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Villanueva Speaks

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by SDOT, Sep 25, 2017.

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  1. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I'm not sure what you're up to, but you're acting like an Ass.
     
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  2. SDOT

    SDOT Well-Known Member

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    What Ray said

     
  3. STEELWARRIOR

    STEELWARRIOR Well-Known Member

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    Villanueva is just trying to take blame to save face and do damage control for his team because their catching aot of crap right now he has nothing to be sorry for he also said that he turned around and asked Ben if he could go out to see the Flag and National Anthem. ASK Ben?? WTF Villanueva is a grown man he doesn't need to ask Ben nothing he can stand for the National Anthem if he wants Damn it!!!:flag:
     
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  4. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I guess I'm confused. Didn't you tell everyone that would listen that AV wasn't a team player because he came out of the tunnel without his teammates?
     
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  5. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Isn't Ben a captain? Maybe that's why AV asked him.
     
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  6. STEELWARRIOR

    STEELWARRIOR Well-Known Member

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    Does he have to ask to go peepee???:facepalm:
     
  7. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    No but Cam and Ben are captains, so it makes sense if he talked to him. He doesn't need Ben's permission but it's a courtesy though.
     
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  8. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    Ok. Break down for those who either refuse to watch his interview, or can't follow along:

    - Team meeting Saturday night. A few players had disagreements as to what to do, so they decided to stay inside and remove themselves from any spectacle. AV agrees to the decision to stay inside.

    - AV decides that morning that he really wants to see the anthem if he can without going against team wishes and brings it up to the team Captains.

    - AV, Ben, and other captains agree that they'll stay in the tunnel instead allowing AV to be up front for the anthem, Captains with him, the rest of the team as well in the tunnel.

    - AV finds out when the Anthem will start, and walks through the tunnel ahead of time to find a vantage point where he can see the flag without standing out and still within the tunnel area. Knowing the team is coming.

    - Team captains and team come out of locker room and head toward AV but are cut off by props from pre-game stuff and can't get by. AV turns and sees they can't get by. Makes decision to stay hoping they can get there in time.

    - Team finally starts walking but anthem starts, so they stop and stand out of respect for the anthem.

    Anthem.jpg

    - They had 2 choices: keep walking during the anthem, or stay put. Figured still walking for anthem would be the greater of evils.

    - AV WOULD NOT LIE about that sequence of events. Even stated he hopes there's video of the team getting cut off. His being alone was AN ACCIDENT. Period.

    - AV also says he respects anyone's right to protest.

    So there you have it. If the team had made it to him, does that change the optics? Is it more palatable? Would we even be having these discussions?

    Or are we now calling him a liar? You same people who lauded him for over 24 hours as the epitome of American values? He's lying now???? Shame on you.
     
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  9. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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    Ben, with Al (Villanueva) apart it appeared you didn’t have unity.
    BR: The crazy thing about that is when we came out of the tunnel, we told Al to come stand up front with the captains, Cam [Heyward], myself and Tyler [Matakevich] who’s the special teams captain. And when we came out of the tunnel it was a very small area, or when we came out of the locker room and into the tunnel it was a very small area. There was a flag or something coming off the field so there were a bunch of Bears fans coming off the field holding that and going in front of us. So, it kind of held us up. Al was down at the end of the tunnel where we had told him we’re going to come to the end of the tunnel. We’re going to go to the tunnel to stand together. By the time all of chaos happened in front of us, as we started taking our steps the anthem started. So, we stopped to show respect for the anthem. I was talking to Cam, I regret not going down to Al, but Al didn’t know that we weren’t there. Al thought we were standing with him so there was no division there. We were 20-feet behind him. You can see in the pictures, we’re standing there. I think it was more, I told Cam when the anthem started we just out of habit you stop, you take your hat off, you wait. I wish today that we probably would’ve continued down. I know there would have been a lot of chaos and commotion because the guys behind us wouldn’t have known what was going on. But there was no division there. It’s just the way it appeared through pictures and camera stuff.
     
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  10. STEELWARRIOR

    STEELWARRIOR Well-Known Member

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    It's unfortunate AV has to be placed in this situation to begin with because as Military people both active or retired there certain customs and courtesy's that can't be compromised and that is the Flag and National Anthem. All around the world where ever there is a Military base the Flag is raised and lowered in a very ceremonious manner and those Soldiers who have the honor to be involved in it must be very precise in movement, procedure, and decipline and it takes on an almost intimate feel that's very personal to those who have the honor to be involved in no one else could understand. At O dark thirty in the morning the Flag is being ceremoniously raised to begin that days business and all that hear the music being played through loud speakers through out the base must stop dismount their vehicles or if on foot face the music salute if in uniform if in civilians clothes place your hand over your heart and honor respect. At 5:00pm the Flag is lowered and retreat is played marking the end of that days business once again all traffic stops and renders respect. The point I'm trying to make is the Flag is more signicant or has more meaning to those who serve in its glory. It is the most recognized symbol of freedom in the entire world some burn it, disrespect it because of jealousy, but it stands for freedom and opportunity to all those who seek it. In all honesty i never knew how much i loved my country or my Flag until i served for it. It is a part of my every day life everywhere i look and every where i may be it is there. One of my final wishes is.. before my coffin lid is closed that an American Flag be placed in it with me that's how connected I am with it. I am now retired, but every day I have very fond memories and not so fond memories of the time I served my Country and would not change anything. Will get through this and move forward we always do. God Bless America:flag:
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2017
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  11. SDOT

    SDOT Well-Known Member

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    I said what he did was selfish and created this whole **** storm that the Steelers were trying to avoid. Nothing you say can change that because AV himself has already confirmed it.




    If you are talking about the flag story and everybody stopping, no. I do not believe that until I see video. AV never told that story, he just said Ben said. He was in front of them so how would he know? I think that's damage control by Ben and Heyward for AV and the whole situation. I don't think AV meant harm or realized how bad it would look but it's bad. That's why he's rightfully taking the blame as he should. It went from everybody praising him and ****ting on his teammates to now people are saying he's a traitor. It's made everybody and the organization look bad. Nobody has won. That's why he should have just stayed with his teammates like they all planned and this would already be a non story.
     
  12. groutbrook

    groutbrook

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    Ben should show such attention to detail when it comes to opposing defenses.
     
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  13. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Not being a wiseass SW but when you look at the pic that Ray posted above, do those players look like they are disrespecting the flag? Chick has his hand over his heart, Cam bowing his head in respect, Ben standing as he always does while the Anthem is played, everyone standing. IS it really that important that they werent on the sidelines? Since when does that matter?
     
  14. steelcurtainmrp

    steelcurtainmrp Well-Known Member

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    Big Al is a friggin veteran who served three tours... its ABSURD he has to apologize for standing for the Anthem. Just watched the press conference video... Great Guy. All of his teammates has his back.

    I miss the days when there was a fine line between politics and sports.
     
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  15. blountforcetrauma

    blountforcetrauma Well-Known Member

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    I just got home from Baltimore and DC tonight and finally got to watch the game. I knew about the "protest" and what AV had done but didn't know anything past that. What I WILL say is that last night I was over at the WW2 and Korean War Memorials in DC and I thought a lot about who REAL American heroes are. HINT: They are NOT overpaid crybabies who think "kneeling" makes a difference. They are NOT overpaid crybabies who think standing in a tunnel and looking like a bunch of cop out artists makes a difference. REAL heroes are men that freeze in the forests of Bastogne while taking mortar shell after mortar shell. REAL heroes are men who get in boats and set sail for a beach covered by machine gun fire so heavy that even to survive that initial onslaught is a miracle in and of itself. REAL heroes are men who jump from an airplane in to enemy territory. REAL heroes raise victorious flags from the Atlantic to the Pacific to bring liberation to millions the world over. I've never been more ashamed to be a Steelers fan than I was yesterday and the game had nothing to do with it but at the same time I've never been more proud to be an American when I saw a REAL hero taking a REAL stand. The NFL is an echo chamber. These guys have nothing to risk by their petty "protests". The PC police will kowtow to them until their dying breath. AV showed REAL leadership by doing what was right and not trying to be some trendy little moron. They're all a bunch of cowards and sheep. AV showed them what a man looks like.
     
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  16. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    If you watched the press conference, you'd know he wasn't apologising, or being made to apologise, for standing for the anthem.

    Rays post earlier summarised it all pretty well.
     
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  17. Daddymac10

    Daddymac10 Well-Known Member

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    The wrong man is apologizing. AV was the only Steeler player who didn't act like a coward. The other 52 players need to be apologizing for their embarrassment...
     
  18. SteelHack

    SteelHack Well-Known Member

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    Pretty sure everything I said about this Sunday night is still 100% true.

    It was selfish... he will have to answer questions... his team mates will have to answer questions and his coach will have to answer questions.

    AV is a rock star and I hope to be like him when I grow up

    HACK
     
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  19. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    If it doesn't matter if they're on the field or not during the anthem then there was really no need to have that meeting to organize this whole thing Saturday night.
     
  20. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    They were trying to send a message to a certain someone in the least offensive matter.

    What do you care where they stand. Are you just going to ignore the picture and the respect they were showing?
     
  21. BURGH43STEL

    BURGH43STEL Well-Known Member

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    No matter what players, coaches, owners, or ect. said some people on the outside looking in don't listen. No matter what people on the outside read they don't understand or want to understand. It seems to me that some people on the outside looking in simply want to have a reason to be upset, angry, be critical of players, coaches, owners ect.
     
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  22. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    I have no problem following along with the facts and you've done a great job of putting them together in your post.
    What I was trying to understand was Is what the heck Sdot was blabbing about.
     
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  23. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    Come on dude. I'm not ignoring anything. The fact that they had to organize the whole thing to stay inside the tunnel says it all. If it's not a big deal where they stand then why even have the national anthem played at all at the game?

    Just go out and stand where you're supposed stand. If a few knuckle heads want to kneel then at least fans could just be mad at them. Instead the whole thing backfired and now fans are mad at the organization as a whole.
     
  24. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Give me a break Glenn. As Sdot pointed out, they didn't even used to be on the sideline!

    Did you see anyone disrespecting the flag in that picture? No you didn't.

    Maybe you and others are just pissed because now you don't know who was going to kneel.
     
  25. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    The fact didn't used to be on the sideline is beyond irrelevant. They're supposed to be there now. So get on the field.
    I really don't have any burning desire to know who would have knelt.
    From what I can see in the picture it looks like the players seen are all being respectful.

    My view is they were wrong not to take the field during the Anthem. If it's unimportant to you that's your view and that's fine.
     
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