{"id":45793,"date":"2017-09-25T18:28:28","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T18:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/25\/vfw-slams-nfl-players-for-anthem-protests\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:42:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:42:44","slug":"vfw-slams-nfl-players-for-anthem-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2017\/09\/25\/vfw-slams-nfl-players-for-anthem-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"VFW, American Legion slam NFL players for anthem protests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Officials from two of the nation\u2019s largest veterans groups attacked this weekend\u2019s National Football League protests as \u201cdisrespectful\u201d to the American flag and the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a time and place for civil debate, and wearing team jerseys and using sporting events to disrespect our country doesn\u2019t wash with millions of military veterans who have and continue to wear real uniforms on real battlefields around the globe,\u201d said Keith Harman, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 250 players across 28 NFL teams took part in protests Sunday surrounding pre-game flag ceremonies and the singing of the national anthem after comments from President Donald Trump earlier in the weekend ridiculing players who refused to stand for those tributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a rally in Alabama on Friday, Trump said that NFL owners \u201cwhen somebody disrespects our flag (should) say get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he\u2019s fired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The anthem protests began last year when then San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick opted to sit during the anthem singing as a protest against racial inequality and police brutality. Kaepernick became a free agent earlier this year and has not been signed by any team.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/opinion\/2016\/08\/30\/an-open-letter-to-colin-kaepernick-from-a-green-beret-turned-long-snapper\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nfl-16-9.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">An open letter to Colin Kaepernick, from a Green Beret-turned-long snapper<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Nate Boyer on the flag, football, race &#8230; and how it felt to hear the national anthem on an NFL sideline<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Numerous NFL players and executives took exception to Trump\u2019s comments, defending the rights of league employees to express their beliefs. League commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement the president\u2019s comments showed \u201can unfortunate lack of respect\u201d for the sport and its fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials from the American Legion echoed the VFW statement on the protests, calling them \u201cmisguided and ungrateful\u201d demonstrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are many ways to protest, but the national anthem should be our moment to stand together as one United States of America,\u201d said Legion National Commander Denise Rohan in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several teams opted to stay off the field during the pre-game ceremonies to avoid political statements. Among them were the Pittsburgh Steelers, but team offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva \u2014 an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan \u2014 broke ranks with his teammates to participate in the anthem event.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/military-sports\/2017\/09\/24\/former-ranger-villanueva-stands-for-anthem-steeler-teammates-remain-in-locker-room\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17267626982019.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Former Ranger Villanueva stands for anthem, Steeler teammates remain in locker room<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">National anthem protests took place throughout the National Football League on Sunday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harman, a Vietnam veteran, praised Villanueva for the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI stand for our flag and anthem and I kneel for our fallen,\u201d Harman said. \u201cThat\u2019s what patriots do. We rally around the flag of our country, not use it and our Constitution as both shield and sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VFW\u2019s release on the issue noted that America \u201cis still in a 16-year, multi-front war, against a shadow enemy whose end goal is the total destruction of us as a people and country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2017\/09\/25\/nfl-anthem-protests-sit-or-stand\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17267626982019.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">NFL anthem protests: Sit or stand?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Intense NFL action dominated the American sports landscape Sunday, but it\u2019s what happened before the games that garnered the most headlines.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump\u2019s comments were designed to show honor for \u201cour flag and the men and women had fought for it.\u201d She also said it\u2019s \u201calways appropriate for the president of the United States to promote our flag and promote our anthem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multiple players involved in the protests said their actions were not directed at veterans, but instead the issues of racial divisions and divisiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"twitter-follow-button twitter-follow-button-rendered\" id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" title=\"Twitter Follow Button\" src=\"http:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets\/follow_button.a0ec3119d8db2bc5422f2144c89ad7a9.en.html#dnt=false&amp;id=twitter-widget-0&amp;lang=en&amp;screen_name=LeoShane&amp;show_count=false&amp;show_screen_name=true&amp;size=l&amp;time=1489179604742\" data-screen-name=\"LeoShane\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"30\"><\/iframe> <br>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">More than ever, we remain committed to advocacy 4 equality &amp; social justice for all. Join in locking arms 4 <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@nfl<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/UNITY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#UNITY<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/PlayersCoalition?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PlayersCoalition<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Anquan Boldin (@AnquanBoldin) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AnquanBoldin\/status\/911946772599074816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 24, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GUhG3PB0fJ\">pic.twitter.com\/GUhG3PB0fJ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/seahawksPR\/status\/912038744408166401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 24, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Football players who don&#8217;t stand for the national anthem are being &#8220;disrespectful&#8221; to the country and its military, the veterans group says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":84915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["veterans","news"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"4":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"6":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"7":{"categories":["veterans","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"}}},"categories":[100,12,25,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3334],"class_list":["post-45793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"76D3YBUM7VBGXHBXIGSOGF4JXU","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2017\/09\/25\/vfw-slams-nfl-players-for-anthem-protests\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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