re: Mike Tomlin has issue with Alejandro Villanueva coming out for the National Anthem?

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he did say that Villanueva went against his wishes

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Which Villanueva did. And I honestly would have done the same thing in his shoes.

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I disagree with asking Villanueva to stay in the tunnel 

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Agree with you. Like I said, it's very tough to ask a vet to do that, IMO. I know why Roll on did it and actually agree with his reasoning, but he's in the odd position of having unique personnel.

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it seems that in today's world, you can't disagree with someone without people making a huge issue out of it. It's weird to me 

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The art of respectful debate has been lost.

I don't feel Tomlin should not be vilified for his remarks about the team, he was asked a question and responded truthfully. Could have have chosen a little better wording, yes, but he answered the question.

The team made a decision to take themselves out of the protesting situation by not going out to the field and that is completely fine by me. However, as slackster posted, it seems that many of his teammates understood the situation of Alejandro Villanueva being a West Point graduate, Bronze Star recipient, and completing 3 tours. If I am not mistaken, Villaneuva is the only active NFL player who served in the armed forces, so this is a special case which many of the teammates realize.

Tomlin is correct in wanting the team to be unified and have 100% participation in the decision the team made, however it puts Villaneuva in an extremely difficult situation. Personally, I feel the best situation would have been an announcement made that the team was staying in, but Villaneuva as a former military member is the exception to the decision.

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JUST IN: Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva is the best selling NFL jersey & T-shirt over the last 24 hours, according to @Fanatics

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I think people are wrong saying the protests won't hurt viewership/attendance

We will see

Sounds like Tomlin just worded things poorly. He probably didn't want anyone coming out because it would look like everyone else was protesting the anthem, which they weren't based on Tomlin's pregame comments.

Nope

I have got out of my car several times while it came on as I would leave post

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JUST IN: Steelers lineman Alejandro Villanueva is the best selling NFL jersey & T-shirt over the last 24 hours, according to @Fanatics

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This whole thing is so bizarre for me. I grew up mostly in a city that'd play retreat so loudly that you can hear it off base. And people would stop their cars in respect. Our biggest basketball star at the time would stand at attention before every game.

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Why does their logic never adhere to the exact opposite of their position? Why wouldn't his football team be respectful of their own teammate who served 3 tours in Afghanistan and stand for the anthem with him?

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I think in this case you're off the mark.

This is just me making an educated guess but I imagine it went something like this:

- Tomlin says they all need to be unified on the anthem, stand, sit, kneel, arms interlocked, hand over heart etc....

- Some guys argued they wanted to kneel (probably lead by James Harrison)

- Some guys argued they wanted to stand (probably lead by Alejandro Villanueva)

- They couldn't all agree so they all agreed to stay in the locker room, essentially doing nothing

- Villanueva came out and stood anyway out of respect for his country as a veteran



I get what Mike Tomlin is saying about respecting team wishes and stuff. That being said this is a really bad issue to even get involved in the slightest, it's so damn political

So, he has a problem with free speech when it's not a cause he believes in?

Got it