Kids kneeling while singing the National Anthem at Mariners game

Two students singing the national anthem with a grade-school choir took a knee at a Seattle Mariners game Sunday.

A tweet by sports writer Ryan S. Clark of the Tacoma News Tribune shows the children at Safeco Field kneeling alongside their standing classmates from Seattle’s Mount View Elementary School. Colin Kaepernick retweeted the picture.

Students Singing National Anthem Kneel At MLB Game | HuffPost

I don't need any reasons not to watch Baseball because I find it mostly boring but for me this is another reason not to watch Baseball and to disengage from sports in general.

I completely support their right to kneel but I wish we could all find other ways to work together instead of tainting professional sporting events.

I wouldn’t quit watching baseball because 2 elementary students of a choir kneeled while they were signing. There is a good chance that no one from Seattle or MLB knew that they would do that.

I wouldn’t quit watching baseball because 2 elementary students of a choir kneeled while they were signing. There is a good chance that no one from Seattle or MLB knew that they would do that.

My point is it is one more straw on the camel's back.

Man. If I stopped doing or enjoying something every time I saw something I didn’t like, I’d never leave the house, turn on the tv, pick up my phone, etc..

My point is it is one more straw on the camel's back.

NFL has many more kneelers.

NFL has many more kneelers.

That is one of the reasons I watch the NFL less than I used to.

That is one of the reasons I watch the NFL less than I used to.

I don’t believe you.

Protests, kneels, whatever. I don't really care.

That said, I am generally not a fan of using kids as props for demonstration when they have no idea what they are even doing.

I still do and will always respect someone’s right to kneel. And in this case, it’s not even the Mariners or MLB that’s doing it. Even if the kneeling did bother, I’m not letting what 2 elementary school kids did before the game influence my decision. As others have said before, sitting up in the stands in any sporting event, you’ll see at lot more disrespect to the anthem than what those two kids, or anyone else who has kneeled have shown.

I don’t believe you.

Disappointing once again from you.

I am pretty sure I am on record here and I can tell everyone I definitely watched a lot less NFL this year, I hardly watch anything in the off-season and I dumped my season tickets.

Disappointing. I say this because when a singing group is chosen to sing the National Anthem at a game, it's a BIG DEAL. It's organized months in advance. It's lots of practicing. It's sending in a recording to the organization for approval. It's coordinating clothes. It's coordinating ticket orders for all the families, and oh yeah, grandma and grandpa traveled from out of town to be there as well. It's parents bringing their kids to the game over an hour early. It's lots of employees escorting the group through the facilities. Then for a couple of kids in the group to pull this stunt is just unfortunate for the rest of the kids in the group.

Disappointing. I say this because when a singing group is chosen to sing the National Anthem at a game, it's a BIG DEAL. It's organized months in advance. It's lots of practicing. It's sending in a recording to the organization for approval. It's coordinating clothes. It's coordinating ticket orders for all the families, and oh yeah, grandma and grandpa traveled from out of town to be there as well. It's parents bringing their kids to the game over an hour early. It's lots of employees escorting the group through the facilities. Then for a couple of kids in the group to pull this stunt is just unfortunate for the rest of the kids in the group.

What if the other kids weren't bothered? Maybe they support their friends.

Disappointing once again from you.

 

I am pretty sure I am on record here and I can tell everyone I definitely watched a lot less NFL this year, I hardly watch anything in the off-season and I dumped my season tickets.

I should have clarified. I don’t believe that the kneeling is a reason you watch it less.

I should have clarified. I don’t believe that the kneeling is a reason you watch it less.

It not only is/was a reason, it was the primary reason. The controversy took on a life of its own and it permeated the NFL, talk shows, pregame shows, online coverage, and on and on.

Don't get it twisted, I still love the NFL and I will watch it plenty.

How about this, the NFL can punch me in the mouth and I will come back for more, if Baseball looks at me wrong I'm out.

What if the other kids weren't bothered? Maybe they support their friends.

I still disagree. The organization gave the youth group the honor to stand and perform the National Anthem. That is the only reason why those students were allowed on the field.