Jason Shay resigned at ETSU

[VolsSportsFan]

Standing and holding your hand over your chest and taking your hat off during the anthem is a political act. It is literally an act to express loyalty and support for a political entity. In your view, this is the default and any shift is now political?

All I hear is “supporting the politics that I agree with isn’t political”. I love the US and am proud to be an American but some of your views need to be re-examined.

I also hear all about how free we are, then we're told we have to do all these certain things or we're bad little boys and girls.

 

[etsuvol13]

I believe my prior post still beats your rebuttal. Honoring the country is not taking a political stance IMO. It should be a action that all people can appreciate regarding of any political position or party. It’s a opportunity to unite , not divide.

You couldn't be more wrong actually. The United States itself, and honoring as such, is a political action in the form of a democratic republic. Although, it seems you might favor a more authoritarian rule...

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

Standing and holding your hand over your chest and taking your hat off during the anthem is a political act. It is literally an act to express loyalty and support for a political entity. In your view, this is the default and any shift is now political?

All I hear is “supporting the politics that I agree with isn’t political”. I love the US and am proud to be an American but some of your views need to be re-examined.

Showing respect for your country is a traditional custom and not political IMO. People who chose to dishonor the country have a right to do it and we as fans have a right to be upset over it. An owner has a right to demand it IMO. If a player doesn’t like it he can play for a team where the owner doesn’t care.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I don’t agree with you. If I was an owner I would require it. If a player doesn’t like it then he has the opportunity to quit and find employment elsewhere. All work places have rules in place for conduct and actions by an employee that reflect negatively on the company are not allowed in many.

If you owned the team and the player agreements allowed it, then you'd certainly have that right; but that's changing the subject. We were talking about it being a political act or not, and that has nothing to do with what you'd enforce as an owner.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Showing respect for your country is a traditional custom and not political IMO.

You keep saying this like we're saying generically showing respect....we're talking about you deciding a specific action is what constitutes showing respect being political.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Showing respect for your country is a traditional custom and not political IMO.

I’ll get flamed for this but I actually agree with you.

Yes, you don’t have to like the National Anthem but it’s an act of showing appreciation for those veterans who fought and died for our country.

The new generation focuses too much on their-self rather than thinking about others who made this country what it is today.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

And I’m fine with that, especially for Olympics. I just don’t get why we play it for EVERY SINGLE EVENT especially this past year where we had little fans.

I've seen jokes like why don't we play it before movies.

 

[Creeker]

And I’m fine with that, especially for Olympics. I just don’t get why we play it for EVERY SINGLE EVENT especially this past year where we had little fans.

I’m willing to bet the average person at a sporting event isn’t really caring about the anthem. I’ll speak for myself and say almost every time I’m just standing there waiting for it to end and day dreaming. The last time I sat through the anthem before a game and felt a “wow” was the battle of Bristol.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I’ll get flamed for this but I actually agree with you.

Yes, you don’t have to like the National Anthem but it’s an act of showing appreciation for those veterans who fought and died for our country.

The new generation focuses too much on their-self rather than thinking about others who made this country what it is today.

Every damn generation claims this.

 

[brockytop]

If true, good for whoever forced him out! The flag, to a lot of Americans, represents freedom and the men and women who fought and continue to fight and die for the freedoms we enjoy. People have a right to protest but they should choose another venue to express their opinion whether I agree or disagree.

Players, coaches, and educational leaders need to learn RESPECT for opposing views. During a sporting event, this is a
time for competition that fans pay money to see. I do NOT CARE what their political opinions are right, left or in the middle.

Glad to see consequences to those who cannot show basic RESPECT to others!!

 

[RockyTop Samurai]

I’ll get flamed for this but I actually agree with you.

Yes, you don’t have to like the National Anthem but it’s an act of showing appreciation for those veterans who fought and died for our country.

The new generation focuses too much on their-self rather than thinking about others who made this country what it is today.

Those same veterans fought and died for the freedom to peacefully protest. I would venture a guess that not many died in the name of the national anthem. Again, that’s just a guess.

 

[Volsfan895]

I’ll get flamed for this but I actually agree with you.

Yes, you don’t have to like the National Anthem but it’s an act of showing appreciation for those veterans who fought and died for our country.

The new generation focuses too much on their-self rather than thinking about others who made this country what it is today.

Then everyone should have the freedom to kneel or do whatever they want even if you don’t like it.

Your second sentence is just pure BS.

 

[zjcvols]

I've seen jokes like why don't we play it before movies.

They actually use to I believe

 

[bleuximus]

In the end, those players represent the university and actions have consequences.

The consequences of them forcing Shay out will be felt long after this. Just as it was hard to get coaches to come to UT the past few months, it will be even harder to convince kids that they can come and thrive in a safe space when they have hundreds of other options. My guess is that ETSU basketball will become irrelevant. May be wrong though.

 

[zjcvols]

I’ll get flamed for this but I actually agree with you.

Yes, you don’t have to like the National Anthem but it’s an act of showing appreciation for those veterans who fought and died for our country.

The new generation focuses too much on their-self rather than thinking about others who made this country what it is today.

Actually I believe it’s the opposite. I’ve learned more about minorities and their contributions to this country and some of the backwards ways this country did to hold them down so much more over the last year

 

[zjcvols]

Every damn generation claims this.

I wonder how many posters in here rolled their eyes as kids when their parents talked about being drafted and avoiding the draft is a disservice to your country and dishonoring your country

 

[miket4god]

It’s starting to pick up national attention. This thing is going to get ugly, and the idiots who caved to a car dealership donor have probably done more harm than if they just told that guy to take a hike.

It’s like when we decided to try and save $12 million by digging up dirt on our football coach at the cost of exposing ourself to the NCAA and further creating a black eye on the football program.

Gimme a break. Nobody in the administration decided to try to dig up dirt on Pruitt to save $12 million. They are trying to save the $12 million after the dirt was already dug up.

 

[walkenvol]

I agree with most of this, but I think this incident has less to do with Shay's "personal interests" and more to do with his values and moral fiber. If asked to compromise those things within the scope of your job, it's probably best to move on.

I agree completely Chris - if your employer is asking you to do things against your values then it’s time to find a new job. It appears Shay’s employer was asking him to separate his politics from his employment in this case? That seems a reasonable request to me. Now these employers who want to punish individuals who express their views on different topics while on their own time seems unAmerican. I’m employed to do a job for you, you don’t own me in the rest of my life

 

[walkenvol]

I hate to get all Dwight Shrute here but something tells me you do stuff all the time that is personal interest and has nothing to do with your job responsbilities.

Don’t work for anyone so whoever’s telling you this may have me confused with someone else

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Actually I believe it’s the opposite. I’ve learned more about minorities and their contributions to this country and some of the backwards ways this country did to hold them down so much more over the last year

Lol exactly. I appreciate sacrifices made but past generations can take their moral high horse and shove it up their a***es.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

I’ll try not get too much into politics but I was raised to take my hat off and stand up for the National Anthem.

Maybe I’m not cut out for this new generation. Oh well.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

You keep saying this like we're saying generically showing respect....we're talking about you deciding a specific action is what constitutes showing respect being political.

It’s apparent we are never going to agree on this. The flag should unite all US citizens regardless of political parties or social differences.

 

[Unimane]

I've never quite understood exactly why the flag somehow came to represent, specifically, "veterans who fought for our freedom", except for the usual cudgel of eliminating discussion and/or dissent on a topic when this phrase is evoked. The keeling issue is, quite clearly, absolutely nothing to do with soldiers or veterans. Using them, though, is a tried and true method of avoiding any sort of analysis or questioning where they are invoked. Simply say "veterans", "soldiers", "dying for freedom", etc. and you can shut down anything.

Is our flag really about this, though? I'd like to think there's a little more to it than this and it may not be all good. Or bad. I.E. it might be a little more complex than saying kneelers are disrespecting soldiers. Perhaps it's possible the flag can incorporate soldiers and protestors without one infringing on the other?

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Don’t work for anyone so whoever’s telling you this may have me confused with someone else

Then why are you telling us about your thoughts about activities during your employer's time if you have no employer?

 

[BreatheUT]

I know personal experience doesn't equal fact but I'll say the people I know that are the most vocal and "upset" about this didn't serve in the military at all. The people I know that did generally are mostly indifferent, with the strongest reactions being they don't particularly like it but it doesn't really "offend" them. And some even say they wish people would stop trying to speak for them.

I know you enjoy the emotional side of rants but this is rich. Since this is not the political board I will chill.