Friday night in Alabama, President Douchecanoe delivered a tirade that united athletes and citizens across many platforms.
MLB player and catcher for the Athletics Bruce Maxwell became the first baseball player to take a knee. A whole lot of NFL players knelt during the anthem or stayed in the locker room in protest of Trump. The Golden State Warriors decided that they didn’t have a need to stop by the White House.
Statement from the Golden State Warriors: pic.twitter.com/6kk6ofdu9X
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) September 23, 2017
So where does the NHL fit into all of this? Well, probably where you think they would.
First, on Friday night, Blake Wheeler, Captain America of the Winnipeg Jets, spoke out on Twitter, like for reals.
Regardless of how it makes you feel individually, these are literally the principles the US was founded on. Come on, Mr. President
— Blake Wheeler (@BiggieFunke) September 23, 2017
It's the First Amendment to our Constitution. The First one!!
— Blake Wheeler (@BiggieFunke) September 23, 2017
That’s right, it is. This protest falls under that. Of course, it being Twitter, and of the subset Hockey Twitter, he was told to stick to sports, pampered athlete.
Then Sunday while NFL fans were either embracing or deriding the possible protests, and after word that the Warriors weren’t visiting the White House in the future, the Pittsburgh Penguins came out with their own tepid take.
Alexa, show me the worst-timed statement in sports history https://t.co/pjBCrhGvOC
— Dave Lozo (@davelozo) September 24, 2017
Yep, they’re going. Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy expresses everything that is wrong with this so well, that I’d rather you read the article than have me try to rehash it.
Why does one person taking a stand (or a knee) just send people through the roof? I just don’t get it. Why is it a First Amendment issue for some and a crime against humanity for others? I’m glad that athletes are expressing themselves through peaceful protest, I wish more NHL players would have the temerity to do so.
In unrelated news: It is suddenly summer and I am taking off all my clothes! Sorry(not sorry) for that image.
Not surprising that they’re being sent down to PVD.
And who the Frk was scoring for Detroit?
I apologize if I might have pissed people off for bringing this here because I know we kind of use this forum as an oasis of sorts from the world. However, I felt it was too important to leave unacknowledged, especially when the Penguins put out their statement.
you have nothing to apologize for!!!
I apologize for nothing!
So, how ’bout those Bruins, eh?
I hear they play a sport called Ice Hockey.
I also hear that they played like they were a pee-wee team in Detroit this weekend.
But the Pizza Box is a gorgeous arena. I can’t wait to visit it and it’s wunderbar Biergarten.
It did look pretty cool!
So many interesting details like the scoreboard and gondola seating suspended from the ceiling.
Hearing the constant drone of “everybody keeps getting lost” was annoying, but the double-sided scoreboard screens look awesome.
Mostly they sat in the penalty box but when they weren’t doing that they played like a pee wee team, yes.
Just me but, I find displaying a flag on the back of a pick up truck, where it gets shredded to pieces is more disrespectful than kneeling during the anthem. Just me, like I said, but I am a vet, if you are going to display the flag – do it properly. If you don’t want to display it, don’t.
Yeah, I also grit my teeth when I see that, knowing how quickly that flag will get shredded.
My take on everything:
Hey peeps.
I’ve been trying to post for like three hours and keep getting sidetracked with work. Can you even believe that these people expect me to accomplish things?!
I’m tired of this whole thing even being an issue. No matter what side of the ACTUAL issue (as in, the reason for the kneeling) you may be on, these people have a right to stand, kneel, sit, sing, not sing, or whatever it is they choose to do during the national anthem. Why? Because Blake Wheeler is right, that’s what America is all about, and like it or not, it’s one of our basic rights as Americans.
#BlakeWheelersFault
I’m sick of white people telling black people how and when to protest.
I’m sick of the bullshit narrative that politics doesn’t belong in sports.
Really? Tell it to Jack Johnson. Tell it to Jesse Owens. Tell it to Jackie Robinson. Tell it to Willie O’Ree. Tell it to Bill Russell. Tell it to Tommie Smith and Doug Carlos. Tell it to Muhammad Ali. Tell it to Doug Williams.
Heck, tell it to Maurice Richard:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Riot
Like it or not, athletes have the limelight, the stage, and the ability to speak for the themselves and those without power, if the so choose. It really gets my goat that some people have conflated the action of taking a knee as disrespecting the flag and veterans. If you think this is about that, you need to get your head out of your ass.
Exactly. Professional athletes have a platform most people don’t have,. If they want to help those with no voice, more power to them. That said, I don’t EXPECT any of them to take a stand and I really wish the media would stop prodding them for their opinions.
Agreed – and what do they think the veterans fought for? Their RIGHTS. Free speech is one of those rights. I mean, it’s in the fucking BILL of Rights. Get it together, people.
Yeah, it is infuriating that the protest has gotten conflated with so many other issues.
It’s virtue-signaling and false patriotism.
And it is all being used as a smokescreen to hide the fact that no one wants to look too closely at the issue behind the protests — that police disproportionately shoot black people and that perhaps there is some sort of latent (or overt) racism involved.
Ironically, the veterans that I have seen speak up about the issue (I have been shocked at how many I’ve seen) have overwhelmingly taken one of two stances
a. outright support
b. annoyance, but strong support for the right to exercise their 1st amendment rights
(For the record, I have also seen two take more rah rah pro-Trump stances)
As a rather firm 1st Amendment advocate, it’s not difficult to can guess at where I stand on this issue.
Agreed, most vets i know that have spoken out about this have voiced two sentiments:
1) I fought for our freedoms and anyone that says Kneeling for the flag is disrespecting those who have fought for it don’t understand that what we fought for were our liberties and freedoms to be able to stand up for what you believe in, thus fully supporting the players protest.
2) I’m so fucking tired of politics, sports was my one escape and now Trump even fucked that up and the Media is making a big fucking show out of it….grumble grumble….fuck everyone in general for making entertainment political. Also, with all the suffering people out there currently, if you are kneeling to make a statment for those suffering and you are not currently donating or doing anything for those people, you are just grandstanding and fuck off.
I understand #2 a ton as for a lot of people and especially vets, sports is a way for anyone and everyone to get together and enjoy a period of time cheering for something you enjoy and be able to express and vent emotions that have no real impact on life (aka escapism). Turning this form of stress relief into just one more form of actual life issues to deal with is not fun. I dont think anyone I know is bitching that “the players get played to play sports and should have nothing to do with political or social issues” because most my friends are aware that they are individuals and people that have every right to express their opinions as the common man, it is not up to us to label them as a different class because of their status or job. If i can tweet something about trump, as a person so can they. These people have a voice and lucky for them they have a microphone up to their faces, and so people will and can listen to them.
What we as a people have to remember is that just because some actor, athlete, celebrity has a voice it does not speak for us, but for them. Bill Gates and Matt Damon work to ensure clean water is provided to areas in need….so if thats your thing then do some research and look into it and then stand with them. Jenny McCarthy believes in Vaccines causing Autism….so just remember….just because you are famous does not mean you are fucking smart….do some research for yourself and make sure what they stand for is an actual thing worth fighting for.