U.S. Soccer CRUSHES the National Anthem Protest Movement by Requiring Players Stand ‘Respectfully’
- 450SHARES
- Share
- Tweet
- Comment Now 0
Imagine that… some semblance of sanity is returning to sports. Colin Kaepernick decided this week that he would start standing for the National Anthem once more. US Soccer’s board of directors has now also passed a bylaw mandating that players will stand for the National Anthem. They did that after Megan Rapinoe took a knee to support Kaepernick. While all that was going on, ratings went in the toilet and a lot of people swore off football and other sports altogether. I was one of them.
The new policy states, “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of the national anthem at any event in which the Federation is represented.” Good! It’s a shame that a fricking bylaw had to be passed to ensure that people actually stand for their country and the National Anthem. Kaepernick’s career is toast and hopefully Rapinoe’s is as well.
From Breitbart:
In the same week where anthem protester Colin Kaepernick decided he wouldstand for the anthem from now on, U.S. Soccer has created a bylaw which will ensure that their players stand for the Star-Spangled Banner from now on.
The need for the bylaw stems from the anthem protests launched by soccer player Megan Rapinoe of Reign FC, who, to show solidarity with Kaepernick, began kneeling for the national anthem before games in September of last year.
Explaining her decision to protest to American Soccer Now, Rapinoe said at the time, “It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he’s standing for right now. I think it’s actually pretty disgusting the way he was treated and the way that a lot of the media has covered it and made it about something that it absolutely isn’t.
“We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country.”
The New York Times reports that U.S. Soccer’s board of directors passed the bylaw on February 9, before announcing it publicly over this weekend at the annual general meeting in Hawaii.
US Soccer President Sunil Gulati explained the rationale for the new policy: “There is a right to free speech; she also has the obligations to putting on a national team uniform,” Gulati told FourFourTwo. “And we think those are pretty strong when you’re representing the U.S. national team and wearing the crest.” I totally agree. For a nation that allowed you to become wealthy and famous, the least you can do is respect the National Anthem.
No punishment has been announced for anyone who breaks the rule, but I wouldn’t put it to the test if I were them. This isn’t about freedom of speech, this is about respect for your country. Since these are private teams, the owners and board of directors are well within their rights to do this and should have done so last year.
- 450SHARES
- Share
- Tweet
- Comment Now 0
