it's turned into a bunch of jingoistic bullshit, financed by Pentagon advertising revenue.

was never a thing until 9/11 and W. made the military show how tough we were. Now we have to waste millions through out the country so the crybabies can a woody before the game.

I did not know that.

Expensive, too.

Play the anthem for national contests, like the Olympics, where the athletes represent their countries.

NFL? NBA? MLB? NHL? Not so much.

Not sure that I totally understand yet

.... there are pros and cons. A definite pro is that players who would kneel will be kept from being targeted specifically if the entire team wasn't in solidarity enough for all of them to kneel.

Instead they're in solidarity that they will not be used as tools for politicians, whether they stand, sit, kneel, or raise a fist. Given the whole thing IS so recent in the sport, deciding as a group to not be forced into making political speech as part of the job may be the best way to protect all players rights and retain a sense of team unity.

However, the con is that these protests are powerful and reach a wider audience than any other form of BLM protest does. And it's a sport largely played by African-Americans for the entertainment of a largely white audience. The combination of Trump suggesting people should have political speech forced upon them as part of their jobs and then dismissing concerns about traumatic brain injury and other safety precautions for the players? Clear demonstration that black lives and rights don't matter to him (as if we needed more).

I get that the idea of letting Donnie wrap himself up in the flag on this issue runs the risk of making it seem like the players are protesting America itself instead of the things that are still happening or Trump's disregard for their human rights. But I think many players will see it as a risk worth taking.

Google sez the Steelers are in the AFC.

Look, I do not follow sportsball. But, as a former drama nerd from West Texas, I know damned well how much America loves this stuff. BLOTUS just lobbed a racist stinkbomb into the whole thing and I am enjoying the blowback.