Comments on: Bumped: Marine Color Guard Forced To Work Super Bowl But Denied Seats http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/ The War Starts Here Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mr. T http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-372306 Mr. T Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:00:29 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-372306 I just received this from the NFL after I voiced my concerns over this...... Thank you for your email. Our longstanding support of the military is a proud NFL tradition, including numerous NFL players and coaches traveling overseas with the USO to visit troops. Last summer, Commissioner Goodell, Drew Brees, and Osi Umenyiora went on a USO trip to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen. Since we had not heard about this directly from the military, we contacted our military liaison for the color guard immediately to discuss the issue. After speaking with our military liaison for the color guard, we will host the members of the color guard (12 people) in the stadium. The background is this: The members of the color guard have always been our guests at a Super Bowl party in a compound on the stadium grounds where they watch the game on big-screen TVs and enjoy food and beverage. That is how we have done it every year. The military provides an intra-service color guard as part of our pre-game tribute to the military that also includes the military fly-over of the stadium. Then we arrange a place for the color guard to watch the game along with other pre-game and halftime show participants (more than 2,000 people). We appreciate your commitment to the NFL. Best, Mallory Steinberg NFL Communications and Public Affairs I just received this from the NFL after I voiced my concerns over this……

Thank you for your email.

Our longstanding support of the military is a proud NFL tradition, including numerous NFL players and coaches traveling overseas with the USO to visit troops. Last summer, Commissioner Goodell, Drew Brees, and Osi Umenyiora went on a USO trip to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen.

Since we had not heard about this directly from the military, we contacted our military liaison for the color guard immediately to discuss the issue. After speaking with our military liaison for the color guard, we will host the members of the color guard (12 people) in the stadium.

The background is this:

The members of the color guard have always been our guests at a Super Bowl party in a compound on the stadium grounds where they watch the game on big-screen TVs and enjoy food and beverage. That is how we have done it every year. The military provides an intra-service color guard as part of our pre-game tribute to the military that also includes the military fly-over of the stadium. Then we arrange a place for the color guard to watch the game along with other pre-game and halftime show participants (more than 2,000 people).

We appreciate your commitment to the NFL.

Best,

Mallory Steinberg

NFL Communications and Public Affairs

]]> By: Infidoll http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-372254 Infidoll Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:06:04 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-372254 Cameron, with all due respect - fuck you. You are comparing someone who puts themselves in harm's way for their country to a gas station attendant? Really? I do not serve in the military and even I am willing to acknowledge the sacrifices our military members make for this country, as would many other humble gas station attendants. Some of those gas station attendants you speak of may have already done their service to the country. These men and women are not mere 'workers' and probably wouldn't appreciate your hoity-toity attitude towards all they do. These are people who do what pansy asses like you would consider unthinkable to keep this country safe. They go to places the average American (including myself) would NOT want to be and do the jobs most people couldn't stomach doing because they have to be done. Their jobs are the MOST valuable to this country, the most underpaid, and sometimes the least appreciated. NOBODY in this country is above these men and women - not doctors, lawyers, or any president of this country that never served in the military themselves. Apparently, you don't know very much about Marines, but every Marine is trained to be a rifleman, it doesn't matter if they are a chef, a member of the color guard, or a salty infantryman. Every man is on call in defense of this country. These aren't just pretty boys picked to wave the flag as it's obvious you think they are. Nobody is saying to give these brave men and women the best seats in the house, although they deserve them. What they are saying is to let them see the game. Would you invite someone to your house for an appetizer and kick them out before the main entrée and dessert? What if those people were possibly veterans who watched their friends die to preserve YOUR own freedom? Are you going to say those costs are so little compared to the cost of the potluck dishes your guests brought? Fact is, these guys died for not only YOUR freedom, the freedom of every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the NFL commission, every football player on that field, and every one of those people who paid an arm and a leg for those tickets. Trust me, it's asking the very LEAST that these people be able to stay for the full course meal. Cameron, with all due respect – fuck you. You are comparing someone who puts themselves in harm’s way for their country to a gas station attendant? Really?

I do not serve in the military and even I am willing to acknowledge the sacrifices our military members make for this country, as would many other humble gas station attendants. Some of those gas station attendants you speak of may have already done their service to the country.

These men and women are not mere ‘workers’ and probably wouldn’t appreciate your hoity-toity attitude towards all they do. These are people who do what pansy asses like you would consider unthinkable to keep this country safe. They go to places the average American (including myself) would NOT want to be and do the jobs most people couldn’t stomach doing because they have to be done. Their jobs are the MOST valuable to this country, the most underpaid, and sometimes the least appreciated. NOBODY in this country is above these men and women – not doctors, lawyers, or any president of this country that never served in the military themselves.

Apparently, you don’t know very much about Marines, but every Marine is trained to be a rifleman, it doesn’t matter if they are a chef, a member of the color guard, or a salty infantryman. Every man is on call in defense of this country. These aren’t just pretty boys picked to wave the flag as it’s obvious you think they are.

Nobody is saying to give these brave men and women the best seats in the house, although they deserve them. What they are saying is to let them see the game. Would you invite someone to your house for an appetizer and kick them out before the main entrée and dessert? What if those people were possibly veterans who watched their friends die to preserve YOUR own freedom? Are you going to say those costs are so little compared to the cost of the potluck dishes your guests brought?

Fact is, these guys died for not only YOUR freedom, the freedom of every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the NFL commission, every football player on that field, and every one of those people who paid an arm and a leg for those tickets. Trust me, it’s asking the very LEAST that these people be able to stay for the full course meal.

]]> By: Another Reason I Detest Football | The Pink Flamingo http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371913 Another Reason I Detest Football | The Pink Flamingo Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:07:02 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371913 [...] H/T Pat Dollard [...] [...] H/T Pat Dollard [...]

]]> By: Tom in CO http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371902 Tom in CO Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:38:43 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371902 BOO BOO

]]> By: Present colors-now, get the heck out « http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371892 Present colors-now, get the heck out « Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:21:47 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371892 [...] http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denie... [...] [...] http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denie... [...]

]]> By: Gman http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371857 Gman Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:15:42 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371857 Email is back up. Mr. Commissioner INCOMING!!!! Email is back up.

Mr. Commissioner INCOMING!!!!

]]> By: cameron http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371851 cameron Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:04:44 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371851 I'm not very patriotic and make that know to most who I talk with. It's is not that I am trying to make a statement about the military. It is more that I am trying to express an opinion about equality of all. Not all people are equal, true...yet why do we expect the military to be more honored than any other occupation that exist to serve the greater good of our communities (nation)? Do teachers, counselors, police officers, janitors, or gas station attendants not deserve to be honored any more than the military personnel? I think we have become (some people, not all) to absorbed with the 'fantasy' view of these workers. It is very easy to fantasize and place certain people in places of honor because they bear (or seem to bear) traits that we see as important. We have no clue if these color guard people are in the military for the reasons we fantasize or even if they are the type of person that embodies what we consider 'good' qualities'. Should the NFL be shamed because they require someone to pay for their tickets…I don’t think so. It’s like this…religion and politics… why should the NFL (a sports organization) be required to embody the beliefs of a political (or even for that matter a spiritual) point of view? I also think it is ridiculous that many are saying that the NFL won’t ‘allow them to stay’ and watch the game. It is not as if they are being kicked out. They are being treated just as anyone else would if they did not have tickets. They aren’t ‘allowed’ because they don’t have tickets. No the other issues is this is everyone else who is performing some type of benefit for the over feel of the superbowl allowed to stay? If so then the NFL should follow suit. I’m not very patriotic and make that know to most who I talk with. It’s is not that I am trying to make a statement about the military. It is more that I am trying to express an opinion about equality of all. Not all people are equal, true…yet why do we expect the military to be more honored than any other occupation that exist to serve the greater good of our communities (nation)? Do teachers, counselors, police officers, janitors, or gas station attendants not deserve to be honored any more than the military personnel? I think we have become (some people, not all) to absorbed with the ‘fantasy’ view of these workers. It is very easy to fantasize and place certain people in places of honor because they bear (or seem to bear) traits that we see as important. We have no clue if these color guard people are in the military for the reasons we fantasize or even if they are the type of person that embodies what we consider ‘good’ qualities’. Should the NFL be shamed because they require someone to pay for their tickets…I don’t think so. It’s like this…religion and politics… why should the NFL (a sports organization) be required to embody the beliefs of a political (or even for that matter a spiritual) point of view? I also think it is ridiculous that many are saying that the NFL won’t ‘allow them to stay’ and watch the game. It is not as if they are being kicked out. They are being treated just as anyone else would if they did not have tickets. They aren’t ‘allowed’ because they don’t have tickets. No the other issues is this is everyone else who is performing some type of benefit for the over feel of the superbowl allowed to stay? If so then the NFL should follow suit.

]]> By: Jerry http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371833 Jerry Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:15:46 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371833 Send your concerns to the following: Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net Hold the commissioner accountable. Send your concerns to the following:

Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net

Hold the commissioner accountable.

]]> By: John Knight http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371826 John Knight Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:58:12 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371826 As a follow up to the comment abouve, the phone # is available on whitepages.com. Don't want to be accused of accessing anything in an unethical manner. As a follow up to the comment abouve, the phone # is available on whitepages.com. Don’t want to be accused of accessing anything in an unethical manner.

]]> By: John Knight http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371825 John Knight Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:56:40 +0000 http://patdollard.com/2009/01/first-time-ever-marine-color-guard-forced-to-work-super-bowl-but-denied-seats/#comment-371825 I just called the NFL at 212-450-2000 and spoke to a "Jared". He stated that protocol is for anyone not working "during the game" to do thier thing and then be escorted out. I asked if this will include Bruce Springsteen and he said that he did not know what that arrangment was. I just called the NFL at 212-450-2000 and spoke to a “Jared”. He stated that protocol is for anyone not working “during the game” to do thier thing and then be escorted out. I asked if this will include Bruce Springsteen and he said that he did not know what that arrangment was.

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