Guest column
Respect, and lack thereof
Jeff Sipos
This time of year, the wide world of sports is filled with major events. We have the MLB All-Star Game and Hall of Fame Induction, the start of NFL training camps and their Hall Of Fame Induction, NBA free agency, the Tour de France and, this year, the FIFA World Cup. Each one a true banner headline event.
Though I confess to being fan of most every type of athletic encounter, I find myself becoming more and more drawn to what many view as non-mainstream sports and less and less to the more popular U.S. versions of fun and games. The continuing controversy regarding our national anthem is part of the reason for it.
Recently, while watching the FIFA World Cup, I became increasingly aware of one thing: no one – not one player, coach or referee – knelt for their respective national anthems. While it may be true that doing so may have resulted in severe consequences once the malcontent returned home (Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt), the players and fans still showed respect and reverence for their own as well as their opponents’ respective anthems.
Then there’s the NFL.
I was dismayed to see the NFL hierarchy cave to the threat of union action by the NFLPA regarding the anthem “solution” recently trotted out by management. Though it may be true that no one goes to an NFL game to see/listen to the national anthem (except perhaps the family of the marching bands and singers), what is wrong with management expecting a modicum of respect for said performance?
What many fail to realize is that many individual rights are often subjugated to a private enterprise’s (which is what the NFL is) rules and regulations. I found that to be true many times during my 40-year career in baseball, but that’s another argument for another time.
Many years ago, believe it or not, public disturbances were oftentimes quelled by the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” People would simply stop whatever they were doing as the anthem was played. This would allow tensions to cool and nip a disturbance in the bud.
But this story tells it better as well as illustrates how different times are today.
Way back in 1961 – Oct. 8, to be precise – my dad took my Uncle Fred and me to see the Browns play the Washington Redskins at old Cleveland Stadium. We were part of a “crowd” of 46,186 that saw Hall Of Famer Bobby Mitchell – then with the Browns – score three long distance touchdowns to lead the home team to a 31-7 victory.
The difference in the thinking of the day was first apparent when Dick Schafrath, a great left tackle and former Ohio State Senator, missed the game due to being called up to active National Guard duty. God forbid something like that happen in today’s NFL, MLB, NBA or anywhere else.
What happened after the game perhaps best illustrates the then-and-now differences.
As we were walking along the aisle-way toward the exit, I ran headlong – almost clothes-lined to be truthful – into Dad’s extended arm. Not realizing what was happening, I stopped and started to ask why, and was immediately shushed quiet. After a few seconds of waiting, we resumed our walk to the portal in the stands and I got my explanation.
It turned out that, as we were heading out, the flag was being lowered. Dad and Uncle Fred, both World War II vets (USAAF and USN respectively), instinctively stopped to honor the lowering of our flag and made it a point to explain it afterwards to a then-seven-year-old boy.
Today, many kneel and blatantly disrespect what so many have fought, bled and died for. My, how times have, indeed, changed.
As a Cub Scout leader, I teach our Scouts to respect our flag and country. Thus, in all good conscience, I can’t respect the entitled wanna-be heroes who feel it beneath them to honor and respect real heroes. Nor can I respect the spineless leadership of the NFL that allows it to happen. Nor will I patronize them. They should take a page from the World Cup pre-game handbook.
God bless America!
Though I confess to being fan of most every type of athletic encounter, I find myself becoming more and more drawn to what many view as non-mainstream sports and less and less to the more popular U.S. versions of fun and games. The continuing controversy regarding our national anthem is part of the reason for it.
Recently, while watching the FIFA World Cup, I became increasingly aware of one thing: no one – not one player, coach or referee – knelt for their respective national anthems. While it may be true that doing so may have resulted in severe consequences once the malcontent returned home (Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt), the players and fans still showed respect and reverence for their own as well as their opponents’ respective anthems.
Then there’s the NFL.
I was dismayed to see the NFL hierarchy cave to the threat of union action by the NFLPA regarding the anthem “solution” recently trotted out by management. Though it may be true that no one goes to an NFL game to see/listen to the national anthem (except perhaps the family of the marching bands and singers), what is wrong with management expecting a modicum of respect for said performance?
What many fail to realize is that many individual rights are often subjugated to a private enterprise’s (which is what the NFL is) rules and regulations. I found that to be true many times during my 40-year career in baseball, but that’s another argument for another time.
Many years ago, believe it or not, public disturbances were oftentimes quelled by the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” People would simply stop whatever they were doing as the anthem was played. This would allow tensions to cool and nip a disturbance in the bud.
But this story tells it better as well as illustrates how different times are today.
Way back in 1961 – Oct. 8, to be precise – my dad took my Uncle Fred and me to see the Browns play the Washington Redskins at old Cleveland Stadium. We were part of a “crowd” of 46,186 that saw Hall Of Famer Bobby Mitchell – then with the Browns – score three long distance touchdowns to lead the home team to a 31-7 victory.
The difference in the thinking of the day was first apparent when Dick Schafrath, a great left tackle and former Ohio State Senator, missed the game due to being called up to active National Guard duty. God forbid something like that happen in today’s NFL, MLB, NBA or anywhere else.
What happened after the game perhaps best illustrates the then-and-now differences.
As we were walking along the aisle-way toward the exit, I ran headlong – almost clothes-lined to be truthful – into Dad’s extended arm. Not realizing what was happening, I stopped and started to ask why, and was immediately shushed quiet. After a few seconds of waiting, we resumed our walk to the portal in the stands and I got my explanation.
It turned out that, as we were heading out, the flag was being lowered. Dad and Uncle Fred, both World War II vets (USAAF and USN respectively), instinctively stopped to honor the lowering of our flag and made it a point to explain it afterwards to a then-seven-year-old boy.
Today, many kneel and blatantly disrespect what so many have fought, bled and died for. My, how times have, indeed, changed.
As a Cub Scout leader, I teach our Scouts to respect our flag and country. Thus, in all good conscience, I can’t respect the entitled wanna-be heroes who feel it beneath them to honor and respect real heroes. Nor can I respect the spineless leadership of the NFL that allows it to happen. Nor will I patronize them. They should take a page from the World Cup pre-game handbook.
God bless America!
