OC Register: Angels reliever Keynan Middleton takes a knee during Anthem

[AngelsWin.com 2,260]

Keynan Middleton, who has been vocal on Twitter and Instagram about social issues, took a knee during the National Anthem before the Angels game on Monday night in San Diego.

Middleton took a knee and raised his fist, following in the model of other athletes who have made such symbolic statements against systemic racism.

Middleton indicated through a team spokesman that he would release a statement via his social media.

Before the game today, @since93key took a knee during the playing of the National Anthem @Angels pic.twitter.com/RjzFt3wpsR

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) July 21, 2020

Manager Joe Maddon said after the game that Middleton informed the team of his plans in a previous meeting on the subject of social injustice. Maddon added that the team was “totally supportive.” Maddon said he does not know if Middleton plans to continue kneeling during the Anthem.

“The thing I have encouraged all these guys to do is to create their own truth,” Maddon said. “What’s in your heart? How you can change things? That’s a wonderful young man and he’s among a lot of wonderful young people that are going to demonstrate in that way, but there was no disrespect whatsoever to the flag.”

Maddon added: “I’m very proud that he stood up for his beliefs. It’s not easy to do that. A young man like that. He’s the only one out here doing that.”

Earlier in the night, several members of the San Francisco Giants, including Manager Gabe Kapler, took a knee during the Anthem before their game in Oakland.

Members of the @SFGiants kneel during the National Anthem. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/QbvAvCZiEs

— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2020

Maddon said he finds that form of statement to be powerful.

“It’s very useful form of protest,” Maddon said. “You should be open to it. You try to really understand what’s behind it. It’s so easy to misinterpret. Just like misinterpreting that those of us standing don’t support Black Lives Matter. That would be an absolute misinterpretation. At the end of the day, take a deep breath. Listen, listening skills are really important right now.”

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[cals 14,196]

Ha ha.  So brave.

[Angelsjunky 10,447]

I like Joe Maddon.

[tchula 78]

I appreciate all you do Jeff, but yesterday you made more tweets about the kneeling than about the game itself.  I completely support Middleton's right to kneel, but many of us go to sports to get away from the struggles of society.  It's our escapism from the hardships of real life.  I know some of it will overlap to some degree, and maybe that's appropriate, but I sure hope that this doesn't become the new norm or our Angels coverage isn't dominated by social commentary.  I know I may get criticized for this point of view, but I believe many folks feel the same way.  

[Glen 9,381]

1 hour ago, tchula said:

I appreciate all you do Jeff, but yesterday you made more tweets about the kneeling than about the game itself.  I completely support Middleton's right to kneel, but many of us go to sports to get away from the struggles of society.  It's our escapism from the hardships of real life.  I know some of it will overlap to some degree, and maybe that's appropriate, but I sure hope that this doesn't become the new norm or our Angels coverage isn't dominated by social commentary.  I know I may get criticized for this point of view, but I believe many folks feel the same way.  

Find a safe place, snowflake.

Just checked Fletch's twitter feed.  Looks like it was 6-4 for tweets about the game and tweets about kneeling.  I guess we see what we want to see.  Hope you recovered after last night.  

[halonatic13 216]

3 minutes ago, Glen said:

Find a safe place, snowflake.

Just checked Fletch's twitter feed.  Looks like it was 6-4 for tweets about the game and tweets about kneeling.  I guess we see what we want to see.  Hope you recovered after last night.  

Snowflake my ass.  I completely agree with tchula on this.  I felt the same way.  We understand people took a knee, now get on with the game.  

[Glen 9,381]

2 minutes ago, halonatic13 said:

Snowflake my ass.  I completely agree with tchula on this.  I felt the same way.  We understand people took a knee, now get on with the game.  

I completely disagree with you and tchula.  I hope they kneel before the anthem and the seventh inning stretch, and after the game.  I hope they kneel during pitching changes.  I hope they kneel every time the ball boy has to bring the home plate ump more balls, and I hope Fletch tweets about it every time.

[tchula 78]

Thanks halonatic ... to each his own I guess.  Not to get into a tit for tat, but between posts about Middleton kneeling, Giant player kneeling, and retweets most of yesterday's commentary was more about kneeling than the game.  I mean, after all, it is only the first real game (albeit an exhibition) since the pandemic. I guess that's not a big deal.  And professional players have been kneeling during the anthem for the past two years, so it's not like it's new.  Granted, I acknowledge the BLM protest have brought new life to the debate (and I agree with the majority of BLM's political objectives ... hell, I even have a PhD in political science and one of my areas of study was race relations in the US), but I guess I seek sports out to watch and read about sports.  If that makes me a snowflake so be it.  

[Stradling 27,598]

Well if by snowflake Glen meant you were triggered (I hate that word) to make exaggerations about what you saw, then yea, you are a snowflake.  You obviously feel strongly against the kneeling or it wouldn’t have set you off enough to feel like he sent more tweets about kneeling than the other parts of the game.  I read the same tweets and I thought it was a lot, but then when I looked at it only a couple were by Fletcher and the other people I follow tweeted the same thing.  I agree with you that baseball is an escape, but the kneeling doesn’t trigger me, because I am capable of separating the two.  

[halonatic13 216]

25 minutes ago, tchula said:

Thanks halonatic ... to each his own I guess.  Not to get into a tit for tat, but between posts about Middleton kneeling, Giant player kneeling, and retweets most of yesterday's commentary was more about kneeling than the game.  I mean, after all, it is only the first real game (albeit an exhibition) since the pandemic. I guess that's not a big deal.  And professional players have been kneeling during the anthem for the past two years, so it's not like it's new.  Granted, I acknowledge the BLM protest have brought new life to the debate (and I agree with the majority of BLM's political objectives ... hell, I even have a PhD in political science and one of my areas of study was race relations in the US), but I guess I seek sports out to watch and read about sports.  If that makes me a snowflake so be it.  

I watch for the same exact reasons.  To allow my brain to get away from what from what every other channel is showing.  I love how the terms "Snowflakes, Karen's, etc." all go to describe someone on the right & someone on the left.  Hilarious.

[RendZone 2,790]

We obviously need more black umpires. 

[ScottT 2,609]

I completely understand wanting an escape. From the virus talk, politics, etc.

I watched the game last night. They showed this moment briefly. Commented on it briefly. If you left the room, you could have missed it.

Twitter is a whole different animal.  Things get beaten to death on there in no time.  I'm not sure why beat writers do play by play, but of course they were going to mention it.  It's a story.

For some reason, it pisses people off. What's the big deal, though? Kenyan Middleton feels like he needs to do this.  He's not hurting anyone  He is not disrespecting anyone or any piece of fabric. . It should not marr anyone's enjoyment of the game.  Get over it.

[yk9001 7,471]

Baseball as a whole is like a maga convention, or the angelswin political forum.

Good for Middleton.

Good that it makes people uncomfortable.

[Junkballer 685]

He also took a figurative knee on the mound.  I applaud the consistency.

[Angel Oracle 13,476]

Being still for the playing of the anthem is the most important thing to me.   Taking a knee and raising a fist is being done while staying still. 

The one instance where someone truly shamed the anthem was when Wayne Collett and Vince Matthews (400 meters?) at the 1972 Olympics on the podium acted flippant in stroking their beards, jiggling their medals, and talking.   

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Angel Oracle

[Orange Lives Matter 101]

1 hour ago, Glen said:

Find a safe place, snowflake.

Just checked Fletch's twitter feed.  Looks like it was 6-4 for tweets about the game and tweets about kneeling.  I guess we see what we want to see.  Hope you recovered after last night.  

Name calling and an angry rant against a thought with no reasonable conversational element to your argument or feelings is not a good look Glenny Glen.  As usual much respect to ScottT for his well thought out and RESPECTFUL opinion on everything.  Scotty you're a true role model for us all.

[Chuckster70 21,393]

Just when baseball had a chance to unite people struggling through a pandemic & civil unrest this shit happened.

I won't go into it much, most of you know my politics & where I stand, but I disagree with anyone who kneels during the anthem and I wholeheartedly am opposed to BLM the organization.

All Lives Matter. Period! Including the Black Police & Black Men & Children who were gunned down by Black thugs in the streets. Until BLM stands against crimes against their own and against creating more racial divide and hate toward law enforcement, they're nothing but angry political activists more defined as a Marxist hate group who have explicit stated goals of dismantling America as we know it and replacing it with a socialist doctrine. BLM wasn't even for Black senator Tim Scott's police reform bill. These cities are run by Democratic mayors & state Governors! The same politicians who are silent about the high crime rates in their streets and do nothing, yet they want to defund law enforcement.

I digress..

I'm with you @tchula.

Keep this stuff out of sports. There's enough protests in the streets and on local and national news networks. We don't need this in the game! 

[Orange Lives Matter 101]

1 hour ago, Glen said:

I completely disagree with you and tchula.  I hope they kneel before the anthem and the seventh inning stretch, and after the game.  I hope they kneel during pitching changes.  I hope they kneel every time the ball boy has to bring the home plate ump more balls, and I hope Fletch tweets about it every time.

To me, my opinion I see this as nothing more than a child like tantrum.  Believe it or not I believe in a lot of what you believe in but I feel like you've missed the mark like Jeff Mathis throwing to first base with the runners stealing second.  There's nothing of substance in this post, once again ScottT much respect for your well thought out post.

[Stradling 27,598]

26 minutes ago, yk9001 said:

Baseball as a whole is like a maga convention, or the angelswin political forum.

Good for Middleton.

Good that it makes people uncomfortable.

I was wondering where you would stand on this one.  You hate a lot of things like stand up to cancer or Jackie Robinson Day or Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or 4th of July Hats.  I wasn’t sure you would be ok with this.  Oh and I 100% agree with you on this one.

[Orange Lives Matter 101]

33 minutes ago, ScottT said:

I completely understand wanting an escape. From the virus talk, politics, etc.

I watched the game last night. They showed this moment briefly. Commented on it briefly. If you left the room, you could have missed it.

Twitter is a whole different animal.  Things get beaten to death on there in no time.  I'm not sure why beat writers do play by play, but of course they were going to mention it.  It's a story.

For some reason, it pisses people off. What's the big deal, though? Kenyan Middleton feels like he needs to do this.  He's not hurting anyone  He is not disrespecting anyone or any piece of fabric. . It should not marr anyone's enjoyment of the game.  Get over it.

Couldn't have been said better.  Substance and thought.  Respectful and Mindful.  ScottT should be everyone's man crush

[Orange Lives Matter 101]

9 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Just when baseball had a chance to unite people struggling through a pandemic & civil unrest this shit happened.

I won't go into it much, most of you know my politics & where I stand, but I disagree with anyone who kneels during the anthem and I wholeheartedly am opposed to BLM the organization.

All Lives Matter. Period! Including the Black Police and Black Children who were gunned down by Black thugs in the streets. These cities are run by Democratic mayors & state Governors! The same politicians who are silent about the crime in their streets and do nothing, yet want to defund law enforcement.

I'm with you @tchula.

There's nothing of substance to these kneeling theatrics.  Kneeling is not ending black on black crimes or black on black killings.  Kneeling won't cure the broken family and fatherless family structure of the black community.  Kneeling won't fix poverty.  Kneeling won't fix the lack of TRUE education with regards to reading, writing and math skills.  Kneeling won't end racism or unit us all. 

 

Yes there are problems and yes something needs to be done but accountability is a two way street and our black brothers and sisters need to do their part as well and keep their community in check with accountability and peaceful actions because the way they're going about it now with their RICH white liberal friends is doing more damage than good for their cause no matter what the media says

[AngelsFaninGA 1,411]

Really high effort alt account in this thread. Almost rivals my level of high quality content. 

[bloodbrother 9,448]

 

[Stradling 27,598]

There is nothing lazier than saying we can’t worry about social injustice because black people kill each other.  It’s beyond dumb and basically an excuse to look the other way. 

[Orange Lives Matter 101]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

And chuck thanks his post.  We live in interesting times. 

So nobody is allowed to have differing opinions now a days?  Are my thoughts that lethal?