| 1. aliciahuang - 27 Ñåíòÿáðÿ, 2017 - 06:47:19 |
Blake Wheeler reached a boiling point this past weekend.
The Winnipeg Jets captain took to Twitter on Saturday and issued two tweets in response to comments made by United States President Donald Trump at a rally in Alabama on Friday night, suggesting owners of those players, which criticized NFL players for kneeling during the American national anthem, whom he referred each individually
Trump went on to say that players, who are enacting their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful protest, were ruining the game by disrespecting the anthem by kneeling.
Wheeler, then tweeted: “Regardless of how it makes you feel individually, these are literally the principles the US was founded on. Come on, who became the first NHL player to open up publicly on the matter, Mr. President.”
The Jets took a day off on Sunday but the 31-year-old from Minnesota spoke to the media on Monday morning prior Winnipeg’s preseason matchup against the Calgary Flames later that night.
“It's been kind of a slow boil,” Wheeler told the assembled media. “You know,Authentic Darron Lee Jersey, the rhetoric over and over has kind of gone a little bit too far a few too many times. It just felt right to kind of take a stance.”
Wheeler said he was cognizant of taking a side on the issue, knowing full well the divisiveness America’s current political landscape brings.
people are going to feel different ways about different things,Authentic Christian Hackenberg Jersey,“You realize there are different perspectives,” Wheeler said. “That’s the thing that makes America a great country, and I think that’s kind of the whole point,Authentic Jordan Jenkins Jersey, is that you're allowed to have different opinions, you’re allowed to voice different opinions,Authentic Leonard Williams Jersey, and you’re allowed to stand up for what you believe in.”
Wheeler said he’s absolutely for the First Amendment and the rights it holds for each American citizen. Asked if he would support a teammate who decided to take a knee during the anthem, Wheeler said he’d support that decision.
they’d 100 per cent have my support,“With just cause and if someone were electing to do that,Authentic Devin Smith Jersey, even if I don’t necessarily agree with why they do it,” Wheeler said. “Like I said, it’s their right to feel that way and it’s their right to behave that way. If I didn’t agree with it,Authentic Lorenzo Mauldin Jersey, I would absolutely sit down, have a coffee and talk about it and try to understand why they feel that way and maybe you become a little more sympathetic to other people.”
Jets coach Paul Maurice stood behind his captain's stance on Monday.
“Just from a personal point of view, Blake Wheeler is one of the finest men I’ve ever met,” Maurice said. “I support his right to voice his opinion.”
Maurice said he would try to understand it better if one of his players chose to kneel during the anthem.
“I’m not much of an opinion voicer, I stand during the national anthems, that’s my choice, I don’t have a Twitter account,” he said. “I’d probably want to understand it (more).”
When it comes to his team, Maurice said voicing opinions is encouraged in the locker room.
Simple rule in our locker room that players can say whatever they want,” Maurice said. “They can say whatever they want to the media and they can handle themselves accordingly on that. I think if you want to take a stand and make a point, you should feel free to explain that point if you want to.”
Maurice said he’s not worried about Wheeler’s comments becoming a distraction to the team as they enter their final week of training camp.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins came under fire over the weekend after they stated they would go ahead with the traditional White House visit with the President, an invitation offered to each reigning Stanley Cup champion.
Jets coach isn't focused on Trump — Bowles focused on the issues
Donald Trump is President of the United States. But according to Jets coach Todd Bowles, Trump's words aren't more meaningful or significant than those of an Average Joe sitting in the stands.
one day after his Jets locked arms in a show of unity before defeating the Dolphins,"It's no different than a fan saying something when you're coming through the tunnel. You got to set that out of mind. The biggest problem here is the issues, it really doesn't matter if you don't focus on the issues. And the issues are the things that happened in Charlottesville and you got hurricane victims here and there, 20-6, no matter who's saying what doesn't matter. Whether it's the president, whether it's another player in another sport,Womens Darron Lee Jersey, whether it's the fans, whether it's the coach,Womens Christian Hackenberg Jersey," Bowles said Monday on a conference call, in their home opener at MetLife Stadium. "If you focus on the issues,Womens Jordan Jenkins Jersey, and you got to focus on the issues because the he say, she say and the Twitter beefs and all that stuff really doesn't matter."
At a rally in Alabama Friday night, Trump blasted NFL players who've protested racial injustice by kneeling,Womens Leonard Williams Jersey, sitting or raising their fists during the national anthem — a movement started by Colin Kaepernick. Trump urged NFL owners to fire or suspend any "son of a b---h" who protests during the anthem.
In response to Trump's comments, meanwhile, opted to lock arms during the anthem. Acting owner Christopher Johnson participated,Womens Devin Smith Jersey, NFL players around the league took knees on Sunday during "The Star Spangled Banner." The Jets, standing in between Josh McCown and Jamal Adams.
" Bowles said Monday. "We're trying to show that we can get things done as a country if we unite together. We're trying to show unity within our team,We still locked arms because we're united,Womens Lorenzo Mauldin Jersey, and we're trying to show unity for everything, we're trying to show unity for the league, altogether, and it's inclusive. So I'm not a big comment guy. I'm not a who-said-what and what-said-who. …The problems don't really matter if you're not trying to find a solution."
Bowles and McCown said the team has not yet decided if it will repeat the demonstration next week at home against Jacksonville.
"That's something we'll talk about. I don't feel one way or the other," Bowles said. "I thought they did a very good thing yesterday. I support it wholeheartedly. I was one of them locking arms, and we'll discuss it during the week and I'm sure we'll have our answer going forward as a team."
The Jets players and Bowles were in a particularly difficult position Sunday considering owner Woody Johnson is currently serving as Trump's ambassador to the United Kingdom.
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