On Friday, the NFL issued a tweet displaying a giant American flag covering a football field; the caption stated, “We will #NeverForget. Today we honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001.”
We will #NeverForget. Today we honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. pic.twitter.com/bCthbI7Vxn
— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2020
The NFL’s woke attitude has been reflected in its attitude toward players kneeling for the national anthem. In May 2018, the NFL stated, “This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem. Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed.”
In June 2020, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who spearheaded the move to kneel during the national anthem.
Goodell said during an interview with ESPN:
Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s going to take a team to make that decision. But I welcome that, support a club making that decision and encourage them to do that. If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities. We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody’s welcome at that table and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues that have been around for a long time.”
As The Daily Wire noted:
Kaepernick has been widely criticized for some of his actions, including kneeling during the national anthem, donating money to a group honoring convicted cop killer and wanted terrorist Assata Shakur, wearing socks portraying police officers as pigs, and wearing shirts of brutal Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Kaepernick has also claimed that the United States has conducted “American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism.” That remark was featured in a tweet from Kaepernick and came after U.S. forces killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, which is a designated terrorist organization.
On Friday, The Sporting News noted, “A few months ago, after Goodell released a video statement admitting the NFL was wrong for not listening to players earlier on the topic of racial injustice, league officials told CBS’ Jason La Canfora ‘that, yes, in fact, the NFL is out of the business of sanctioning or discouraging any player from taking a knee.'”
After reports that the NFL would play “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing,” dubbed the “Black national anthem,” before all Week 1 games this season, former NFL star Burgess Owens commented, “There is no ‘black national anthem.’ Why does it feel like the country is trying to segregate again sometimes?”
There is no "black national anthem". Why does it feel like the country is trying to segregate again sometimes?
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) July 3, 2020
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted the league: “How many national anthems do we have?? Is there an Hispanic national anthem? An Asian-American national anthem? This is asinine. We are ONE America. E Pluribus Unum.”
How many national anthems do we have??
Is there an Hispanic national anthem?
An Asian-American national anthem?
This is asinine. We are ONE America. E Pluribus Unum. https://t.co/nv0djWREnH
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 3, 2020
Social media ripped the NFL for its tribute to the flag on 9/11 now that it has capitulated to political correctness.
Matthew Betley, a former Marine and author of “Rules Of War,” tweeted, “As a Marine serving on 9/11 and had his life dramatically altered, I say this —ARE YOU F***ing KIDDING ME? You should be ashamed of this pandering after all you’ve done to destroy the sport with your woke politics and disrespect for the flag and anthem.”
As a Marine serving on 9/11 and had his life dramatically altered, I say this – ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? You should be ashamed of this pandering after all you've done to destroy the sport with your woke politics and disrespect for the flag and anthem. @NFL @nflcommish https://t.co/y95xUQlYF9
— Matthew Betley (@MatthewBetley) September 11, 2020
There were others:
This is a hard sell after you're encouraging players to take a knee for the anthem. https://t.co/debuHolwxS
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) September 11, 2020
Suddenly they care about the flag. https://t.co/WB1qa6EMKQ
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) September 11, 2020
Are we supposed to kneel? https://t.co/UOlOYrGXCs
— jon gabriel (@exjon) September 11, 2020