Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin recently made headlines when he announced that there will be no more kneeling on his field.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re athletes, not activists,\u201d Tomlin declared, seemingly unaware of the rich tradition of athletes using their platform to bring attention to social issues.<\/p>\n
In a press conference, Tomlin explained his reasoning for the ban. \u201cWe\u2019re here to play football, not to make political statements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a job to do, and that\u2019s to win games. If you want to protest, do it on your own time.\u201d While Tomlin\u2019s stance may seem reasonable to some, others are calling it out for what it really is: a blatant attempt to silence his players and stifle their freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disappointing to see Coach Tomlin take this position,\u201d said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. \u201cAs athletes, we have a unique opportunity to use our platform to effect change in our communities.<\/p>\n
To take that away from us is a disservice not only to us as individuals, but to the fans who look up to us as role models.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim Harbaugh says Michigan is counting down days to Ohio State, Big Ten Championship<\/p>\n
Critics of Tomlin\u2019s ban point out that the NFL has a long history of players using their platform to bring attention to social issues.<\/p>\n
From Muhammad Ali refusing to be drafted into the Vietnam War to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, athletes have always been at the forefront of social change.<\/p>\n
Tomlin, however, seems to be more concerned with keeping his players in line than with allowing them to speak their minds. \u201cI don\u2019t want any distractions on my team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re here to win, and that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d It remains to be seen how Tomlin\u2019s ban will affect the Steelers\u2019 performance on the field, but one thing is for sure: the team\u2019s reputation as a bastion of free speech and social activism has taken a hit.<\/p>\n
As one fan put it, \u201cI used to be proud to be a Steelers fan, but now I\u2019m not so sure. It\u2019s a sad day when a coach tells his players to shut up and play ball.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin recently made headlines when he announced that there will be no more kneeling on his field. \u201cYou\u2019re athletes, not activists,\u201d Tomlin declared,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n