Bianchi's position on kneeling during the national anthem

[KnightMatt8]

This morning, while talking with Marc Daniels about kneeling during the national anthem, Charlottesville, and other related topics, Mike Bianchi said he had no problem with players kneeling during the national anthem. If it doesn't bother him, fine. The problem I have is that he went on to agree with the notion that anyone who is offended by a player kneeling is ignorant.

Look, I'm one of the minority of UCF fans who believes that Bianchi has been tough, but usually fair, with his coverage of our sports. I have some respect for him. In this case, though, I cannot do what he does and just sit back and accept people like Colin Kaepernick, Marshawn Lynch, and others kneeling or sitting during the national anthem. It irritated me last year when East Carolina band members knelt during the anthem before UCF and ECU played. The anthem and the flag, in my mind and in the minds of many other Americans, honor the people who fought and died so Americans would have the right to say whatever they want without having the government silence them. Why people associate the U.S. flag or the national anthem with police brutality or slavery is inconceivable to me.

Yes, bad things happen in this country, but thank God we have our 1st Amendment right to speak out about whatever injustices we see. Yes, Kaepernick and Lynch have 1st Amendment rights, too, but I have the right to point out that I believe they are misguided. For one thing, if you take the time to look at statistics from the FBI and the Department of Justice, you won't find much data that supports the notion of rampant police brutality.

I don't have time to get further into the topic right now, but I'll check back here later to chat more about this with anyone who wants to say something.

 

[UCFWayne]

the flag represents all the ideas that this country were founded on. its not perfect, but our nation has constantly shown it has tried to improve itself and get closer and closer to those ideas.

 

[firm_bizzle]

I think it's hypocritical to be offended by someone kneeling but not when somebody is talking, filming, etc during the national anthem. You should also be offended at the cameraman filming Kaepernick and Lynch. Why is he distracted?

 

[Sir Galahad]

Bianchi also supported Kaperdick and was ignorant about the Che and Castro shirt.

 

[EweSeaEff]

You should also be offended at the cameraman filming Kaepernick and Lynch. Why is he distracted?

I've often wondered about this myself. There are thousands of people milling around when the anthem is being played. Even if I'm on the concourse, I stop - despite the fact that there's usually no flag in front of me. However, concessions continue, the cameramen continue (as you point out), hell, even the people in the field holding the giant flag continue (and I witnessed a guy during a game last year, holding the flag with one hand while taking a selfie with the other). Where's the faux outrage?????

 

[UCFKnight85]

I've often wondered about this myself. There are thousands of people milling around when the anthem is being played. Even if I'm on the concourse, I stop - despite the fact that there's usually no flag in front of me. However, concessions continue, the cameramen continue (as you point out), hell, even the people in the field holding the giant flag continue (and I witnessed a guy during a game last year, holding the flag with one hand while taking a selfie with the other). Where's the faux outrage?????

I always get pissed at that too. I agree it's a double standard.

The different though is that typically the morons in the concourse are hammered and beyond trying to reason with. I actually asked someone to stop yelling during the anthem once and I got the typical white trash Tampa Bay response. The athletes are mega paid and there to represent the franchise and the NFL to the rest of the populace. By default they should be held to a higher standard than Billy Bob sucking down his 14th bud light.

 

[Knight_Light]

Bianchi also supported Kaperdick and was ignorant about the Che and Castro shirt.

If it didn't happen in Clermont or Jacksonville or Gainesville...he wouldn't know about it as that's about Bianchi's world view experience.

 

[firm_bizzle]

I've often wondered about this myself. There are thousands of people milling around when the anthem is being played. Even if I'm on the concourse, I stop - despite the fact that there's usually no flag in front of me. However, concessions continue, the cameramen continue (as you point out), hell, even the people in the field holding the giant flag continue (and I witnessed a guy during a game last year, holding the flag with one hand while taking a selfie with the other). Where's the faux outrage?????

The worst (to me) are the people at home sitting on their couch during the anthem while complaining about football players sitting on the bench during the anthem.

 

[firm_bizzle]

If it didn't happen in Clermont or Jacksonville or Gainesville...he wouldn't know about it as that's about Bianchi's world view experience.

This is so true.