Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, garnered tons of media attention this week for refusing to remain in the locker room during the national anthem.
He earned the respect of many sports fans and has risen on the list of lovable Steelers for many Pittsburgh fans who abhorred the Steelers' decision to withdraw from participating for the national anthem in Chicago this past weekend. Villanueva is a former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan. His decision to show respect for the country and to show his allegiance to the nation he fought for gained national attention from nearly every media outlet because he was the one who stood alone and went against the tide. It would have taken amazing levels of courage to go and stand alone in solidarity with thousands in the crowd and more at home watching on television. Villanueva stood out in black and gold uniform in Chicago, but he stood tall in the tunnel with his hand over his heart and sang the national anthem while other players chose to stay back inside away from scrutiny.
After his proud display of Patriotism, Villanueva’s jersey sales skyrocketed to the highest selling jersey in the 24 hour period after Sunday’s game began. His stance drew negative comments from head coach Mike Tomlin, who seemed to air his displeasure that Villanueva ignored the team consensus and went outside. Publicly, the Steelers’ offensive tackle received support from his teammates who had nothing but good things to say about his character. But, the next day, Villanueva apologized for taking a stand and even expressed regret for leaving the locker room. The tackle felt as though he had thrown his teammates under the bus for all the negative criticism they received for not coming out for the anthem. Surely, he was also criticized by Coach Tomlin in private for drawing negative attention to the team. Though many have expressed their support of the offensive tackle, he still felt compelled to condemn his own decision to lead his army of one onto the field to do what he thinks is right.
Villanueva had become a role model for so many as someone who did not just go with the crowd. In an interview a few weeks ago, he stated that he did not think Colin Kaepernick’s protests were the appropriate way to voice his disapproval with events taking place in the country. The Steelers’ Offensive Tackle had been vocal in the past about respecting America during the national anthem so it was no surprise when he decided to go out on his own. Since last Sunday, Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has said in an interview that the he regretted his and the team’s decision to remain in the locker room and that he wished they had done it differently. Steelers owner, Art Rooney II released a public statement pleading the Steelers’ case that they were trying to remove themselves from involvement in the protests by not going out at all. Steelers’ Nation and the national media has chastised the team for the events prior to last Sunday’s horrible loss to the Chicago Bears. Many Steelers fans were ashamed of their team’s actions and Steelers merchandise sales have plummeted. Local Steelers fan stores in the Pittsburgh area have seen a sharp drop in jersey sales and merchandise from an otherwise incredibly loyal fan base.
Politics do not belong in sports. Sports are supposed to be the escape from the hardships of the outside world. After 9/11, then President George Bush, fearlessly threw out the first pitch at a New York Yankees game while the nation was still trying to get a hold of itself after the tragedy of the terrorist attacks. When he stepped out on the mound, he showed America that we would be safe and confident going forward. He instilled confidence in the people that we would not let terrorism defeat us or ruin our way of life. People rallied around that moment. Regardless of political leaning, there was unity and togetherness. Now sports are part of the divide which encompasses off the field divisions which were always present to on the field now. Gone are the days when you can watch a football, basketball or even baseball game without politics whether they are toted by ESPN or other outlets or the players on the field.
Many sports fans have objected to the invasion of political agendas into American sports. NFL ratings dropped precipitously last weekend as a result of the protest to some of their lowest marks in years. Some fans have grown weary of politics and with sport as their only escape from constant CNN headlines and repetitive insertions of political views into daily life. Regardless of leanings, it has become overwhelming. In the case of the Steelers, the team’s front office received many calls from disgruntled fans. Less than a week after the issue blew up, fans remain very divided on this contentious issue and this round of games will serve to bring back lost fans or continue to push them away.
