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  • 2017-09-26 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin 'Rip' Alejandro Villanueva For Not Protesting During the National Anthem? (en)
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  • In late September 2017, various right-wing web sites claimed Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had ripped one of his players, offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, during a post-game press conference: While Tomlin and the rest of the team stayed in the locker room during the national anthem before playing the Chicago Bears that day, Villanueva — a United States Army veteran who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan — stood outside the tunnel leading onto the field at Soldier Field in Chicago. During his press conference after the Steelers' loss, Tomlin said that his players decided not to appear for the anthem after discussing whether the team would respond to insults thrown at both the National Football League and former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick by United States President Donald Trump. Trump had said that NFL owners should respond to Kaepernick and other players protesting extrajudicial killings on the part of police by saying, Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired. Tomlin said that it was the team's decision, not his, to not appear on the field during the national anthem: When a reporter pointed out that Villanueva was out of the tunnel during the anthem, Tomlin said: The statement did not criticize or condemn Villanueva's actions, contrary to claims reported online. Photographs of Villanueva showed other team members standing in the tunnel behind him. On 25 September 2017, Villanueva said that he asked one of the team's captains, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, if he could watch the anthem from the tunnel rather than remaining in the locker room: According to Villanueva, he only told the team captains about his idea, meaning that his other teammates did not have an opportunity to join him outside the tunnel. He added: In a separate press conference on 26 September 2017, Tomlin expressed solidarity with Villanueva: Kaepernick originated the protests prior to the 2016 regular season, originally sitting on the bench during the anthem. Former Seattle Seahawks player Nate Boyer — a veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces —said in September 2016 that after discussing the issue with the quarterback, Kaepernick agreed to carry out his silent demonstration by kneeling: We have contacted the Steelers seeking further comment. (en)
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