Kaepernick

dignin

HesCalledDyer said:

I wanna know who the fuck picked Torts to lead our country's team? That's a bigger crime than someone sitting for the anthem. What a complete fucktard. (Disclaimer: Opinion is based solely on previous coaching experiences and personal actions, and is completely independent of his statement about players sitting.)

^^^This. Is team USA so hard up that they had to pick washed up Torts?

Can't wait for team Canada to smoke them.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Free said:

lukin2006 said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

team USA hockey coach John Tortorella says if any players sit during National Anthem during World Cup of Hockey they will sit for rest of game. Torts' son is an Army Ranger. Not a fan of Tortorella in general but i agree with his stance here.

http://www.aol.com/article/sports/2016/09/07/team-usa-hockey-coach-you-sit-through-the-national-anthem-you/21467172/

It's ok for you to express an opinion but not the players? Isn't that a double standard?

yes it's ok for me to express and not the players in this case. i was not chosen to represent my country in an international competition as they are. They are wearing USA on the front of their jerseys. if i was chosen as a representative of this country, no matter what beefs i might have with it, i should stand for that Anthem and Flag in my opinion. in this case if the players want to support the Anthem then don't represent the country in this competition. I don't think for this competition it would be right to wear the USA name but disrespect the Anthem.

If the same players want to not stand for it when playing for their regular NHL teams, while i disagree with it, they should be free to do it. i would find it disrespectful as I do Kaepernick doing it, but wouldn't deny them doing it.

I didn't notice the international aspect. Still, it's sports. I don't see the connection between sports and state. They're two different things.

I think it's fair to expect an athlete who plays for his or her country at international competitions to stand for the national anthem ...

...unless he's black and speaking out against the immense oppression of what being black in America means. He has every right.

The oppression that kept him from the program?

lukin2006

brianlux said:

I'll tell you one thing, if I had an ounce of American Indian blood in my veins, no way would I stand for the anthem. Drum circle, yes! Neil Young and Crazy Horse, sure! Anthem, no way!

I agree ...

Thirty Bills Unpaid

lukin2006 said:

brianlux said:

I'll tell you one thing, if I had an ounce of American Indian blood in my veins, no way would I stand for the anthem. Drum circle, yes! Neil Young and Crazy Horse, sure! Anthem, no way!

I agree ...

I think I would agree too.

lukin2006

Free said:

lukin2006 said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

team USA hockey coach John Tortorella says if any players sit during National Anthem during World Cup of Hockey they will sit for rest of game. Torts' son is an Army Ranger. Not a fan of Tortorella in general but i agree with his stance here.

http://www.aol.com/article/sports/2016/09/07/team-usa-hockey-coach-you-sit-through-the-national-anthem-you/21467172/

It's ok for you to express an opinion but not the players? Isn't that a double standard?

yes it's ok for me to express and not the players in this case. i was not chosen to represent my country in an international competition as they are. They are wearing USA on the front of their jerseys. if i was chosen as a representative of this country, no matter what beefs i might have with it, i should stand for that Anthem and Flag in my opinion. in this case if the players want to support the Anthem then don't represent the country in this competition. I don't think for this competition it would be right to wear the USA name but disrespect the Anthem.

If the same players want to not stand for it when playing for their regular NHL teams, while i disagree with it, they should be free to do it. i would find it disrespectful as I do Kaepernick doing it, but wouldn't deny them doing it.

I didn't notice the international aspect. Still, it's sports. I don't see the connection between sports and state. They're two different things.

I think it's fair to expect an athlete who plays for his or her country at international competitions to stand for the national anthem ...

...unless he's black and speaking out against the immense oppression of what being black in America means. He has every right.

Then I would want to know why if feels badly about his country, so badly that you choose not to stand for the national anthem but you want to represent your country internationally....you can't have it both ways.

mickeyrat

my sense is , that sort of thing is as much about being considered as part of the best of the best as it is anything else.

Cliffy6745

And except for the fact that none of this is happening...

mickeyrat

Cliffy6745 said:

And except for the fact that none of this is happening...

there is that.


another question I have is just did the coaches statement come about? Was he specifically asked in an interview or other context or issue a press release?

pjhawks

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/17487174/us-world-cup-coach-john-tortorella-stands-anthem-comments

below is the text of his comments from yesterday.

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- John Tortorella, the coach of Team USA for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, isn't backing off on his comments that he'd bench any player who didn't stand for the U.S. national anthem.

On Tuesday, Tortorella told ESPN: "If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game." The coach seemed taken aback Wednesday by the reaction to his comment, but he did not backtrack on his stance.

"I'm not backing off," Tortorella said after the team's on-ice workout Wednesday.

"I'll tell you right now. Try to understand me. I'm not criticizing anybody for stepping up and putting their thoughts out there about things. I'm the furthest thing away from being anything political. No chance I'm involved in that stuff," Tortorella said.

But the Columbus Blue Jackets coach says he remains unequivocal in his belief that the flag and the anthem should be sacrosanct. Tortorella has a son who is deployed in Afghanistan for the third time as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces.

"Listen," he told reporters. "We're in a great country because we can express ourselves. And I am not against expressing yourselves. That's what's great about our country. We can do that. But when there are men and women that give their lives for their flag, for their anthem, have given their lives, continue to put themselves on the line with our services for our flag, for our anthem, families that have been disrupted, traumatic physical injuries, traumatic mental injuries for these people that give us the opportunity to do the things we want to do, there's no chance an anthem and a flag should come into any type of situation where you're trying to make a point.

"It is probably the most disrespectful thing you can do as a U.S. citizen is to bring that in. Because that's our symbol. All for [expressing] yourself. That's what's so great. Everybody does. But no chance when it comes to the flag and the anthem. No chance."

The issue of respecting the anthem has created a firestorm of debate and controversy after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose to sit for the national anthem during one NFL preseason game and then kneel for another.

Tortorella, 58, said a number of the players on Team USA came to him after his comments were made public and supported his views on respecting the anthem and flag.

In a follow-up interview with ESPN's Linda Cohn on Wednesday, Tortorella described what would happen if a player on one of his teams decided to boycott the national anthem.

"On this team here, this World Cup team, there wouldn't even be a player that would think about doing that because I know the guys well enough. We've gone through it," he said. "But if I was ever involved in a situation where someone is trying to make a point, and they have a perfect right to do that, but to disrespect our flag and anthem, as I said yesterday, they would not play.

"If that ever happened, there's no question, it's just not right. And it's not black, white, blue, red. It has nothing to do with the politics of all of this. It's just not right. This is our country. Our people are fighting for our country, our flag and our anthem. That shouldn't come into this equation at all. There are other ways of doing things."

Earlier Wednesday, a member of the U.S. Army addressed the team but neither Tortorella nor the members of Team USA would describe the exchange.

"We are playing hockey," Tortorella said. "Other people are doing real stuff. This gentleman who spoke to us this morning is doing the real stuff. Life and death. We just want to give to our country in our own little way. Quite honestly we are entertainers. What this man talked about in our locker room and what he does casts a huge shadow over us as far as what we're doing."

Canada World Cup coach Mike Babcock, who also coaches the Toronto Maple Leafs, was asked what would happen if one of his players sat during the national anthem in protest.

"This is what I know: I'm not going to have to make that decision because that's not going to happen," he said. "So I don't have to worry about that reaction. At that time I guess I would decide what to do. One of the greatest things about this tournament is that most of us get to play for your country, and that's a thrill of a lifetime in itself. And then when you get to do it on Canadian soil, that's another thrill.

"For those of us who have the life we have, and the freedom we have, to repay respects to the people who went before us and made sure that happened; I mean, it's pretty straightforward and common sense to me. But I don't know why we're talking about this."

PP193448

It's a fucking game. These players get paid tons of money to play a game. And people want to get bent out of shape watching the second string QB sit during the national anthem... Turn the channel or close your eyes...

mickeyrat

I dont see any questions posed that those would be answers to.

HughFreakingDillon

Free said:

lukin2006 said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

team USA hockey coach John Tortorella says if any players sit during National Anthem during World Cup of Hockey they will sit for rest of game. Torts' son is an Army Ranger. Not a fan of Tortorella in general but i agree with his stance here.

http://www.aol.com/article/sports/2016/09/07/team-usa-hockey-coach-you-sit-through-the-national-anthem-you/21467172/

It's ok for you to express an opinion but not the players? Isn't that a double standard?

yes it's ok for me to express and not the players in this case. i was not chosen to represent my country in an international competition as they are. They are wearing USA on the front of their jerseys. if i was chosen as a representative of this country, no matter what beefs i might have with it, i should stand for that Anthem and Flag in my opinion. in this case if the players want to support the Anthem then don't represent the country in this competition. I don't think for this competition it would be right to wear the USA name but disrespect the Anthem.

If the same players want to not stand for it when playing for their regular NHL teams, while i disagree with it, they should be free to do it. i would find it disrespectful as I do Kaepernick doing it, but wouldn't deny them doing it.

I didn't notice the international aspect. Still, it's sports. I don't see the connection between sports and state. They're two different things.

I think it's fair to expect an athlete who plays for his or her country at international competitions to stand for the national anthem ...

...unless he's black and speaking out against the immense oppression of what being black in America means. He has every right.

I'm conflicted on this. they are a representative of the nation they are protesting against. isn't that a tad hypocritical? at least kaepernick has no national ties during his protest.

HughFreakingDillon

lukin2006 said:

Free said:

lukin2006 said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

brianlux said:

pjhawks said:

team USA hockey coach John Tortorella says if any players sit during National Anthem during World Cup of Hockey they will sit for rest of game. Torts' son is an Army Ranger. Not a fan of Tortorella in general but i agree with his stance here.

http://www.aol.com/article/sports/2016/09/07/team-usa-hockey-coach-you-sit-through-the-national-anthem-you/21467172/

It's ok for you to express an opinion but not the players? Isn't that a double standard?

yes it's ok for me to express and not the players in this case. i was not chosen to represent my country in an international competition as they are. They are wearing USA on the front of their jerseys. if i was chosen as a representative of this country, no matter what beefs i might have with it, i should stand for that Anthem and Flag in my opinion. in this case if the players want to support the Anthem then don't represent the country in this competition. I don't think for this competition it would be right to wear the USA name but disrespect the Anthem.

If the same players want to not stand for it when playing for their regular NHL teams, while i disagree with it, they should be free to do it. i would find it disrespectful as I do Kaepernick doing it, but wouldn't deny them doing it.

I didn't notice the international aspect. Still, it's sports. I don't see the connection between sports and state. They're two different things.

I think it's fair to expect an athlete who plays for his or her country at international competitions to stand for the national anthem ...

...unless he's black and speaking out against the immense oppression of what being black in America means. He has every right.

Then I would want to know why if feels badly about his country, so badly that you choose not to stand for the national anthem but you want to represent your country internationally....you can't have it both ways.

didn't see this post before I commented.

HesCalledDyer

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

HughFreakingDillon

HesCalledDyer said:

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

I always found it interesting how the US adopted the word america into their own name, like they are the only one. Basically, I live in the United Provinces of America.

mickeyrat

HughFreakingDillon said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

I always found it interesting how the US adopted the word america into their own name, like they are the only one. Basically, I live in the United Provinces of America.

true but Oh Canada is easier to sing. the other way is rather clunky, dont cha think?

brianlux

HesCalledDyer said:

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

Second only in obnoxious to chanting U.S.A. It's as though the world is a football or soccer match. Sometimes I so get why a close friend of mine wants to move to Brazil. Hopefully down there they don't chant, "Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil".

Cliffy6745

Wrong thread

Jason P

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

Second only in obnoxious to chanting U.S.A. It's as though the world is a football or soccer match. Sometimes I so get why a close friend of mine wants to move to Brazil. Hopefully down there they don't chant, "Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil".

They have different ways of expressing their loyalties in Brazil at sporting events ...

pjhawks

Jason P said:

brianlux said:

HesCalledDyer said:

You know what I find disrespectful to our nation? All these fuckers running around like a bunch of dumb hicks shouting "'Merica" every chance they get. Talk about a buzz word I cannot fucking stand. 'Merica. First of all, it starts with an A, not an apostrophe-M. Second of all, there are two American continents, North and South, of which 35 countries belong. You don't hear Peruvians, Argentinians, Canadiens, or Guatemalans shouting "Merica" like a bunch of Pavlovian dogs.

Second only in obnoxious to chanting U.S.A. It's as though the world is a football or soccer match. Sometimes I so get why a close friend of mine wants to move to Brazil. Hopefully down there they don't chant, "Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil".

They have different ways of expressing their loyalties in Brazil at sporting events ...

and they have shit in their water...