Nearly a year ago I posted ‘American flag desecrated — SAD!’

It showed an elderly man picking up an American flag lying on the sidelines during a high school football game. For my readers who are not American, Old Glory must never touch the ground. That used to be taught in school. No longer, it would seem.

My post said in part:

Their coach and the school should talk about the importance of the flag at a mandatory hour-long class assembly.

I realise this desecration is being done because of a certain trendy, yet ignorant, professional football player whose name will never appear on my site. Why anyone gave him the oxygen of publicity I will never know.

Said football player could not find a team to sign him for the 2017-2018 season. Good. Unfortunately, he is sitting pretty. I heard one report that he is already worth over $200m.

Also sad is that his legacy of disrespect for the National Anthem has continued into the current NFL (National Football League) season. The only two teams who have told their players to stand for the national anthem are the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears. The Cowboys issued a directive several months ago. The Bears did so just before last weekend’s game.

I’m not an American football fan. I personally know what dimwits some of the college players were in the 1970s — race immaterial, because many were white.

I would like to see today’s guys — college and professional — play in Rugby Union or Rugby League. Those bumper stickers I used to see in the 1980s about having leather attributes to play the game are 100% correct. Rugby players are also consummate gentlemen.

President Donald Trump is sick and tired of these political, anti-American gestures. He said so on Thursday, September 21 at a political rally in Alabama in advance of a special senatorial election there.

You can see a clip of Trump in Judge Jeanine Pirro’s opening statement for her Fox News show which aired at the weekend. She also refers to the USA Today article which details the criminal offences that NFL players have committed. (Here is one such example — and that player was reinstated!) The convictions and police records amongst NFL players is disproportionate to that of the United States as a whole:

Yes, players claim that kneeling on one knee is a legitimate protest against notional American oppression of minorities. And, now, nearly every team is getting in on the act — including, ironically enough, Bob Kraft’s New England Patriots. (They won the Super Bowl earlier this year.) Patriots, my eye. This was Trump’s response to the press:

That’s right. Trump is not going to tell his good friend Kraft or anyone else what to do or think — however, they will have to accept the consequences of their actions. Trump will sit back and watch.

Now back to the team protests. This isn’t the 1960s. There is no reason to legitimately protest against the United States for discrimination. All of it, starting with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has been gradually legislated out of existence over the past 50+ years. As for police brutality, minorities are many times more likely to be shot and/or killed by other minorities — civilians.

Here is an example of the NFL’s idiocy, aptly explained yesterday at The Conservative Treehouse:

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens are in England today for a game in London.  When the U.S. National Anthem was played both teams disrespected the USA and yet stood up for the U.K National Anthem ‘God Save The Queen’.   Think about that.

This is what happened:

Here’s more from The Conservative Treehouse:

The NFL, writ large, is nuts.  They’ve lost their minds. The NFL players, managers, league officials and owners, along with downstream sport punditry and networks, obviously think virtue signaling their collective unity plays well -mostly in their echo-chamber because of the support from left-wing media- but outside their bubble they are destroying their own business model.  Watch what happens.

Yep. And the NBA (basketball) and MLB (baseball) are starting to do it, too.

This man explains the idiocy of disrespecting the national anthem. Ticket sales will plummet. (Not to mention car park revenues!) Political activists don’t attend sports events, everyday patriotic Americans do:

Alex Jones also had a good commentary, discussing how the NFL owners have taken against the American president. That’s a big mistake. Jones also points out how the American symbols that teams used to put on uniforms or branding have pretty much disappeared over the years. He also talked about the game held in London:

Most importantly, Jones mentioned an excellent video about The Star-Spangled Banner, which Francis Scott Key wrote. I did not know the full history as shown below.

The British fired at Fort McHenry relentlessly in one battle, yet, the next day, even though it had holes in it, the American flag still stood. Both sides thought it was miraculous. They had never seen such a thing before. And, Francis Scott Key was actively involved throughout. All Americans should see this and share it with their children:

The fourth verse, in particular, reflects the awe at seeing the flag still standing and what that meant for the young republic (see at 30-second mark):

With regard to the protests, fans began turning off NFL last season when all this stupidity started. It doesn’t help when a player spits on a fan, either. As MSNBC’s Morning Joe‘s Joe Scarborough — a Trump loather — says:

This is because sport is entertainment, not a political forum. People attend sporting events for a break from the dismal reality of life, including politics.

Yet, the NFL owners and managers are angry with Trump. Trump, they say, should keep his mouth shut. But the NFL started it all by protesting, right?

Former NFL fans and ticket holders burnt team shirts and season tickets at the weekend. Other American fans are cancelling certain cable subscriptions whilst more will boycott NFL sponsors:

This is a good move, too:

I also enjoyed this:

Ironically, although most teams refused to stand for the national anthem — including the Pittsburgh Steelers, excepting Alejandro Villanueva, the veteran who saw three tours in Afghanistan — Sunday, September 24 was Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s (sic) Day.

Since 1936, the last Sunday in September has been Gold Star Mother’s Day. On Saturday, September 23, the president expanded this to include families.

Fox News reported on all the errant teams on Sunday and included Trump’s reaction, including the following tweet:

The display marked a tumultuous weekend between the NFL and Trump, who called the players kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner” disrespectful. Trump took note of the incidents at the start of the games on Sunday.

He also tweeted:

Contrary to what some on social media are saying — one example — there is no NFL rule on players’ conduct during the national anthem or when the flag is present. Atlanta’s NBC affiliate has also checked the rule book (as have I). Whilst there are rules about players’ physical appearance and attire — and making or gesturing statements — there is nothing about the national anthem.

Now, one could argue about gestures and statements. Remember that Tim Tebow was censured for dropping one knee in thanks for making a touchdown. Also recall last year that players who war 9-11 ‘Never Forget’ footwear on the field were similarly censured. Many think the same judgement should be applied to this current lot of players.

To make a case, here is a citation of the American statute stipulating conduct during the national anthem. It is 36 US Code 301 (emphases mine):

(a)Designation.—
The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.

(b)Conduct During Playing.—During a rendition of the national anthem—
(1) when the flag is displayed—
(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
(2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.
(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title V, § 595, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4475.)

So there. Case closed.

There is a military element to this, too.

Veterans, rightly, are speaking out against these NFL clowns. Here is a Benghazi survivor, Kris Paronto:

I will have more on this tomorrow:

Meanwhile, I’m contemplating the real possibility that NFL will come to mean No Fans Left. Maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers will be known as the Pittsburgh Kneelers, too. Poetic justice.