Country music singer and Grand Ol’ Opry veteran Tim Atwood isn’t exactly a fan of kneeling during the national anthem. In fact, he has two specific reasons why you should be doing it: injury or invocation.
“I feel that if you’re on a knee on the football field for the national anthem, you should have a broke leg or you’re praying — one of the two,” Atwood, who has performed 8,500 concerts at the legendary Nashville venue, told Fox News.
“But that’s just my opinion, everybody’s got their own opinion about that.”
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He did say, however, that players were within their rights as Americans to protest the flag — as much as he had the right to detest that and openly express that opinion.
“I think that what the whole thing is you have the rights. Like the football players have a right to take a knee, but I don’t necessarily agree with that,” Atwood said.
“That’s what the country’s about, not everybody is going to like the same things all the time.”
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However, as the father of a veteran, Atwood has a special relationship with the symbol of our country.
“I had a son in the Iraq War and he went two tours — he had a purple heart and he lost a lot of hearing, he hit an IED,” Atwood told Fox News.
Do you support the NFL's new policy on the national anthem?
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“And to have him home safe knowing that he went over to serve his country — because of the folks that are fighting, we can have the freedom that we have.”
“I remember my son was in Samara and Ramadi … and I would wake up every morning and hear that there was a battle in Samara or Ramadi, and just praying that he’s OK, you know,” he added.
“And there were times that would go by that I wouldn’t hear from him for two weeks or something, and you’re just wondering is he alive or what? You’re just wondering, you know.”
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If they were to kneel in prayer, however, Atwood would understand (although one wouldn’t usually do that during the anthem).
“I think the independence is choices — I got a choice to live a Christian life. I choose to take care of my family, and I choose to be an entertainer,” he said. “And I’m thankful every day to live in a country that I’m allowed to do that. If it weren’t for the home of the brave it wouldn’t be the land of the free.”
Of course, as their employer, the NFL gets to decide whether players kneel or not. And starting in 2018, that’s not going to be an option.
“Under the change approved by team owners at the Spring League Meeting, individual clubs will have the power to set their own policies to ensure the anthem is being respected during any on-field action. If a player chooses to protest on the sideline, the NFL will fine the team. The player also could be fined by his team,” NFL.com reported.
Players will be able to stay in the locker room if they choose to protest the anthem, however, something that’s drawn the ire of the most vocal critic of anthem-kneeling:
If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!
We will proudly be playing the National Anthem and other wonderful music celebrating our Country today at 3 P.M., The White House, with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus. Honoring America! NFL, no escaping to Locker Rooms!
Nevertheless, it will certainly mean a less-acrimonious NFL season in 2018 — even if the policy is imperfect. Yes, it will still allow anthem protesting, but it won’t be directly disrespecting the anthem on the field. That’s something that should make a lot of Americans — including Tim Atwood — think that the NFL is going in the right direction.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.
C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he's written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties).
