Team USA hockey coach John Tortorella is not on the side of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick when it comes to his stance on "The Star-Spangled Banner."
"If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game," Tortorella told ESPN's Linda Cohn on Tuesday.
Tortorella, who coaches the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, is speaking from a unique place. His son is a member of the Army Rangers, and he recently spoke about the pride he takes in representing the United States as a coach in the World Cup of Hockey.
"I know these are hockey games…but I do look at it like it's for my country," Tortorella said, per Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. "What [his son] Nick is doing by far dwarfs what we do. We're entertainers; we're playing a sport.
"But with my son over there—this might sound selfish—I want to team up with him and help my country. I get pretty caught up in representing my country. There's nothing like it."
Tortorella did not speak specifically on Kaepernick, who sat or kneeled during the national anthem during ...
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Article written by Tyler Conway
John Tortorella Says He Would Bench American Players Who Protest National Anthem
September 7th, 2016 by Tyler Conway Leave a reply »
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