“Mike Ditka, the legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, reiterated his stance that athletes should not be kneeling during the national anthem. He called it a protest of the flag and the country, and would prefer it not happen in his new X League, a women’s tackle football league.”
“Ditka, 80, was asked about kneeling during the national anthem, which is becoming more commonplace as sports return from their hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,” Ditka said in a video interview with TMZ Sports. “That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old-fashioned. I’m only going to say what I feel.”
So lets talk. How about this plan. We have, however unfortunate, arrived at a point where our National Anthem is being used as a divisive tool, a flash point for further division of America. Yeah, I like Ditka, Breese, the Big Tuna and many other “Old School” athletes. That said, I can allow as how their chosen profession does not come with omniscience or a full measure of wisdom on the world stage. However, lets listen to what is happening here. Lets make some changes. How about we reserve the playing of the National Anthem, as far as sporting events, to instances where a team is actually playing for the United States as in the Olympics! Lets do away with this tired and probably inappropriate gesture altogether at games between millionaire pitchers and quarterbacks! There is no need for it at all, and the practice is tarnishing the very thing the anthem is meant to bolster.
Baseball has “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and it could be sung in any country before the game rather than the 7th inning stretch. Who wants to come up with a football kickoff song? Lets STOP trying to enforce adherence to a posture policy at a game!! It is further ripping us apart! I did my time in Vietnam and I will always pay respect to the flag. My father did 11 war patrols in a smoke boat during WWII and I believe that he would echo this same game plan. We fought for freedom so that anyone under that very umbrella also has the freedom to take a knee during the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of a gosh damned football game!! Enough!!!
Rusty Bent Nail 