NCAA Permits Patches That Promote Social Justice Causes ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

They were never on our jerseys before 9-11. I got pushed into that rightfully or wrongfully. I went along with that display which has caused more issues than you might realize. That was a political statement. It was not necessary before. So yes it was political.

Originally Posted by Rich

I'm with you. I resisted the whole flag thing when it involved patches. I showed up and my partners would say "patch or no patch" and they'd give me the stink eye when I'd say "It's no patch tonight. I don't have flag patches." Eventually it was easier to just get flags than deal with crews that thought I wasn't patriotic enough cause I had to remind everyone what country I was in.

I believe that we started wearing flag patches during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Although I did wear it, I also felt that it wasn't right because of the Flag Code:

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.

I believed that it was disrespectful to equate basketball officials to our military, firemen, and policemen heroes.

Since 2003 I have used an image of the American flag and the Statue of Liberty as my desktop image on my personal computer, my laptop computer and my cellphone, vowing not to remove these images until the last American soldier leaves Iraq.

I've been waiting seventeen years.