The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 06:31 PM

OUR VIEW: Maybe The NFL Should Follow High School Team Examples

Amid controversy in the NFL, one Tennessee high school football team is using their platform to respond.

At Friday's game against Chattanooga's East Ridge High School, Anderson County players and coaches walked onto the field carrying American flags.

What made this event so grand is the East Ridge team joined them in doing the same. When it comes to America, we are all on the same side!

Toby Keith's "Courtesy to the Red, White and Blue" played in the stadium as patriotic fireworks were set off.

“The NFL has been using that venue for other causes, we wanted to make sure our platform was used for what it was intended," explained Anderson County Coach David Gillum. "Our kids have dads in the military, some of them are over there now, we wanted to do our part to show support for the freedoms they fought for."

He says they also wanted to show support for the high school's junior ROTC team which displays the colors during the National Anthem before each game.

The Fanin County High School team outside Atlanta did the same when at the start of Friday night's football game, the ENTIRE team ran onto the field waving American flags.

Supt. Michael Gwatney told Atlanta-based WSB-TV the flags were meant to show support for veterans and active duty military personnel.

“It was an awesome and unifying moment for the audiences on both sides of our stadium and reminded us that no matter what team we support, we are all Americans,” he told the television station.

Then there was the Jamestown TN group of high school players who took to the mic before the game singing the National Anthem.

Coach Derwin Wright said the idea started last week, when the seniors were standing out as captains at the school’s homecoming game. They started singing along to the National Anthem and their coach noted how good it sounded.

On Wednesday, the boys came to Wright asking if they could sing at their next game, and he gave the okay.

Seems these high school kids understand patriotism more than grown men in the NFL who were supposed to be examples, not the other way around.

A Texas high school football coach kicked two teens off his team who felt they were going to "mimic" their NFL "heroes" and kneel during the national anthem because of what they said was “social injustice” in America.

The coach, an Army veteran, showed great courage, is doing what was right and sending a message to two young punks emulating their “heroes” in the NFL. The NFL Owners may learn a thing or two about what courage really is from him.

The American public was not impressed either with what took place in the NFL last week. In a Reuters poll some 58% said they disapproved of the NFL's actions in protesting the flag and anthem. A Fox Poll had the number at 55% disapproving.

So far this week no team has repeated the fiasco from last week but in our view the damage was done and the NFL brand took a hit that will stay with fans and the general public forever. Maybe at some point the nation can heal its wounds and realize we are in this thing together.

As I already stated, when it comes to America, we're all on the same team. God bless these kids who showed what that meant this past weekend. We salute you, your coaches, and your teams. NFL - listen up and learn!
 

Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge

Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Subscribe To The Great Smoky

Mountain News Network Tube Channel