What a weekend we endured in the sports world.
Unfortunately it was not for in game action, but what was transpiring outside of the field of play.
United States President, Donald Trump ruffled more than a few feathers this weekend when he went on a twitter filled rant against National Football League players for protesting during the National Anthem.
While I do not agree with players’ decisions to sit/kneel for the National Anthem I also do not agree with a lot of what President Trump has been saying.
Sitting or kneeling for the National Anthem goes against everything I have been taught.
When the anthem plays you stand at attention and respect the Flag, the Anthem, and the country.
Not necessarily for what is here now, but for what came before us to allow us to be here now.
I do not believe that sitting or kneeling for the National Anthem is the time or place, nor the correct response for how someone feels about the current landscape of politics.
I have disagreed with a number of politicians over the years, but it never stopped me from honouring our country.
To me our country is bigger than our politics.
Having said that, that is my belief.
As Canadians and Americans, we grow up living in a “free world” where we are told that we can say and do whatever we want, as long as it is within the laws of our country.
Which means if players feel that sitting or kneeling for the National Anthem is an appropriate response for them, then they are entitled to that opinion.
Now to Trump.
The first tweet he sent was in response to one of the Golden State Warriors basically saying he was not interested in attending the traditional champions White House visit.
This angered Trump so he tweeted that he was rescinding their invitation.
Kind of seems childish to me.
You said you are not coming to my party?
Fine then, you are not invited!
Then he went off on the NFL players for kneeling.
Like I said, I do not agree with their actions, but I also would not condemn them for it.
That is their constitutional right.
Of course, then the Pittsburgh Penguins came out in the middle of all this and stated that they would be attending their White House trip.
Again, that is their right, but they probably could have picked a better time.
One thing I did see and like over the course of the weekend was the action of many teams, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who elected not to kneel but to lock arms as a way of showing solidarity among teammates.
We should be doing more of this as a society.
While Trump is trying to divide us we should be coming together.
To borrow a phrase from a professional wrestler we need to “Rise Above Hate.”
And in the sports world, let us hope we can get back to talking about on field excitement instead of off field excitement.
