A Steelers jacket valued at $300 and an 2005 AFC pennant are burned during Saturday’s protest at the Ford City VFW over football players not coming out of the tunnel and standing for the National Anthem on Sunday, September 24, 2017.
It all went up in smoke - Steelers pennants, tee-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and other NFL memorabilia - at a protest Saturday afternoon at the Ford City VFW Post 4843 in Pattonville.
Several hundred fans turned out in an outcry for the NFL to create policy for players to stand for the National Anthem.
Janice Martin
Janice Martin from Ford City brought a Steelers tossle cap, scarf, and Terrible Towel to throw into a large fire pit as part of her protest.
“We’re watching the games because we want to watch sports, not to see all these players protesting their own agenda on game time on our dollar, forcing their beliefs on us, and their views, and their opinions. They can do that somewhere else. If they are that upset about these issues, do something about the issues. But turning the whole NFL into their political soapbox ruins it for everybody else. So we are protesting too! We’re done with the NFL because they are supporting what these players are doing and we don’t support it.”
Beverly Solosky
Beverly Solosky’s dad was in the war. She lost him when she was only eight years old. The West Kittanning fan watches NFL games with a picture of her dad and his medals from the war. For her, not standing for the National Anthem was a slap against her father’s service.
“It’s hard for me to be up here because with this picture is how I watch Sunday football games with my dad,” she said through her tears. “He’s going to be dead 53 years on October 11th. The NFL is wrong. And that’s why I burned a picture of Roger Goodell and (Robert) Golden, because they started this. Give me five minutes with anybody that can’t show me respect for the flag and I’ll take them on.”
Ron Meyers from North Buffalo Township brought a Steelers jacket valued at over $300 and put it in the fire.
“I wasn’t in the service myself. My dad was, my grandfather, uncles, cousins. Just what they did last week was disrespectful. They left one guy standing there. That is not a team. Nobody else from the Steelers came out and supported their teammate. I just think that is disrespectful.”
The event was just one of several this weekend in western Pennsylvania as fans protested Steelers’ players that chose to remain in the tunnel at last week’s game against the Chicago Bears. Fans have been calling on team owners as well as the NFL organization to make it mandatory for players to be present and standing prior to the game when the National Anthem is played.
Approximately 200 people showed up at the VFW in Pattonville to protest the NFL on Saturday, September 30.