This season, it has become all the rage for professional sports teams to do something “in your face” to deliberately offend traditional fans by raising their troglodyte consciousness to a higher level.

For the NFL, in addition to disrespecting the American flag and the nation that gave a handful of people the chance to earn 8-figure salaries for throwing a ball around, this means they are honoring victims of systemic racism. Systemic racism is an off-shoot of Critical Race Theory and Marxist philosophical outlook that, as best I can tell, boils down to “kill Whitey.” This is how the decision will be executed:

The NFL is planning to allow players to have decals on the back of their helmets bearing names or initials of victims of systemic racism and police violence, a league source told The Undefeated’s Jason Reid. Individual players will be given the option to choose different names, the source said.

The league has been in talks with players and their union since June about somehow honoring such victims. The NFL also is planning to have “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” traditionally known as the Black national anthem, performed live or played before every Week 1 game.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers jogged onto the field this is what they wore:

We don’t want him to be forgotten.

For the 2020 season, we unite as one and will wear a single name on the back of our helmets – Antwon Rose Jr.https://t.co/Li8ovGgKa7

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 14, 2020

This is how the team described the reason:

On the night of June 19, 2018, the car Antwon Rose Jr., who is black, was a passenger in was pulled over by the East Pittsburgh Police. While the driver was being handcuffed on suspicion of being involved in an incident that happened earlier that evening, a frightened Rose fled from the car. The cell phone video a bystander captured showed Rose running, and then you could hear gunshots and see as he was fatally shot in the back three times by a white East Pittsburgh Police Officer.

That is true as far as it goes. But it is a great example of the truth becoming a lie by stripping it of all context.

On the afternoon of June 19, a man named William Ross was walking down a street in the Pittsburgh suburb of North Braddock alone. A car drove by and numerous shots were fired at him.

A description of the car was broadcast and about five minutes later, police in East Pittsburgh saw a car matching the description that also had bullet holes. It’s unclear on when those holes were created and by whom (my bet is that one of the shooters got overly enthusiastic, this is the reason you tell troops involved in airmobile operations not to shoot at targets on the ground from inside the helicopter) but the two things triggered a felony traffic stop — that is, the officers at the stop suspected the men in the car were armed and had tried to kill someone earlier.

Here, I’m going to quote from Wikipedia and leave their in-line links in place for your future reading.

Shooting[edit]

On Tuesday June 19, 2018, there was a drive-by shooting in North Braddock around 8:30 p.m. Just 10 minutes later, police stopped a car matching witness descriptions of the silver Chevrolet Cruze used in the drive-by shooting. The police observed bullet holes on the side of the car.^[11]

A video recording taken by a bystander shows police ordering the driver to step out from the car.^[11] While the driver was being handcuffed, Rose and the third occupant, Zaijuan Hester, ran from the car.^[12] Rosfeld fired three rounds, and Rose was struck by all three.^[12] He was pronounced dead at McKeesport Hospital.^[3]

In the video, a woman’s voice is heard saying, “Why they shooting at him? All they did was run, and they shooting at them.” [sic] ^[2] Police said that Rose had been unarmed when he was shot.^[12] Hester escaped, but was later arrested.^[13]

Earlier drive-by shooting[edit]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published video footage showing Rose in the front passenger seat of a Chevrolet Cruze, while Hester fired through the rear window behind him.^[14] Contradicting that video evidence, drive-by victim William Ross told investigators on January 17, 2019 that Rose was in fact the individual who had shot him: “The beef was between me and him, that car came by, he shot me, I ran to the store.”^[15]

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala stated that Rose had an empty 9-millimeter handgun magazine in his pocket, and officials stated there were two guns in the car, a 9-millimeter handgun and a .40-caliber handgun.^[16][17] According to police, Hester had fired the .40-caliber handgun.^[17]

Trial testimony from a scientist at the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office showed that Rose had gunshot residue on his hands at the time he was shot and his DNA was found on the 9mm pistol found under the passenger seat.^[18] During the trial, Rosfeld’s attorney additionally claimed that Rose had stolen one of the handguns found in the car during an armed robbery of his employer just hours before he was shot. However, this was ruled inadmissible by Judge Alexander Bicket, as information regarding the gun theft was unknown to Rosfeld when he conducted the felony traffic stop.^[19]

Bottomline. Rose had attempted to murder a man using a stolen weapon earlier. He was legitimately stopped. He fled police as he was being arrested. He was shot. The officer was tried for homicide. The jury deliberated for three and one-half hours and acquitted the officer on all charges.

There was no racism, systemic or otherwise, in Rose’s death.

The Steeler’s description of Rose’s killing is a grotesque lie by omission and their decision to honor a young man who tried to gun down another man on the street and was killed because of his own actions is inexplicable in any sane world. You don’t have to believe Rose needed killing to think that honoring him is bizarre, inappropriate, and socially dysfunctional. But this is 2020…

One man did not go along with the lemmings.

Offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a West Point graduate, alumni of 10th Mountain Division and 1st Ranger Battalion, and the recipient of awards for valor under fire taped over the Antwon Rose decal. (READ Steelers Player Alejandro Villanueva Tapes Name of Fallen Veteran on Helmet Over BLM Approved Name.)

Steelers Alejandro Villanueva Wears Military Veteran’s Name On Helmet, Covering Antwon Rose Jr. – CBS Pittsburgh #Malliard https://t.co/ZTaDUCtPCa pic.twitter.com/9bhkJZxw3b

— Win! Leadership Based Interviews-Sports Headlines (@WinWithMalliard) September 16, 2020

The Steelers announced the team would honor Antwon Rose, who was killed by a police officer, on their helmets. But Alejandro Villanueva instead honored Alwyn Cashe, who died of injuries suffered pulling fellow soldiers out of a burning vehicle in Iraq https://t.co/cUWEFF1r3C

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 16, 2020

Silver Star Citation Summary

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe, United States Army, for exceptionally valorous achievement following an improvised explosive device explosion on 17 October 2005, while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Sergeant First Class Cashe’s disregard for his own safety proved evident when he saved the lives of six fellow soldiers despite his serious injuries. His bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Task Force DRAGON, the SLEDGEHAMMER Brigade, Task Force LIBERTY, and the United States Army. NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as a Platoon Sergeant in 1st Platoon, Alpha Company (HARDOCK), 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment stationed at Forward Operating Base MACKENZIE, Iraq, on 17 October 2005. On the evening of 17 October 2005, Sergeant First Class Cashe’s heroic actions saved the lives of six of his fellow soldiers. At approximately 1920 hours, 1st Platoon of Alpha Company, 1-15 Infantry departed FOB MACKENZIE to conduct a route clearance in the city of Daliaya, Iraq. Along Route JAIME, the lead Bradley Fighting Vehicle, of which Sergeant First Class Cashe was gunner having just moved from a NMC vehicle, struck a victim detonated pressure-switch IED at grid MC 25357243. The blast ignited the fuel cell on the vehicle causing fuel to spew everywhere. The vehicle came to a stop and immediately erupted in flames. Sergeant First Class Cashe was initially slightly injured and drenched with fuel. Despite his condition, he bravely managed to get out of the gunner’s hatch, crawl down the BFV and assist the driver out of the driver’s hatch. The driver had been burned and Sergeant First Class Cashe extinguished his flames. The following minutes were crucial. Six soldiers and a translator were in the back of the Bradley. Flames had engulfed the entire vehicle from the bottom and were coming out of every portal. The squad leader inside the vehicle managed to open the troop hatch door to help the soldiers escape. Without regard for his personal safety, Sergeant First Class Cashe rushed to the back of the vehicle, reaching into the hot flames and started pulling out his soldiers. The flames gripped his fuel soaked uniform. Flames quickly spread all over his body. Despite the terrible pain, Sergeant First Class Cashe placed the injured soldier on the ground and returned to the burning vehicle to retrieve another burning soldier; all the while, he was still on fire. A crew from a trail Bradley arrived within moments and assisted with CASEVAC. During all this and with severe burns, Sergeant First Class Cashe bravely continued to take control of the chaos. Within minutes, the company First Sergeant was on the scene and began to evacuate the seriously injured soldiers. One of which was Sergeant First Class Cashe. In the end, the national translator was killed in action, and 10 soldiers were injured. Seven of the ten were very seriously injured. Sergeant First Class Cashe stayed a hero through it all. His injuries were the worst as he suffered form 2d and 3d degree burns over 72% of his body. Sergeant First Class Cashe’s heroic actions saved the lives of six of his beloved soldiers. He is truly deserving of this award. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Task Force LIBERTY and the United States Army.

There is the tut-tutting about unity and the team captains seem to have their knickers in a knot:

“I was surprised by what Al did,” defensive end Cameron Heyward said Wednesday, via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“I did not know about Al’s choice for the back of his helmet,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said, via Dulac. Both Heyward and Roethlisberger are among the team’s 2020 captains.

“Obviously, that’s his choice,” Roethlisberger added. “That’s the amazing thing about the country we live in. Unfortunately, it is what it is.”
…
The situation presents a curious intersection of individual liberties and there’s-no-I-in-team. Villanueva absolutely has the right to do what he wants to do when it comes to the name on the back of his helmet (the league may disagree with that, since Cashe’s name wasn’t on the approved list). However, the team collectively decided that all players would have Rose’s name on their helmets. Villanueva went rogue without telling anyone before doing so.

That’s the deeper question that could linger in the locker room, given that some will think that, at a minimum, Villanueva should have told someone that he planned to not go along with his teammates, and that failing to tell anyone that he wouldn’t be complying with the will of the team constitutes a slap in their face.

The same assclowns that praised the decision of individuals to kneel in protest of the United States during the playing of the real National Anthem as their teammates did the right thing are now criticizing Villanueva for following his conscience and standing up for what is right against what is blatantly wrong.

No problem with Cashe being honored, but it’s telling that Villanueva went against a team decision to do this. Did he tell his teammates beforehand? Seems like he purposely put them in a bad position because he never agreed with the cause to begin with. https://t.co/kXprlD8Hk5

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 16, 2020

Many of you are saying that Alejandro Villanueva has a right to his opinion. But if the theme of week 1 is unity and honoring those who have been victimized by police violence, then please explain to me what exactly is the ✌🏾other side✌🏾?

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 16, 2020

I’m confused as to how unity and being against police violence is somehow contrary. He also didn’t tell his teammates beforehand and sorry, that comes off like there’s an issue. He could have picked any time to make this statement, so why pick this week with this theme? https://t.co/2PN8pLrhmx

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 16, 2020

But, as the saying goes, “one man with courage makes a majority,” and courage, like abject cowardice, can be contagious.

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey said he was unaware of the entire Antwon Rose Jr. situation and will make his own decision on what to put on his helmet moving forward.https://t.co/mfzuAiClIE

— AllSteelers (@si_steelers) September 17, 2020