NFL Divided

Writer: Kyle Pearson

Spending Sunday’s watching football is a weekly ritual for most Americans. However, with recent protests reaching an all-time high in participation, many fans are at a crossroad. Donald Trump stated that, if an NFL owner saw one his players kneeling in protest during the National Anthem, he should make that “son of a bitch” leave the field. The NFL responded with an immense unity with not only players, but coaches and staff protesting injustice. This form of protest is bringing many who are for the cause closer together while also dividing the nation for people who believe that players should stand for the National Anthem. With this division established, it seems everyone is taking a side that will in some way affect the NFL.

NBC News

Kaepernick started the protest as an expression of activism for the black lives lost due to police brutality. Targeting the National Anthem has definitely grabbed the attention of nearly the entire United States. Raising awareness for an issue so socially impactful can cause serious change; which, is starting with the way fans enjoy the game itself. It is important to realize that, as an employee, you have a right to protest in the workplace, however your employer also has the right to terminate your position, which in Kaepernick’s case did end up happening.

For those who are for the protest against the National Anthem, this new-found sense of unity has allowed the protest to grow tremendously and grab the attention of everyone, even those who believe players should stand for the National Anthem. While the unity is admirable in many ways, some argue that the display is both disrespectful (especially to those of whom have served years in the military under those red, white, and blue colors) or a misuse of sports entertainment. This is where the dilemma lies. Both sides have a point and the justification needed to prove that point. Perhaps football is not the most appropriate way to stand against police brutality and other issues, but that does not mean the issue should go unresolved. Some players are finding themselves with seemingly no choice but to join the protest. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, announced he “will not tolerate any disrespect to the flag or the player will be benched”.

One person that is at the ultimate crossroad is NFL player, Alejandro Villanueva, who is an Army veteran and a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is understood why a US veteran would stand for the national anthem, a respect that the country shows veterans, and the respect veterans show to the national anthem. After Villanueva stood alone for the national anthem, a video went viral. He released a statement to the press saying how he did not mean to divide his team and that he is thankful he has teammates willing to talk about it. The fact of the matter is that there is no right or wrong in the situation. It is circumstantial to each person’s own morals and experiences.

Some sports bars have resulted in posting signs stating, “As long as players kneel during the national anthem, no games will be played.” at their locations. While the players continue to kneel, the viewership is declining; which, ultimately pays their salaries and could cost them in the long run. As many people refrain from watching the football games to avoid being upset by players protesting, viewership will vary much more than when just a handful of players would participate. Only time will tell how this will affect the NFL and one of the most favored American pastimes.

USMNT FAILS AGAIN

Writer: Anthony Aleman

The United States men’s soccer team had what might have been the worst game in the federation’s history Tuesday night, losing to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 and failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since 1986. The United States had a 93 percent chance of qualifying before the night started. 93 PERCENT. The United States could only be knocked out of qualifying if one of twenty-seven outcomes occurred, and guess what: it happened last night as the US lost, Mexico lost to Honduras, and Costa Rica lost to Panama. This loss came as a stunner to many due to the fact that Trinidad was the worst team in qualifying and literally had nothing worth playing for. The fact that the United States could not even tie Trinidad just shows how this team really did not deserve to go to Russia and play against the best in the world. Bruce Arena told reporters last Thursday that he hadn’t even prepared to play Trinidad and Tobago, and if that’s something that the United States soccer federation is okay with allowing then the United States does not deserve a place in the biggest soccer tournament in the world. Excuses such as field conditions does not matter in this scenario; even if it was at a high school stadium that was not of the best conditions, the team just flat out failed. The United States team forgets there are other countries in the world playing on worse fields and conditions then them, this team has to grow up and stop making excuses for constant failure. It starts from the top down with federation president Sunil Gulati, who will now almost certainly be voted out in the elections of next February, and it ends with the “elite” youth soccer coaches this country has throughout its fifty states. The federation must make changes, the country has invested more than enough money in the development of the soccer programs, however it is not working. The new president must rework the structure of us soccer and make a change to be competitive, if that means allotting money in different areas of the soccer program well then by all means do it. The United States must also make players better than just MLS level. The MLS is a great mid-level league, but in order to be able to compete with the best nations in the world the United States must have more players who are training and playing for elite level international teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, and many others. Once the United States can send players there who constantly play then they can pull them for international games and expect better results than losing to Trinidad and Tobago. The MLS level standard must go, everyone from the youth level all the way to the professionals must shoot for European level talent in order to get even CLOSE to winning a world cup. The men’s team also must begin to qualify for the Olympics in soccer, as this is a crucial event for younger players to gain great in game experience against other top countries best youth players. Once the united states can get away from relying on older players who are in the latter stages of their career, then the US will finally rise to levels rarely ever achieved. A total rebuild is needed, and hopefully bringing in a better president and better coaching staff will allow for change to happen. Hiring an international coach with international success seems to be the best idea, as Bruce Arenas tenure has gone awful compared to his predecessor Jurgen Klinsmann. The United States can get to the level of brazil, Spain, and other powerhouses, it will just take a different approach towards the way things are currently set.