Take a knee. High School Football

I graduated from Lansing Catholic Central in nineteen seventy mumble-mumble.

Four of their football players "took a knee" during the National Anthem at this years Homecoming game against Ionia.

Nobody was surprised.

The coach had asked if anybody was planning such shenanigans.  Four players raised their hands: Michael Lynn III, Matthew Abdullah, Kabbash Richards and Roje Williams.

The coach informed them that there were likely to be consequences. They knelt anyway.

The four players, who normally started, did not start.  They were all in the game before half-time but they did not start.

Some members of the local media are hyperventilating over this.  They are criticizing the school for how they handled it.

I am 100% OK with how it went down.  The coach had the situational awareness to ask the question.  He floated the information upstairs in time for calm, mature adults to decide how they wanted to handle it.  The decision was made.  The decision was executed.  The adults were leading the OODA loop.

I am not a football fanatic or a purist.  Football is a team sport.  Even the star quarterback needs a supporting cast or he is the star target.  Buck the idea of "team" and you start the game on the bench.  You get the chance to watch some hungry kid play his heart out trying to keep you on that bench.

The National Anthem is an ode to unity and perseverance.

We will get through this.