Rapinoe Kneeling for National Anthem

3,685 Views | 46 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by bagger05
Kramer
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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/us-soccer-star-megan-rapinoe-says-she-will-probably-never-sing-the-national-anthem-again

Can we just not have embarrassing stuff come from the women's team?

I mean, the men are embarrassing because their terrible. We lived through Solo and her stuff. Can we not just play the game and be good?
"The only happy Aggie is an unhappy Aggie." Shelby Metcalf
Truvada_for_prep
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puke* screw her.
TXAggie2011
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Don't be embarrassed about it.

Problem solved.
greg.w.h
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Kramer said:


I mean, the men are embarrassing because their terrible. We lived through Solo and her stuff. Can we not just play the game and be good?


Because of "their terrible"? Or because they're terrible?

Honestly: focusing on controlling others' behavior isn't a good look even if you get support here from others. Her action is free speech and the USWNT needs to be careful about overemphasizing her protest since they receive donations from "both sides" so to speak.

I'd even offer saying you are bothered by it is fair, but you recognize that athletes sometimes feel inclined to do things that you wouldn't encourage or participate in yourself. There are definitely things I like about Megan's game that speak more loudly to me than her protest.

She models aggressive play like our own Mickey Harvey did and makes her team better by staying engaged the whole game when she's able to be in that long. And her life experience isn't that common and perhaps she is merely standing up for herself and others with a similar experience by taking a knee. We can't know exactly what motivates her but should be surprised if she were to be less than passionate about it.
wangus12
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Its gonna look really bad at the World Cup this year.
OregonAggie
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I understand what you're saying but I don't think you should be allowed to represent our country if you disrespect it like this. Doing it at a professional game is a different story but not if you're wearing red white and blue.
Kramer
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IMO, the flag doesn't represent an administration (which seems to be the root of a great deal of this). It doesn't represent the government. It represents all 320 million citizens.

You hate trump? Fine. Say it. Scream it.
You hate oppression? Again, go for it.

But when you use symbolism that represents all of us, you're taking shots at a) the wrong group and b) a symbol that can't fight/discuss/agree back. That basically makes it a foolish gesture that serves nothing more than to promote yourself.

And thanks to the grammar nazis above. I appreciate the sssshhhhh outta you.
"The only happy Aggie is an unhappy Aggie." Shelby Metcalf
Kramer
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Especially if they get run outta the tournament early.
"The only happy Aggie is an unhappy Aggie." Shelby Metcalf
TXAggie2011
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Quote:

a symbol that can't fight/discuss/agree back.
Because its a piece of cloth. Its probably made overseas and can be anyone's for about $14.99. If that's too much money, you can probably have the American flag design printed on a pair of $5 underwear.

It has no feelings. It has no need to fight/discuss/agree back because it feels no disrespect and has no opinions.


You're mad because you think the protest is disrespecting you and other people. And you and other people do have the power to "fight/discuss/agree back."

TXAggie2011
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wangus12 said:

Its gonna look really bad at the World Cup this year.
Why? Its going to look bad for whom and for what reasons?
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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TXAggie2011 said:

wangus12 said:

Its gonna look really bad at the World Cup this year.
Why? Its going to look bad for whom and for what reasons?
For the players conducting the "protest" first and foremost.

And it's not because there is something necessarily wrong about their protest. People have protested American politics and societal shortcomings for just about as long as there's been an America.

The reason is because of the sheer inanity of the "protest" itself. Taking a knee during the national anthem? Seriously? it's like the Instagram seflie/"LOOK AT MEEEEEEE" version of sending a protest email. The only thing less you could do is literally nothing. Why not do nothing and at least look like a member of a team? Or why not do something meaningful -- where you can have a real, positive impact on real people? Because that would require work and commitment and it might not even generate media/social media attention.
DeangeloVickers
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The United States is not perfect, but neither is ANY country. Thinking you have the power to change anything by kneeling during a sporting event anthem is pure insanity.

It is all about drawing attention to themselves.

If you want change, quit playing soccer and run for office or volunteer in your community. You get to play soccer for a living and represent a terrific (not perfect) nation.
gig them
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Weird that no one feels strongly enough about the current state of affairs to turn down the game check.

TXAggie2011
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Quote:

For the players conducting the "protest" first and foremost.

And it's not because there is something necessarily wrong about their protest. People have protested American politics and societal shortcomings for just about as long as there's been an America.

The reason is because of the sheer inanity of the "protest" itself. Taking a knee during the national anthem? Seriously? it's like the Instagram seflie/"LOOK AT MEEEEEEE" version of sending a protest email. The only thing less you could do is literally nothing. Why not do nothing and at least look like a member of a team? Or why not do something meaningful -- where you can have a real, positive impact on real people? Because that would require work and commitment and it might not even generate media/social media attention.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/colin-kaepernick-pledges-1-million-charity-anthem-protest-spreads-n641886
https://kaepernick7.com/
https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/09/14/juan-mata-common-goal-alex-morgan-megan-rapinoe-uswnt
https://thebennettfoundation.org/
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/08/22/17/40/20180822-news-wnt-rapinoe-shasta-regional-community-foundation-raise-funds-victims-carr-fire


It takes like 10 seconds to find the "real, meaningful" work these athletes do.


AustinCountyAg
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I agree with the poster above. If you hate Trump and blah blah blah feel free to talk about it wherever you go and post whatever you want on your instagram feed.....However, she need to show respect to the flag. The flag doesn't personally represent Trump. It is a symbol of our nation, military, citizens, etc. Kinda like dont bite the hand that feeds your mouth....that is what she is doing and she is making herself look extremely stupid
AustinCountyAg
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If our country is so bad and holding back "minorities" like herself (lgbabctq) feel free to leave and go live somewhere else....she won't because she knows this is the best country in the world.
Truvada_for_prep
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TXAggie2011 said:

Quote:

For the players conducting the "protest" first and foremost.

And it's not because there is something necessarily wrong about their protest. People have protested American politics and societal shortcomings for just about as long as there's been an America.

The reason is because of the sheer inanity of the "protest" itself. Taking a knee during the national anthem? Seriously? it's like the Instagram seflie/"LOOK AT MEEEEEEE" version of sending a protest email. The only thing less you could do is literally nothing. Why not do nothing and at least look like a member of a team? Or why not do something meaningful -- where you can have a real, positive impact on real people? Because that would require work and commitment and it might not even generate media/social media attention.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/colin-kaepernick-pledges-1-million-charity-anthem-protest-spreads-n641886
https://kaepernick7.com/
https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/09/14/juan-mata-common-goal-alex-morgan-megan-rapinoe-uswnt
https://thebennettfoundation.org/
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/08/22/17/40/20180822-news-wnt-rapinoe-shasta-regional-community-foundation-raise-funds-victims-carr-fire


It takes like 10 seconds to find the "real, meaningful" work these athletes do.



So why cant they be happy with that and promote the hell out of it...Why do the hey look me kneeling act?
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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TXAggie2011 said:

Quote:

For the players conducting the "protest" first and foremost.

And it's not because there is something necessarily wrong about their protest. People have protested American politics and societal shortcomings for just about as long as there's been an America.

The reason is because of the sheer inanity of the "protest" itself. Taking a knee during the national anthem? Seriously? it's like the Instagram seflie/"LOOK AT MEEEEEEE" version of sending a protest email. The only thing less you could do is literally nothing. Why not do nothing and at least look like a member of a team? Or why not do something meaningful -- where you can have a real, positive impact on real people? Because that would require work and commitment and it might not even generate media/social media attention.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/colin-kaepernick-pledges-1-million-charity-anthem-protest-spreads-n641886
https://kaepernick7.com/
https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/09/14/juan-mata-common-goal-alex-morgan-megan-rapinoe-uswnt
https://thebennettfoundation.org/
https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/08/22/17/40/20180822-news-wnt-rapinoe-shasta-regional-community-foundation-raise-funds-victims-carr-fire


It takes like 10 seconds to find the "real, meaningful" work these athletes do.

Great.

It doesn't make the kneeling during the anthem stunt less inane or pointless.

I'll go one further: their actual charitable work doesn't generate social media/media following. The silly national anthem stunt draws in the media/social media crowd like moths to a flame. If that protest was about anything besides hopelessly shameless self promotion, they would see no point for something so divisive.
Dre_00
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If this thread is going to go the way of the politics forum, can we at least link to the actual interview for some context instead of responding to a 300 word synopsis that has no chance of capturing nuance due to its brevity?

https://sports.yahoo.com/megan-rapinoe-is-a-walking-protest-162416461.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZm94bmV3cy5jb20vc3BvcnRzL3VzLXNvY2Nlci1zdGFyLW1lZ2FuLXJhcGlub2Utc2F5cy1zaGUtd2lsbC1wcm9iYWJseS1uZXZlci1zaW5nLXRoZS1uYXRpb25hbC1hbnRoZW0tYWdhaW4&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALWIk3LHVuSgVaTzyhynjAicHXnVkjmzXlmELiTlw2cZ3gzRYlBEXdYjBx0L0XMH0MIMhS_5Xoaa_NFQNMaiFgcbtBD7uHQ9686ircIxEiz0Ownn2FzlH6FsOdSjWchwWPUkbxGTcch2jhwPAnBS5d5L3gFkcm8SISetEZfPJv67
Furlock Bones
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The wnt is exhausting.
agdoc2001
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They'll all be replaced by transgendered athletes soon enough so don't get worked up about it.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
TXAggie2011
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Quote:

Great.

It doesn't make the kneeling during the anthem stunt less inane or pointless.

I'll go one further: their actual charitable work doesn't generate social media/media following. The silly national anthem stunt draws in the media/social media crowd like moths to a flame. If that protest was about anything besides hopelessly shameless self promotion, they would see no point for something so divisive.
You're answering your own question. They're doing these protests to make the issues a regular topic in social and traditional media. They're doing these protests to keep the issues on the forefront of American consciousness.

I know that the TexAgs politics board will spend their kneeling into "selfishness" 100% of the time and this won't ever resonate.

But it turns out "attention" actually leads to more donations, more activism, and forces those in power to pay some attention to the issue predicating the protests.
TXAggie2011
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Quote:

The flag doesn't personally represent Trump. It is a symbol of our nation, military, citizens, etc. Kinda like dont bite the hand that feeds your mouth....
It stands for a lot of things and every A&M graduate and student in this thread has the intelligence to understand the distinctions and intricacies of this situation.

Y'all choose not to respect those distinctions, y'all choose to go straight to the ad hominem because y'all don't want to have to talk about the issues that have these athletes pissed off. Period.
Truvada_for_prep
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TXAggie2011 said:

Quote:

The flag doesn't personally represent Trump. It is a symbol of our nation, military, citizens, etc. Kinda like dont bite the hand that feeds your mouth....
It stands for a lot of things and every A&M graduate and student in this thread has the intelligence to understand the distinctions and intricacies of this situation.

Y'all choose not to respect those distinctions, y'all choose to go straight to the ad hominem because y'all don't want to have to talk about the issues that have these athletes pissed off. Period.
American flag doses not equal the US government, policies, or current societal norms. Play soccer I couldn't care less what has some athlete pissed off.

HTH
aggiesoccer#1fan
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Kramer said:

IMO, the flag doesn't represent an administration (which seems to be the root of a great deal of this). It doesn't represent the government. It represents all 180 million citizens.

Rapinoe's kneeling has occurred during two very different administrations.

Are there really only 180 million U.S. citizens? (My cursory internet search couldn't confirm that.) That would mean there are 150 million non-citizens living in the U.S.
PatAg
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I still think it's simple. It doesnt matter to me if her cause it just or not. It's the national team. You either stand for it or you don't play. She doesn't have to cry tears of pride while she sings it.
Dre_00
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Unless I missed something (it's a long article/interview), she never actually said she'd kneel during the World Cup. She said she wouldn't sing the national anthem. She did kneel in the past but USSF told her that she couldn't do that. She hates that but she hasn't knelt since they forced her to stand.

Quote:

But she also believes many of the problems at the crux of the protest remain unsolved. Which is why she no longer sings. Stands, but no longer brings her right hand to her heart.


So what exactly is everyone arguing about? The fact that she knelt in the past? The fact that she's not planning on singing now? Putting aside the argument as to whether or not kneeling should be allowed, the interview doesn't actually say that she plans on kneeling in France. Just that she doesn't plan on singing the anthem. It's like there are 8 different points being made, none of which are actually relevant to what she said. What a **** show.

But if you're getting all worked about the fact that she doesn't sing the anthem, then I suppose you equally hate the hundreds of other athletes who aren't singing when the camera is on them. Hell, the entire Spanish national team are clearly Basque sympathizers who hate Spain...none of them have sang their national anthem for decades!
akm91
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Rapinoe needs to watch Buzz's National Anthem YouTube video.



"And liberals, being liberals, will double down on failure." - dedgod
wangus12
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Dre_00 said:

Unless I missed something (it's a long article/interview), she never actually said she'd kneel during the World Cup. She said she wouldn't sing the national anthem. She did kneel in the past but USSF told her that she couldn't do that. She hates that but she hasn't knelt since they forced her to stand.

Quote:

But she also believes many of the problems at the crux of the protest remain unsolved. Which is why she no longer sings. Stands, but no longer brings her right hand to her heart.

Like you said, if she isn't going to sing, she's pretty much like 90% of the athletes out there. I remember USSF telling her she can't kneel and I think that is appropriate given that she is there to be a representative of the US. If she doesn't like what the country stands for etc...then she should recuse herself from being on a team that is supposed to be a direct representative and taking the big paycheck that comes with it. That's kind of hypocritical.
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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TXAggie2011 said:

Quote:

Great.

It doesn't make the kneeling during the anthem stunt less inane or pointless.

I'll go one further: their actual charitable work doesn't generate social media/media following. The silly national anthem stunt draws in the media/social media crowd like moths to a flame. If that protest was about anything besides hopelessly shameless self promotion, they would see no point for something so divisive.
You're answering your own question. They're doing these protests to make the issues a regular topic in social and traditional media. They're doing these protests to keep the issues on the forefront of American consciousness.

I know that the TexAgs politics board will spend their kneeling into "selfishness" 100% of the time and this won't ever resonate.

But it turns out "attention" actually leads to more donations, more activism, and forces those in power to pay some attention to the issue predicating the protests.
I think you've explained my point better than I have. My issue isn't the cause, it's the approach (and really, no one should be against causes like improved race relations, reductions in police-related violence, etc). But you don't always have to be an antagonistic ass hole to be a champion for a cause that is a net benefit to society.

Isn't there a way to meaningfully promote these things without forcing them into the political divide and actively offending a huge portion of the consuming public's sensibilities? Or is it really the case that antagonistic approach really is what generates dollars?
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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TXAggie2011 said:

Quote:

The flag doesn't personally represent Trump. It is a symbol of our nation, military, citizens, etc. Kinda like dont bite the hand that feeds your mouth....
It stands for a lot of things and every A&M graduate and student in this thread has the intelligence to understand the distinctions and intricacies of this situation.

Y'all choose not to respect those distinctions, y'all choose to go straight to the ad hominem because y'all don't want to have to talk about the issues that have these athletes pissed off. Period.
Again to my point about the approach: taking a knee during the anthem does anything except explain the intricacies of the situation.
TXAggie2011
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Yeah, I've seen nothing saying she'd kneel and should have said that earlier in the thread.

If the OP has something where she says she'll be kneeling, then lets see it.
TXAggie2011
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Quote:

I think you've explained my point better than I have. My issue isn't the cause, it's the approach (and really, no one should be against causes like improved race relations, reductions in police-related violence, etc). But you don't always have to be an antagonistic ass hole to be a champion for a cause that is a net benefit to society.

Isn't there a way to meaningfully promote these things without forcing them into the political divide and actively offending a huge portion of the consuming public's sensibilities? Or is it really the case that antagonistic approach really is what generates dollars?
A substantial portion of those who don't like the approach don't accept the cause. And I know you know that to be true.

A corollary of that is no, I'm not sure you can make meaningful change in American race relations or how America polices itself in a way that isn't uncomfortable and "divisive."

The cause is complicated, the approach is complicated. But, I think most Americans are capable of being intellectually honest enough with themselves and others to not turn this into a referendum on supporting the military, or whatever they're using to criticize the approach. Some Americans simply choose to do it anyways.



One thing is, and I'm stating something obvious, is that people criticize the approach because its "disrespecting what America stands for", but the very protest is that America isn't fulfilling, in particular ways, what America is supposed to stand for. So I, personally, don't really give that criticism much water. At the least, lets recognize that criticism is, at the very same time, the exact reason why they've protested during the national anthem.
AustinCountyAg
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what has she actually done to help solve her problems that she feels so slighted about???
Dre_00
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AustinCountyAg said:

what has she actually done to help solve her problems that she feels so slighted about???

Well, a 5 second Google search shows:

  • She is a member of Common Goal, the charitable organization that I believe Juan Mata started.
  • She works with the ACLU
  • She's partnered with the Boys and Girls Club as an Athlete Ally to fight homophobia
  • She collected $150,000 for victims of the Carr fire in California
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