this totally. This 100 percent patriotism we've been spoonfed post-9/11 is, in many ways, a result of the poor treatment given returning Vietnam vets. I know we have many who have served here, and my intent is not to offend, but the over-the-top patriotism is a makeup call for that. It's a ballgame, not a patriotic display. If we're honoring the country with the anthem at the start of the game, did we get dishonorable over the next six innings, so we need to sing "God Bless America" just to be sure heading into the bottom of the seventh?

 

Seriously?

 

And to add to my post above, can we add Roger Goodell has overtaken Gary Bettman in the "Worst Commisioner in Sports" sweepstakes?

 

I think you're right that it was once a makeup call for Vietnam--one that began as far back as the over the top reaction to our 1991 Gulf War victory--but now it's evolved beyond that into this self-perpetuating beast. Seemingly temporary expansion of patriotic display in response to world crises becomes permanent because nobody wants to be perceived as the unpatriotic guy who ended the practice.

Right after 9/11, I recall thinking that all the new flag waving and patriotic display was pretty cool, but I also presumed it was only temporary, as it was in response to that event. I was wrong, as much of the new stuff soon became the expected routine stuff, and woe be to whoever tries to stop it.

 

From just a quick scan of the web, the Star-Spangled Banner was first played before a game at the 1918 World Series, as a result of World War I. The song didn't become the official national anthem until the 1930s. It wasn't played regularly, save for special events like Opening Day, the Series or holidays, until World War II started. I could live with a return to that, not just to avoid controversy, but to spare a grateful nation from the legions of musicians who just can't sing it!