FINDLAY, Ohio — A day after mass player protests of the national anthem deeply divided the NFL and its fans, one of the league’s biggest stars expressed regret.
The flip-flopper? None other than the pride of Flag City, USA. Yes, Findlay native Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers quarterback said he lost sleep over how he and his teammates handled their show of team unity Sunday in Chicago. The Steelers stayed off the field for the playing of national anthem, with only one player, former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva, emerging from the tunnel.
In Roethlisberger’s hometown, the quiet protest — and those across the league — did not go over well.
“Hiding behind doors while the anthem is playing? Are you serious?” Anthony Ferguson, 27, said. “It shows no respect to our soldiers.”
A survey of those who live and work in this conservative city Monday night revealed mostly similar sentiments.
“I do not appreciate it,” said Mary Wilson, 66, as she headed to her Bible study group at a downtown coffee shop. “It’s disrespectful and it’s a disgrace. We’re refusing to watch any NFL games anymore.”
For better or worse, the debate over whether kneeling for — or not acknowledging — the anthem represents a peaceful protest of racial inequality or dishonor to the nation has roared back into the everyday conversation.
What began as a solitary demonstration by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick a year ago and continued with a handful of shows of dissent gave way to a sweeping show of defiance after President Trump Friday told supporters at a rally that players kneeling during the anthem should be fired.
In response, hundreds of players took a knee Sunday and Monday night while three teams remained off the field, including the Steelers.
Roethlisberger, who has had a complicated relationship with Findlay but recently made peace with his hometown, said he didn’t sleep well Saturday night.
“The idea was to be unified as a team when so much attention is paid to things dividing our country, but I wish we approached it differently,” he said in a statement. “We did not want to appear divided on the sideline with some standing and some kneeling or sitting.
“As a team, it was not a protest of the flag or the anthem. I personally don’t believe the anthem is ever the time to make any type of protest. For me, and many others on my team and around the league, it is a tribute to those who commit to serve and protect our country, current and past, especially the ones that made the ultimate sacrifice.
“I appreciate the unique diversity in my team and throughout the league and completely support the call for social change and the pursuit of true equality. Moving forward, I hope standing for the anthem shows solidarity as a nation, that we stand united in respect for the people on the front lines protecting our freedom and keeping us safe. God bless those men and women.”
In Findlay, many expressed support for the players highlighting injustice, but none advocated for their methods. “I agree with the point of the protest,” Cary Cox, 58, said. “It’s just the wrong way to protest.”
One resident suggested NFL teams remain in their locker room during the anthem, the way it was before Sept. 11, 2001. It was only in 2009 that the NFL mandated players be on the field.
“Why not go back to that?” Dave Kuenzli, 80, said. “Then you eliminate all of this.”
Others think that misses the point.
Asked if Roethlisberger and the Steelers staying off the field was more palatable that players kneeling, Dylan Stelzer, 25, said, “It’s just as bad.”
“What bothers me the most is I’ve seen my uncles come back from Vietnam littered with shrapnel and I know what World War II did to my grandpa,” said Dion Coldiron, 44, a transport driver for Marathon Petroleum.
“A lot of countries don’t honor their flag like we do, but when our guys come home in caskets, what’s over their caskets? The flag. I have a lot of friends that have got their limbs blown off in Afghanistan and you won’t see them sitting for the anthem.
“Using sports as a political [vehicle], I don’t agree with that. I’m a huge sports fan, but I’ve yet to see an athlete or a movie actor graduate college and be a political genius. They’ve worked hard to get to where they’re at, no doubt. But I don’t know if they know what a hard day of work really is. They’re making millions of dollars and they’re so out of touch with the general public.”
David Briggs writes for the Block News Alliance. The Block News Alliance consists of the Post-Gazette, The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, and television station WDRB in Louisville, Ky.
First Published: September 26, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
Updated: September 26, 2017, 4:01 a.m.