2 points for deflection. I've said what I needed to.

Oh c'mon! That's got to be at least worth five points!

Anyway, I woudn't call it deflection, just pointing out how 'merican flag wavers usually don't heed the rules of respect either.

Comparing the person with the tattered flag waving from the back of their pickup to the multi-millionaire who only kneels during the anthem is not a good look, IMHO.

Hhere's the BLUF:

If you feel the need to show disrespect towards a nation that provided you the opportunity to compete in the Olympics by kneeling during an anthem or turning away from a flag (symbols of that nation), then you shouldn't be allowed to compete for them to begin with.

Winning Olympic gold is a gateway to fame and fortune, going all the way back to being on the Wheaties box and even before that. I'm happy to give a shot to someone else who has a greater appreciation for the opportunity they've been given.

You do understand that the Government doesn't fund the US Olympic Committee. It's funded by private and corporate sponsors.

In the US, yes, not every nation. Doesn't change the fact that the nation is listed next to the name and that anthem plays when they award a gold. You think their corporate bankrollers would stand for it if the athletes disrespected them by turning away from a corporate logo or badmouthing the brand?

How come we don't see athletes from China, Iran, etc. taking a knee or turning away when their nations flag is shown or anthem played?

I think I've got to disagree on that point, I would say the US citizens and the US government are funding not only the US Olympic Committee but the athletes as well.
Private and corporate sponsors wouldn't exist without Huge government tax incentives, add on to that a lot of tax avoidance\evasion as well and some dubious accounting practices and that is where a lot of the money is coming from. Then we have these large corporations shipping their brands in from S Asia where some workers are being used as slave labour, and these top brands are buying for a pittance and selling to the general public for huge amounts.
I don't see any of these athletes or corporations taking a knee for those poor buggers while they're sat sunbathing in their million $ homes, its all bleeding hypocrisy of the highest order. :o

So, you're saying its all Adam and Eve's fault? :up:

I can stretch a point until it becomes a line. :salute:

Well stretch it a bit further then and explain it because I'm not understanding your post, that might be because I'm losing brain cells at an alarming rate. :O: