FROM GRIF PRITCHARD
TALLASSEE, ALABAMA
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
So apparently we are about to venture into the “Kneeling Season.”
Athletes, managers, general managers, peanut vendors … the guy in Section S Row 9 Seat 33 … have all declared whether or not they are going to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem.
Some are and one side reacts. Some are not and the other side reacts.
Mediocre NFL Quarterback Tim Tebow did it to pray when he was with Broncos (not because he was with the Broncos) and the left lost their minds. He was forcing his religion down everyone’s throats.
Mediocre NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick did it to, at first seek relevance during a contract year with the 49ers, but since turned his moment of defiance into a career choice as a way to speak out against police violence. And also get paid a lot of money by Nike to not be a professional athlete.
The pig socks, though, were a bit much.
The right lost their everloving mind and began talking about how he was disgracing the flag.
Look, Cousins, I’ve been to Panama City for Spring Break, when you could just smell the STD‘s and bad decisions. I’ve been to Lake Martin on the 4th of July. I’ve been to Orange Beach on a random Tuesday.
Trust me – there are more grotesque ways to disgrace the American flag; and the Canadian flag; and the Mexican flag; and the Irish flag.
Quoting Metallica: The memory remains (shutters at the thought).
All of the kneeling business takes place during the pre-game kafuffle that for years was the time when people made their last purchases at the concession stand or the folks at home finished building their burgers and popping a top or two while some high school band played a shaky rendition of the National Anthem.
Nobody really paid attention. But now, kneeling has become a thing filtering down so far as the high school level and even during collegiate graduations.
Nothing screams “Fight the power!” like a 43-year-old WASP soccer mom with a Yeti full of iced wine kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem prior to the start of her kid’s 9-year-old’s Upward Soccer Saturday. I realize that Upward is not an actual sport, but you get my point.
Everybody take a seat. Get off your knee and listen: I have an idea how to make this work so we can get back to the important thing about football and basketball and baseball and, well, nobody really kneels during hockey: the game that is going to be contested for the next three or four hours.
I’ve been a sportswriter for many, many, many years and have been a witness to many, many, many … so many terrible … pre-game festivities involving the National Anthem and the prayer and not once have I seen a game swing because a guy had so much ‘Merica in him that he made that tackle at the goal line.
I’ve seen a guy have so much Bama in him that he poisoned trees, though.
Dispense with the playing of the National Anthem and “leaving the microphone unattended so some student body president or chaplain can happen to stumble by” to lead a stadium full of folks in prayer.
It has to be phrased like that, the prayer because church and state are supposed to be separate. But it never fails that some high school band is going to be playing “I’ll Fly Away” out of the brown book during halftime and the folks who came to watch football and not preachin’ get offended.
Nonetheless – I say we do away with that format for the pre-game.
Now, I realize that some of my more biblical cousins are reading this and, if not already, have convinced themselves that I’m a heathen who just wants to see God taken away from everything sacred.
Also, I’m not attacking the National Anthem … hold your Republican gasps of faux offense thinking that I’ve called Patriotism into question and let me finish.
You do away with those facets of the pre-game ceremonies and save them for the Olympics. In their place, you play that Lee Greenwood song.
“And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free …” – that one. The one that revived his career after 9/11.
Or “God Bless America” but it has to be the Ray Charles version or Aretha Franklin.
Any other version is just sacrilegious. Add that to the pre-game litany of activities.
So that way, if leagues insist that the athletes be on the field during this period and they choose to kneel they are kneeling in protest of Lee Greenwood.
Which after meeting the guy, I’m completely okay with an organized protest against that little sawedoff …
(Breathe Griffin)
Also if you play God Bless America in lieu of the National Anthem and the prayer, you’ve saved a little time which means the band can play fanfare or the fight song a little longer. Too, you’re still covering your bases with God, Bless and America so no need for awkward student-led prayers.
Changing up the pre-game will take the spotlight off those who choose to make sports a political platform.
Politics are in every facet of the world today and it keeps getting worse even now that we are in an election year.
When it comes to sports, I want to watch a game. Free of agenda; free of kafuffle and athletes misunderstanding their role on the team.
I was always taught that the name on the front of the jersey was more important than the name on the back. Unless you’re playing Smith’s Station where they are all Smiths on the back of their jerseys.
That’s a story for another time.
It’s that simple.
