When Jocks Take a Knee to Anthem, Real Patriots Take a Stand

It was bad enough when the American public discovered that all the patriotism shown during games was actually paid by the Department of Defense...

Report: Defense Dept. paid NFL millions of taxpayer dollars to salute troops

And now it seems that these players do not respect the anthem and the owners don't respect it or their own rules.

The Kansas City Star has the rule from the NFL on the National Anthem...

“The NFL doesn’t follow their own rules. The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the NFL League Rulebook. It states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition...

“...It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

Do they understand that they are paid to play a game but others are paid so much less to risk their lives defending their rights to prove they cannot respect any of it?

My Dad fought in the Korean War and my Uncles fought during WWII. My husband fought in Vietnam and so did his Nephew. My Father-in-law and his brothers fought in WWII and one of them was killed in Saipan. Both of us are only second generation Americans! Our families came here because of what this country stood for and now these jocks cannot even stand for what families like ours fought for?

If the New England Patriots cannot stand for the anthem, then they should change their logo as well as their name because they do not deserve to have either of them associated with their stunts!

They are not acting like patriots but these football players are!

As His Team Planned to Protest the Anthem, Green Beret Veteran Player Hit Them With a Brutal Message

“That anthem means different things to us. America means different things to us. I love my country and I love what that flag and that anthem means to me and what it represents. I would love more than anything for everyone to feel that pride for the country that I feel.”

As almost one-third of the entire NFL planned on protesting during the national anthem in response to President Donald Trump calling out those who “disrespect the flag,” one green beret veteran, who became an NFL player after six years of service for the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, isn't having any of it.

And he stood up!

So did he!

(Sickening update: "This national anthem ordeal has sort of been out of control, and there's a lot of blame on myself," Villanueva, Pittsburgh's starting left tackle, said Monday.

"I made coach (Mike) Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only. I made my teammates look bad, and that is my fault.")

(And back to when I thought he deserved praise for standing up to pressure to bow down!)

Villanueva’s career in the NFL didn’t begin until 2014. Prior to that, he served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, where he served as a Captain in the army, as well as being an army ranger.

Villanueva was critical of Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest in August of 2016, when he said:

"I don't know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that's providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year."

 And so did some of them!

This isn't about what POTUS had to say to most of us. This is about what that Anthem means to us!