Nebraska's Michael Rose-Ivey receives racial backlash for anthem protest

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Topics merged so we can keep the discussion about this in one thread.

 

[Count 'Bility]

The way Kaepernick handled it was childish and immature. Sitting, not kneeling (i know it doesnt seem like much, but to me it's a big difference), to the socks and pretty much making it only about police brutality, which in fact, this is a much deeper issue than just that. It's simpy these instances involving police, though while some are seen as legit and others very bad, that are bringing bright light to a much larger and deeper issue. I think that's the message MRI is trying to send and doing so in a much much more mature manner, even though his PC started off citing police brutality exclusively. Which is the only thing I didnt like because 1) it's a problem running much deeper than and well beyond that. His hecklers on SM have showne that. And 2) I always try to give police the benefit of the doubt until facts come out because I try to put myself in their shoes in this dramatic time. it's gotta be hard to not be quick on the trigger in self defense. This is not absolving those who are wrong, but when things like Dallas happen, there has to be an understanding. And the extremists of both sides have to be better, and have to quit driving the wedge between those in the middle who are trying to work through it the right way.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

What about the people who continue to go about their business while the anthem is playing? It amazes me that people get so upset about this, but when others continue to walk around, visit, etc it is not that big of a deal. I may not agree with those kneeling, but I am not going to let it ruin my day or influence my opinion of them.

It's their right as an American to walk around the concourse or to stand in line for horrible Vals pizza or to take pictures with their cell phones or to continue to talk at the tailgate or to use the restroom or look around the stadium at everyone else and not the flag or etc. etc. etc. But if you kneel down and pray during that time you are the a terrible human being.

 

[Apathy]

I believe the whole reasoning behind it is total trash

"While the anthem played, I prayed along with DaiShon and Mohamed, and we asked God to watch over us and protect us, to look down on this country with grace and mercy and to look down on all of us with grace and mercy. You see, we are not perfect beings, but as 2 Corinthians 3:5 says, "Not that we are sufficient in our own selves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God."

Dewiz - have you ever had such an intentional internal thought process standing for the National Anthem? I know I haven't. What could possibly be more patriotic?

Landlord I'm done talking about this.
I think I've made it clear about my opinions and views and nobody is going to change that like I don't expect my views and/or opinions to change your opinions either.

 

[Blackshirt96]

Maybe Rose-Ivey should just stick to football while he is in a Cornhusker uniform.

I also find it ironic that he was all for free speech and making a statement about what he thinks needs to be said until his Twitter account blew up. Then he thinks everybody else should be careful not to offend his mother...yet how many mothers and fathers and family members of others did he offend who were up in the stands?

Still and all, not a big thing, just dumb. I guess Rose-Ivey came to Nebraska for an education. He's getting one now.

Your comments in this thread are among the most ignorant I've seen on the internet lately.

There is a historical precedent for black athletes protesting the National Anthem. In my view kneeling quietly or some other form of silent protest is not at all disrespectful. Far too much is being made of this. Is it that surprising given our country's history and the present state of affairs that for some black Americans...and athletes...their feelings about the flag, national anthem, and other symbols of what the country stands for are complicated?

"There I was, the black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people. The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. Perhaps, it was, but then again, perhaps, the anthem could be called the theme song for a drama called The Noble Experiment. Today, as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey's drama and that I was only a principal actor. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made."

-Jackie Robinson, "I Never Had It Made," 1972

The bold is your opinion. In my opinion, it is very disrespectful. You stand to pay your respect to the men, women & their families that that have sacrificed for your rights to have your opinion & openly express them. I have no problem with Rose-Ivey being displeased with current events. He has that right weather I or anyone else agrees with him. My problem is with the way that it is being expressed. My brother in-law lost his only sibling fighting for this country. His brother's only child was born only hours after he had died. Let that really set in. This is only one story. I'm sure many others have their own stories about the loss of a loved one who was fighting for this country & your rights. This is why I stand & find it disrespectful to see others take it so lightly or bend it to fit their personal agenda.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Whether you agree with what they did or not, I think we ALL can agree that the response by some of those folks to these players and saying the things they said is COMPLETELY unacceptable! ESPN just talked about this and it makes our fan base look completely ridiculous right now. Guarantee this pushes some recruits away from us because of a few dumba$$e$ that can't keep their mouths shut. I'd love to talk to a few of these people face-to-face right now.

 

[knapplc]

You stand to pay your respect to the men, women & their families that that have sacrificed for your rights to have your opinion & openly express them.

No, you don't. The National Anthem isn't played before games to pay respect to the troops, it's to honor the entire country, all Americans. It has never been intended to solely represent the troops - that's a post-9/11 change to society that really doesn't belong, like when we added "under God" to the pledge of allegiance during the Red Scare in the 1950s.

If nothing else, this debate exposes much misunderstanding of the meanings and reasons behind displays of patriotism. It's been interesting to see how little people know about their own country.

 

[Sparker]

Whether you agree with what they did or not, I think we ALL can agree that the response by some of those folks to these players and saying the things they said is COMPLETELY unacceptable! ESPN just talked about this and it makes our fan base look completely ridiculous right now. Guarantee this pushes some recruits away from us because of a few dumba$$e$ that can't keep their mouths shut. I'd love to talk to a few of these people face-to-face right now.

I just heard the segment on Sports Center, Trevor Matich made a point at the end to say our fan base looks VERY bad after this. When it first happened, I was going to mention this will eventually have some effect on recruiting, but I didn't want to go there as the conversation is obviously above that. At this point, the effect on recruiting will be front and center soon. Can you imagine how bad it would be for a high profile decomitt due to this BS from "fans"?

 

[knapplc]

Trevor Matich needs to get out more if he thinks a few racist asshats are isolated to Nebraska's fan base. And if a kid decommits from Nebraska because he saw racist crap spewed at Michael Rose-Ivey, he's going to be shocked when he gets to his future school and sees the same crap there. Racists, unfortunately, are everywhere. Nebraska is not immune and Nebraska is not the worst.

 

[RedDenver]

Maybe Rose-Ivey should just stick to football while he is in a Cornhusker uniform.

I also find it ironic that he was all for free speech and making a statement about what he thinks needs to be said until his Twitter account blew up. Then he thinks everybody else should be careful not to offend his mother...yet how many mothers and fathers and family members of others did he offend who were up in the stands?

Still and all, not a big thing, just dumb. I guess Rose-Ivey came to Nebraska for an education. He's getting one now.

Your comments in this thread are among the most ignorant I've seen on the internet lately.

There is a historical precedent for black athletes protesting the National Anthem. In my view kneeling quietly or some other form of silent protest is not at all disrespectful. Far too much is being made of this. Is it that surprising given our country's history and the present state of affairs that for some black Americans...and athletes...their feelings about the flag, national anthem, and other symbols of what the country stands for are complicated?

"There I was, the black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people. The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. Perhaps, it was, but then again, perhaps, the anthem could be called the theme song for a drama called The Noble Experiment. Today, as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey's drama and that I was only a principal actor. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made."

-Jackie Robinson, "I Never Had It Made," 1972

The bold is your opinion. In my opinion, it is very disrespectful. You stand to pay your respect to the men, women & their families that that have sacrificed for your rights to have your opinion & openly express them. I have no problem with Rose-Ivey being displeased with current events. He has that right weather I or anyone else agrees with him. My problem is with the way that it is being expressed. My brother in-law lost his only sibling fighting for this country. His brother's only child was born only hours after he had died. Let that really set in. This is only one story. I'm sure many others have their own stories about the loss of a loved one who was fighting for this country & your rights. This is why I stand & find it disrespectful to see others take it so lightly or bend it to fit their personal agenda.

My condolences for your family and all who have supported the ultimate sacrifice. With all due respect, I'm going to disagree somewhat:

1) Do you see how the your sentence I've bolded is contradictory?

2) I don't see silently kneeling as disrespectful. Pulling out a bullhorn to drown out the anthem or running around waving your arms as a distraction would be what I'd consider disrespect.

3) Why do you think the anthem and flag only represents the military? They're symbols for the entire United States of America, including both the poorest of the poor and those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice. MRI and others have clearly stated what they are protesting and it isn't the military or any who have served.

 

[commando]

only 1 bad apple spoils the entire batch....wether it is 1 bad cop or 1 bad fan

 

[Sparker]

Trevor Matich needs to get out more if he thinks a few racist asshats are isolated to Nebraska's fan base. And if a kid decommits from Nebraska because he saw racist crap spewed at Michael Rose-Ivey, he's going to be shocked when he gets to his future school and sees the same crap there. Racists, unfortunately, are everywhere. Nebraska is not immune and Nebraska is not the worst.

I don't disagree with anything you said, but Nebraska is the only school that made it to Sports Center for racist comments from their fans so far this season. That is not good.

 

[knapplc]

Trevor Matich needs to get out more if he thinks a few racist asshats are isolated to Nebraska's fan base. And if a kid decommits from Nebraska because he saw racist crap spewed at Michael Rose-Ivey, he's going to be shocked when he gets to his future school and sees the same crap there. Racists, unfortunately, are everywhere. Nebraska is not immune and Nebraska is not the worst.

I don't disagree with anything you said, but Nebraska is the only school that made it to Sports Center for Racist comments from their fans so far this season. That is not good.

Agree that's not good. But we won't be the last. These protests are only going to grow. More players from more schools will join this week, and next week, etc. We'll see this all season, and maybe into next. Inevitably there will be racist backlash among those other fan bases.

 

[TAKODA]

Maybe Rose-Ivey should just stick to football while he is in a Cornhusker uniform.

I also find it ironic that he was all for free speech and making a statement about what he thinks needs to be said until his Twitter account blew up. Then he thinks everybody else should be careful not to offend his mother...yet how many mothers and fathers and family members of others did he offend who were up in the stands?

Still and all, not a big thing, just dumb. I guess Rose-Ivey came to Nebraska for an education. He's getting one now.

Your comments in this thread are among the most ignorant I've seen on the internet lately.

There is a historical precedent for black athletes protesting the National Anthem. In my view kneeling quietly or some other form of silent protest is not at all disrespectful. Far too much is being made of this. Is it that surprising given our country's history and the present state of affairs that for some black Americans...and athletes...their feelings about the flag, national anthem, and other symbols of what the country stands for are complicated?

"There I was, the black grandson of a slave, the son of a black sharecropper, part of a historic occasion, a symbolic hero to my people. The air was sparkling. The sunlight was warm. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag billowed in the wind. It should have been a glorious moment for me as the stirring words of the national anthem poured from the stands. Perhaps, it was, but then again, perhaps, the anthem could be called the theme song for a drama called The Noble Experiment. Today, as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey's drama and that I was only a principal actor. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made."

-Jackie Robinson, "I Never Had It Made," 1972

The bold is your opinion. In my opinion, it is very disrespectful. You stand to pay your respect to the men, women & their families that that have sacrificed for your rights to have your opinion & openly express them. I have no problem with Rose-Ivey being displeased with current events. He has that right weather I or anyone else agrees with him. My problem is with the way that it is being expressed. My brother in-law lost his only sibling fighting for this country. His brother's only child was born only hours after he had died. Let that really set in. This is only one story. I'm sure many others have their own stories about the loss of a loved one who was fighting for this country & your rights. This is why I stand & find it disrespectful to see others take it so lightly or bend it to fit their personal agenda.

Blackshirt96,
First, let me thank you and your family for the sacrifices you all have endured serving our country.

Second, I come from a military family as well and I did have similar feelings as you posted above, when I first heard and saw CK do his kneeling during the playing of our anthem.

But after hearing MRI's speech yesterday, where he stated he is not anti Police, Military or Country, and how he talked to the team prior to him acting on his thoughts, asking them if they were OK with him doing this, to insure this did not distract from the teams goals, it brought me to a different thought process.

While I do not like using sporting events as a platform for any political statments, it hit me, that by virtue of what MRI was displaying, he was actually paying tribute to those who have sacrificed much, so he could do so.

Let that sink in a bit. He was not flipping the bird to the flag or turning his back to it, but kneeling quietly to point out he is troubled by an injustice he is compassionate about.

I D K, I guess everyone has the right to their own opinion and form of expression, but to me after yesterday, my view point went from this being disrespectful, to one that reinforces why America is so great!

I also thinks MR's stance and how he has handled things has been well done too!

 

[Blackshirt96]

You stand to pay your respect to the men, women & their families that that have sacrificed for your rights to have your opinion & openly express them.

No, you don't. The National Anthem isn't played before games to pay respect to the troops, it's to honor the entire country, all Americans. It has never been intended to solely represent the troops - that's a post-9/11 change to society that really doesn't belong, like when we added "under God" to the pledge of allegiance during the Red Scare in the 1950s.

If nothing else, this debate exposes much misunderstanding of the meanings and reasons behind displays of patriotism. It's been interesting to see how little people know about their own country.

You are right the National Anthem has changed but not just once. Its been changed quite a bit over the last 200 years & it has slowly changed into a way to respect the men and women who have fought for this country, which you acknowledge only to disagree with later. Hacking my comment was a nice touch though. This time start at the begining & read the part that says "In my opinion it is very disrespectful". After that I again stated "This is why I stand".

Thanks for vast knowledge though.