Posted on 07.30.2018

Why Stand?

The refusal by some NFL players to stand up for the performance of the National Anthem at football games the past few seasons has had some far-reaching ramifications. It has ruffled the feathers of much of the population, resulting in less fans in the stands and a somewhat dwindling television audience, plus leaving deep scars in the veterans community.

While few Americans, if any, would question the right of the players to protest or the validity of their cause, it’s the venue they’ve chosen that sparks the heated controversy and only time will tell how much damage will be done to the sport as the fans who pay exorbitant prices for season tickets and those who spend an average of eight to ten hours a week watching three games on Sunday, and two during the week, will sustain the high dollar salaries of the players and the executives who make the decisions.

Many veterans take the players actions as disrespect for the flag, the nation, and the military, in essence, spitting on the valor of generations of Americans who served, especially when there is a color guard standing at attention presenting the colors.

Professional football has overtaken baseball to become America’s favorite pastime over the last few decades with an ever increasing share of the television audience, players’ salaries that would rival the GNP of a third world nation, and the building of billion dollar stadiums, and, as is the case with so many successful professional sports, NASCAR notwithstanding, forgot their humble beginnings and ignored their base, who were faithful until the high cost of tickets and concessions no longer fit into their budgets.

So, will the NFL allow another layer of the faithful to drift away, it seems from Commissioner Goodell’s on again, off again policy they have not made up their mind.

What the whole situation boils down to, is whether the work place is the proper venue for politics and personal protest.

Speaking for myself, I am as about as an opinionated person as you’ll come across, believe that it is my constitutionally mandated right to speak my mind in favor or opposition to any subject I please, but figure that the people who bought the tickets to my shows did not spend their hard-earned money to hear me promote or degrade politics or social issues.

I do over two hundred media interviews every year and if the interviewer is inclined to ask my personal opinion on such matters, I gladly oblige them, and if you have read this column over the past couple of decades you know that I use these pages quite often to vent or gush or whatever about my personal grievances and pet causes.

But, at least from my point of view, my workplace is not a forum for such things, but a place where people come to get away from such things, and football games are the same, a source of escape from the everyday pressures, and people pay dearly for the opportunity.

NFL players are not low-profile citizens without access to the media who would gladly grant interviews, which is red meat to them. In most cases they have but to make themselves available and the controversy loving media would do the rest.

As a lifelong football fan and a season ticket holder, I sincerely hate to see what is happening to the sport, and I fear that the powers that be don’t realize the true jeopardy they face and that they are soon going to have to make up their minds which way they’re going to jump.

It’s just one of those tight corners where somebody is going to be offended, there is no avoiding that fact.

Will it be a handful of players or thousands, or possibly millions of fans?

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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Comments

Stand or Fired
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie my title sums it all up. Stand or Fired these ,players are under contracts that spell out everything from their helmets to their shoes, therefore the owners can without a doubt make them stand up or be fired. I believe that Commissioner Goodell is a bigger piece of trash and lower life form than the protesting players, he must have hayseed for gonads, he must be a commie sympathiser, for how else do you justifying putting dung in the plate that feeds you? I always did enjoy football at the high school & college level, so these high paid cry babies that say hi to mom on TV because most of them don't even know who their daddy is, they can suck pond water till they drown as far as I'm concerned or move to Cuba and protest the USA and spit in the face of every vet that has ever lived, but at least in Cuba we can definitely identify a them as the enemy...... nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
If the football stadium is not a forum for such things
Then why not get rid of the national anthem altogether? It goes both ways. I assure you many NFL fans are also turned off by the phony patriotism we are forced to endure each game.
Posted by Nick
NATIONAL Football League and the disrespect some show
Charlie, Anyone who represents anything "National" (NFL) should respect our Flag, our Country, and our Veterans or they should not be there. With all the money they receive wonder why they do not buy airtime to voice their opinions if it is so important to them . I read a saying the other day how nice it would be if the people who wore helmets to defend our Country was paid as much as the people who wore helmets on the football field.
Posted by Patricia
The horse is dead. Stop beating it.
The NFL nonsense is something that Donald Trump throws out when he wants people to look the other way. What has he done now?
Posted by Dana
Why Stand?
Thank You Charlie, you are spot on with this... I have quit watching pro football due to the lack of respect that many players exhibit. I really enjoy your thoughtful Soap Box posts...
Posted by Brenda
NFL,tell me why you don't stand?
I had a feeling you would bring up the NFL Charlie,and I have to agree with you,leave politics in the locker room. A rookie makes about $50,000.00 per game,the top paid players make that much per play! T.V. time 30 seconds local market $25,000.00 up to $500,000.00 national market,prime time. Pocket change if you are in the pros. Buy some time and tell me why you don't stand. If you have ever been to a football game when the Star-spangled Banner is playing I get an overwhelming feeling of safety,gratitude,and patriotism. Maybe some of players should try standing in the stands with the people who pay your wages. People are going to find something else to do on Sunday.
Posted by bill (good guy with a gun)
Stand
As always, you are 100% Mr. Daniels! A job or career is not a right, it is a privilege. You are provided with compensation to further the success of your organization by utilizing your god given talents. To be a citizen of our United States is a privilege with rights. Everyone in our great country has the right to express their thoughts but this should to be done at the proper time. A job is not the forum for individuals expressing their views on personal opinion. Every subject imaginable has opposing views and one should never jeopardize the good name of their employer by associating their personal observations with their firm. As you stated in your article, when I go to a venue, whether sports, a play or concert, I am spending my money to enjoy the special talents that these people have to offer. I am not interested in their political or social views, I am there to just be entertained. Last, I love my country and am proud to stand for our flag at every opportunity! I have no respect for these overpaid, pampered football players who do not respect our flag or country. I no longer support the NFL.
Posted by Steve
Standing
Retired USAF. About your article, concur as written! Keep the faith! God bless America!👍👍🇺🇸
Posted by Byron
There is the employer/employee relationship but
I am not aware of a single organization besides the NFL that REQUIRES you to stand for the national anthem.
Posted by Nick
Why Stand
I do not believe that NFL games are the correct place to demonstrate. If the players are passionate about their causes they should find a more appropriate place to make their case. Business is business and needs to be just that. Kneeling for our National Anthem is disrespectful to our flag, veterans who served our country and the military in general. I, for one, have stopped watching NFL football and will continue to do so until this nonsense stops. Roger Goodell needs to stop the politically correct crap and stand up for principle. Doubtful that he will.
Posted by Owen
It Ain't Dead
Dana, if you are smelling something dead it is Maxine, Nancy, and the rest of the Demoncrats. What you are doing is straight out of Saul Alinsky and Obama's playbook, accuse someone of doing exactly what you are doing, such as Russian collusion. or a better case in point, Obama's CIA head John Brennan voted for Communist Party candidate, Gus Hall, for President in 1976 and then calls President Trump "nothing short of treasonous." in his meeting with Putin. We can sum up Gus Hall with one of his quotes about Christians......"The Christians are always singing about the blood. Let us give them enough of it! Let us cut their throats and drag them over the altar! And let them drown in their own blood! I dream of the day when the last priest is strangled on the guts of the last preacher." - Gus Hall Do you know the definition of Treason? According to my Funk & Wagnalls Brennan fits the bill of Treason while Trump fits the bill of a Patriot.....nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
Right
Amen. Like.Dolly said im.Here to entertain you not politics they get paid football prayers etc from.public people needs to stop going if they can't act like Americans
Posted by Stella
Both sides
I am the person who sees both sides of whatever. The players are committed to the flag, but feel the only way to be heard is kneeling.. They say Black lives matter, with the amount of young black men killed every year, is sad, The players just want to say hey we matter outside of the game,,, I am a white 63 year old lady,,, this is my opinion .
Posted by Marcia
Sad for the NFL
The players, who have unprecedented access to the press, through sports writers, and sports channels, also have significant privilege, with notoriety, for access to politicians. From the game interviews, to city halls, state houses, and congressional committees, these stars have incredible voice. Is the reach of dumbed down education all the way to these multimillionaire, mostly university educated personalities ??? I would have thought they wanted public support.
Posted by Lance
Stand
I believe it is everyone's right to express their opinions. I believe it must be done at the proper place and time. I agree, unless you are a politician, the workplace is not acceptable. Amen and thank you for stating this so clearly and eloquently.
Posted by Lisa
Disrespect
Thank you Mr.Charkie Daniel, I agree with you 100%. Thank you Sir!
Posted by Ron
Charlies Words
Well said Charlie ...
Posted by Thomas
Take a walk in OUR shoes!
Mr. Daniels -- my grandfathers on both sides were WWII veterans, as were many of my maternal uncles. My late father was USMC and served in the Vietnam war. There is one thing that unites all of these black soldiers -- yes, I'm African-American; that being the fact that ALL served "their" country and were STILL subsequently denied equal rights under the law upon returning the mythical "land of opportunity." My maternal grandfather, who was highly decorated following his tenure in WWII, came back to a life of poverty, non-existent opportunities, segregation and Jim Crow. My father came back from 'Nam, not in his right mind and unable to function in college. Let me tell YOU something sir -- if any of the black veterans out there suffered, fought and died for something as ambiguous as a FLAG, then they fought for naught! The flag is just a SYMBOL. Not standing for the national anthem is as American as standing for it; many fought and died for the right to protest, and the venue makes NO difference. The players taking a knee at games are doing so in the hopes of bringing attention to various inequalities -- disproportionate police brutality against blacks and people of color; social discrimination etc. The men-folk in my family fought in numerous wars so that they could HAVE this right, and these self-same men-folk came back to an America that treated them like dirt! I realize that in redneck land, everything is viewed down a rather...myopic lens. Indeed, many people from that side of the pond have long held a less-than favorable view of people of color. That said, many of us have fought and died in America's wars, some necessary (WWI, WWII) -- some misguided (Korea, Vietnam) -- and some criminal (Iraq, Pakistan). If anyone, white or black, died just for a FLAG or what it is supposed to symbolize, then they died for NOTHING. Patriotism is relative and and ideal; whether I stand, kneel or don''t participate during the pledge of allegiance, it doesn't necessarily reflect how patriotic, or un-patriotic I may be, anymore than not having crosses hanging in a house would express if you were christian, or not! Denigrating the players for protesting is simplistic. What's more -- it is a tool that Herr Trump uses every time someone gets closer to proving his unsavory relations with Russia!
Posted by Merv
To plowboy
What in the heck was that about?
Posted by Dana
NFL kneeling
I was never a football fan anyway, but this has made it so I will never watch a game period, until they correct this abhorrent situation. I think they are disgracing our country, our Flag, our Anthem, and EVERY person that fought for freedom. I wish someone would run out and place one of those black cutouts of a kneeling soldier that they use as a memorial in front of every one of these idiots that kneels. I'll bet you it would stop in a week. Why when Tim Tebow knelt in prayer was that a HUGE problem and this is not only not a problem but is being fostered by that spineless weasel Goodell and hailed as brave? Brave is the dead soldier that black cutout represents that gave his/her life for our freedoms and the freedoms of others.... These players wear a "costume" NOT a Uniform.
Posted by Dave
Military sponsorship
I thought that part of the tradition of playing our national anthem at games was that the military pays to “advertise” and recruit? If so it only makes sense out of respect and decorum to celebrate our Freedom to be able to sit and enjoy good times at the games. I’m a naturalized citizen and every time the anthem is performed beautifully and respectfully it brings tears to my eyes. Being a part of the crowd w everyone standing with hand over heart is part of that emotion - that we live in a beautiful country with God-given rights that men and women protect for us every single hour of every day. And it’s good to be reminded of that as often as possible. Thanks, Charlie for your inspiring posts!! And music!!
Posted by C
the game
Its an incredibly violent and savage profession, football. The players are in a unique position because there is not anyone better than them to replace them. If you fit the NFL finds you, not the other way around. And, there is a salary cap. Tell me what you want about overpaid players but old plantation Jerry banks a couple of bil per year. If you want them to stop, pay them more. THAT is the American way.
Posted by Bobby
lyrics
I think it's chicken in the bread pan picking out gold (corn). I am writing. I can't see a chicken wanting to eat dough. Thanks, we love you, your politics and your music. Love to hear your songs at Stone Mountains laser shows ever since our kids were toddlers. They're now grown but still like Devil Went to Georgia. "He laid that golden fiddle at Johnny's feet. Just come on back if you ever want to try again. Awesome song. Thank you.
Posted by Mike
Plowboy on definitions
I think they've defined sedition now pretty clearly, too. Brennan leading it. Gus Hall is their type of people. Funny how not accepting Obama as president was un-American.
Posted by Jeff
Why I stand
Thank you Charlie. I have had 6 family members who served as Marines. One was killed in Vietnam. I stand to honor all Vets and those serving now. All of my family members served in wars. NFL players who kneel during the Anthem need to realize that there are other ways to get their point across. What does just kneeling do for anyone? Nothing.
Posted by Patricia
Stand -UP and Stand - PROUD !!!!
Sir: You are coming to our AWESOME County Fair here in Woodstock, Va. Let me be the first to say " I AM PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE" and I am proud of YOU and what you stand for !!!! The night that you will be here is also "VETERANS DAY" at the Fair. AWESOME combination !!!!! I sure would like to meet you and SHAKE YOUR HAND !!!! You see … I WAVE the FLAG on ALL PATRIOT HOLIDAYS ( plus some days …. just because I LOVE HER). I spent THREE tours in Viet Nam 1966 - 1967 - 1968 , I am a "TET" survivor …. I was an Advisor for the Vietnamese Infantry during "TET".. I lived with them 24-7... I returned home with … The Vietnamese CROSS of GALANTRY / WITH BRONZE STAR The Vietnamese MEDAL of HONOR FIRST CLASS The Vietnamese MEDAL of HONOR SECOND CLASS TWO separate awards of the BRONZE STAR Several citations Mr. Daniels … YOU know more about me than 99% of the people in this AWESOME town. They know me as "ART" and "THAT GUY ON THE BRIDGE".... very few even know my last name. AND THAT IS OK !!!! They have no idea of my medals or what it took to get them. So when I hear that a man is coming to our AWESOME town, that believes and stands for what I've fought and stood for - for the past 50 YEARS - I GET EXCITED !!! A SPECIAL THANKS for ALL YOU DO for our Servicemen and women …. I know you have schedules to keep and all... Plus there are more important and more honorable people that pay the big bucks to sit close and to meet and shake hands. I KNOW THAT … and that is just how it is … BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW SIR: There will be a little old Combat Disabled Veteran (100 % Combat Disabled PTSD)out there somewhere in the crowd - just busting out with PRIDE … just knowing YOU are on stage and hearing YOUR music. May GOD BLESS YOU !!!! May HE KEEP YOU SAFE !!!! Sincerely, Art on the bridge
Posted by Art
To plowboy
“We can sum up Gus Hall with one of his quotes about Christians....”. Slow afternoon so I checked. Gus Hall never said it.
Posted by Dana
Our flag is precious,if u don't like it leave
How dare anybody disrespect our flag get out of our country and never come back. If I went over to another country and spit on there flag they would throw me out or worse. They continue to spit on this country but will not leave because of the milions they make and wouldnt get anywhere else.
Posted by Heather