Pittsburgh Steelers Stay Off Field During Anthem, Crowd Boos Them When They Return
Quote:
The Pittsburgh Steelers chose not to enter the field during the playing of the national anthem on Sunday, eliciting boos from the crowd at Chicago’s Soldier Field football stadium.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced ahead of the game with the Chicago Bears that the team would not appear on field. Tomlin made clear that the gesture would not be to protest a particular political cause, but to “remove ourselves from this circumstance,” in light of President Donald Trump’s crusade against players who choose to kneel during the anthem to protest racism.
Alejandro Villanueva, an offensive tackle for the Steelers and former Army Ranger, diverged from the team’s action, choosing instead to stand at the entrance of the tunnel with his helmet off during the anthem.
When the anthem ended and the rest of the team ran out on to the field, many in the Chicago crowd jeered them.
Many Steelers fans registered their dissatisfaction with the team’s actions on social media.
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Also, this was on Reddit:
DoD paid $53 million of taxpayers' money to pro sports for military tributes, report says
You have to wonder how much "encouragement" players have been getting to stand for the anthem.