Amid a national backlash against the Pittsburgh Steelers for not taking the field until the National Anthem was finished Sunday (with the exception of Army combat vet Alejandro Villanueva), now the waters get muddied. Villanueva is blaming himself for what he calls a screw-up and apologizing to his teammates for making them look bad. Apparently, he though some other players would join him at the end of tunnel where he stood during the playing of the Anthem.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2017/09/25/alejandro-villanueva-steelers-national-anthem-protest/stories/201709250175
Let me say this: The report is somewhat confusing, but I suspect Villanueva is getting some negative blow back from his teammates. He owes them no apology. They made themselves look bad. He says he had been getting messages from his buddies and fellow vets imploring him not to snub the Anthem. He knew what his teammates were doing, and he made the correct decision to show himself for the Anthem. Whether he thought others were joining him or not I have no idea. The fact is no one else did.
Villanueva owes more to his fellow vets than his fellow Steelers. What does he owe to Steeler running back Le'veon Bell, for example? This guy has been suspended twice in his career for failing drug tests. Nevertheless, he chose to skip the entire pre-season over a contract dispute. Now he has played poorly in the first three games of the regular season. He's the guy who should be apologizing to Villanueva.
In addition, I don't appreciate Coach Mike Tomlin's comments throwing Villanueva under the bus during a press conference. Tomlin said he expected "100% participation" referring to Villanueva.
Moreover, Steeler President Art Rooney was weak in his statement that was devoid of taking a stand.
Not weak in his statement is (former) Steeler fan Richard Williams of Texas. He has made the below video burning all his Steeler gear and explaining why.
https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-fan-burns-paraphernalia-protest-165255172.html
I have not yet made the decision to burn my Steeler paraphernalia, but here is what I hope. If this team decides to continue their demonstration, I hope the Heinz Field crowd roundly boos them. I also hope the stadium will be half full on Sundays for the rest of the year. Only the fans can send a message to the NFL, its teams and their players.
I bet Tomlin had strong words with Villanueva, to not act like a Patriot, who supports our Vets, Military and those Soldiers/Marines/Navy/Airmen who gave their lives to protect our Nation. Of course, there is the NFL rule book that states that NFL players will stand to respect the Flag when the Anthem is played, with helmets at their side (p 62-63). All should be fined and loose positions and games and praise for Villanueva. Then, there is the US Code that gives directions on how to respect the US flag.
ReplyDeleteSquid