My Petty Complaint This Morning

I have a beef! So, what else is new. This morning I’m still angered at what I observed at the two football games on Sunday – by the way both were boring as hell unless of course you’re a Steeler or Seahawk fan.

But my complaint isn’t really about football or the games in particular. It is about what I see, more often than not, just prior to the game. During the National Anthem, it is out of respect, that we or some of us anyway, have been taught to remove our hats and stand (usually in a still manner also as a means of showing respect).

The respect is for many things all of which are symbolic of Old Glory. So why do many people, not do this act of paying respect to our flag and our National Anthem? Is it because they have not been taught any better or are they “excercising their right to free speech”?

I watched both games and saw players wearing their little black knit skull caps failing to remove them from their heads while television cameras zoomed in on these “star” athletes to glorify them. At one game, while the camera was holding still on one head-covered player, a coach, still wearing his ball cap was walking around, laughing and paying no attention at all.

Don’t get me wrong. I think that anyone who chooses not to uncover their head and show respect to our country and all that our flag stands for, can do so. It only drives home to me the fact that America is more interested in the entertainment value and the money that can be made from professional sports than respecting what symbolizes why they can be standing on the sidelines making millions of dollars of year.

This is just one more reason for me to decide to go for a walk or do something else on a Sunday during football. I wonder if the NFL has an official stance on this. More than likely with the “dumbing down” of everything else, this cute little knit cap is probably no longer considered a hat. That would make it alright then.

Tom Remington

On a side note: How long do you think it will be before the ACLU and all the other looney goonies will begin mounting a campaign to stop the traditional prayer that is offered before the also traditional “Genlemen, start your engines”?