Everyday working-class hero and host of the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs Mike Rowe has a message for Nike and Colin Kaepernick – there are plenty of other heroes out there worthy of our praise.
Rowe took a shot at the company’s ad campaign trying to portray the former NFL quarterback as some kind of hero, propping him up as a man who has ‘sacrificed everything.’
In a blog post on Monday, Rowe was sure to explain that the sneaker giant has a right “to celebrate whomever they wish,” while Kaepernick “is entitled to his opinion – kneeling, standing, or lying down.”
But – and it’s a big ‘but’ – there are real heroes out there who truly have sacrificed everything.
Rowe cites one man in particular who made the ultimate sacrifice 17 years ago, on the day of a tragic terrorist attack that killed thousands of Americans.
“If I was going to put someone’s face on a billboard – someone who epitomized bravery and sacrifice – I might have gone another way, especially this time of year,” Rowe explained. “I might have gone with this guy – Tom Burnett.”
“You’ve been quiet about the Kaepernick”. Sam W. Hi Sam @Nike ‘s free to celebrate whomever they wish but if I was going w/ someone who epitomized bravery & sacrifice I might have gone another way, especially this time of year – Tom Burnett. https://t.co/eWK8Rttm4Z #neverforget pic.twitter.com/t1LUccIslM
— The Real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) September 10, 2018
It would have been a perfect choice for a company whose slogan is ‘Just Do It.’
Tom Burnett, you see, along with several other passengers, tried to regain control of United Airlines Flight 93 from the 9/11 hijackers 17 years ago. Their attempts helped thwart what was surely a suicide mission headed for the White House or the Capitol Building. The terrorists efforts to stop the passengers from overtaking their mission led them to crash the plane in a Pennsylvania field. Countless lives had been saved, though all on board were lost.
Burnett’s last words on a phone call to his wife were – “We’re going to do something.”
Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.
Below is the transcript of Tom Burnett’s last call home to his wife Deena. #NeverForget
6:27 a.m.( pacific time) First cell phone call from Tom to Deena
Deena: Hello… https://t.co/1RUXmw887w
— PalmettoStateArmory (@PalmettoArmory) September 11, 2018
It’s a rather obvious transition from an ad campaign standpoint – ‘We’re going to do something … Just do it.’
Talk about dropping the ball. Burnett and his fellow passengers stared into the face of fear and did something that day. Kaepernick has done nothing even remotely similar with his so-called sacrifice.
“Tom’s last act on earth was one of the most courageous things imaginable,” Rowe wrote. “And his last words to his wife, Deena, are among the most inspiring I’ve ever heard.”
What did Kaepernick ever do that was anything near as inspiring? Rather than doing something, he took a knee to ‘protest’ police brutality. Can you imagine if Burnett and the passengers aboard Flight 93 took a knee?
Remember that, especially on 9/11 when true heroes are honored.
