Jersey Sales for Villanueva have skyrocketed

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/Aleja...gh-Steelers-jersey-sales-skyrocket--107932265

Well isn't that interesting.

 

His jersey is the ONLY money I would consider spending for the nfl now.

If we hadn't already bought tickets to a game this year we wouldnt be going.

 

If you truly believed in your cause you would either eat the cost or sell.

 

My cause is freedom, I believed so strongly in it I donned a uniform. I don't agree with the kneeling but it doesn't violate existing rules and is an expression of the freedom of speech (albeit ignorant ).

My wife and I planned a weekend to Pittsburgh almost a year ago to see the Pens and steelers at home. Should we just cancel our whole trip? At least the Pens respect tradition enough to go to the white house regardless of their like or dislike of the man in office.

Our tickets are a sunk cost, the league has already been paid whether I resell them or not. I can however fill a seat and not buy any merchandise or concessions.

 

This is exactly what they tried to avoid by making a decision as a TEAM to stay in the locker room. AV wasn't being a team player, sadly.

 

Nobody understands the concept of team better than AV. To insinuate that he was doing anything but showing respect to his friends that died in the line of duty is sad. He respected Tomlin and stayed off the sideline.

 

I wonder how many of these people bought Cam Heyward and Dwill jerseys last year or the year before?

 

Trying to keep politics out of it: I understand what the team was trying to do, but as far as perception goes, staying in the locker room or tunnel is the same as not respecting the anthem or flag. I'm sure to many, it initially seemed like a good idea but in hind sight looks like an error in judgement.

I'm just glad someone had the balls to do the right thing even when you are the only one doing it.

 

As a war veteran myself I would be proud to stand at his side, we laid our lives on the line for that flag and after returning from war we just cant ignore the symbol we could have died for as many did, our patriotism supersedes any other causes society may deem more important than what we lived through in a war zone ....

 

I am sure Captain Villanueva
Feels the same way as I do about people not standing which is a salute to the flag that makes this country great. There can be another way of showing unity besides kneeling for the anthem. Teams could meet facing each other and shake hands before the game like they did in 1982. I fought 30 years for folks to have freedom. I feel the people kneel and all forms of disrespecting people can KISS MY ASS

 

Trust me I get all that and I agree. I don't agree with the people kneeling. But they made a decision as a TEAM. I'm sure there was a lot of players that wanted to be out there for the anthem but stayed because of the team decision. IMO it's okay to not be out there for the anthem because they use to not be out there back in 2009. The only reason NFL teams are out there is because the Government cuts them a check if you want to know the honest truth. Do people at home stand? I've never seen anyone. It's disrespectful to be out there while it's going on and taking a knee imo. That's what the Steelers were trying to avoid and they did. This is only still an issue because AV couldn't be 5 steps back with his team.

 

Overall I can definitely apprecite where you're coming from. I do agree with most of what you're saying.

 

At the end of the day, they should have just come out, stood, and linked arms. The teams who did that aren't being scrutinized, and everyone understands the message. The players on the Steelers who said they would kneel basically threw the whole franchise under the bus and forced everyone into an awkward distraction/situation.

 

I don't think any team just linked arms. Those teams had kneelers as well. Steelers had players that were going to kneel. I mean listen to Tomlins comments he obviously didn't want to have to do this. Once again this is only an issue because AV didn't stay with his team as they agreed upon. Steelers took the most pc approach and it has completely backfired because of AV. Titans did the same thing and no criticism because nobody thought they were bigger than the team and stood alone.

 

The Bears, Bengals, Texans, Vikings, and possibly another team or two stood and linked arms, and didn't kneel. The Bears outclassed us both before, during, and after the game.. I had more respect for the Bengals than the Steelers yesterday.

 

Mods: it's obvious this wants to be talked about by members of this board. Please make a thread appropriate for people to discuss it. I don't understand what the big deal is. If grown adults want to discuss it, let them!

 

I'm pretty sure most of those teams have had players kneel before where the Steelers haven't. I know the Bengals have but apparently that's not an issue anymore because people live in the now. Steelers fans are only mad and there's backlash because there's pictures of AV standing alone and making it seem like everybody is kneeling when that's not the case. They couldn't agree and made a team decision to stay in tunnel for anthem. Exactly what the Titans did and no backlash because nobody thought they were bigger then the team.

 

I have always wanted his jersey but in the arm force camo edition.

 

I've never seen or heard of a Bengals player kneeling, ever. A team filled with headcases and criminals, yet they can find the uniformity in themselves not to cause a distraction by kneeling or doing something viewed as disrespectful by many during the Anthem. I don't know about the other teams, I haven't bothered to look. You keep trying to justify this unnecessary distraction and division it is causing. All they have to do is stand and link arms. Respect given, point taken, play football. It's not difficult.