A few years ago, it became common to see football players taking a knee during the national anthem — a silent act of protest that spread from professional teams to local high schools. In 2017, four players at Monroe High School in New Jersey followed that example, kneeling before kickoff in a gesture meant to express their beliefs.
But not everyone agreed with their decision. One of the referees that day, Ernie Lunardelli, had already warned officials before the game: if players took a knee, he would walk off the field. For him, the anthem was a sacred moment of unity and respect. “I’m not in favor of anyone disrespecting our country, our flag, or the armed forces,” he said. “What they’re protesting has nothing to do with the national anthem, so I decided to protest them kneeling — and that’s what I did.”
More Stories
Teen Girl Reveals Her Bucket List Ahead of Total Vision Loss – See What She Wants to Do
Bob Weir, the heartbeat of the Grateful Dead, dies at 78
The Final Instructions Renee Nicole Good Left for Her Children — Revealed After Her Death and Now Haunting Everyone Who Reads Them The grief didn’t come all at once — it unfolded word by word. After Renee Nicole Good went out and was tragically shot, her family revealed something they had kept private until now: the final instructions she had given her children. They weren’t dramatic. They weren’t long. But they were devastating in their clarity. According to relatives, Renee had spoken calmly, almost protectively, telling her children exactly how she wanted them to live if anything ever happened to her — how to take care of one another, who to listen to, and what not to carry with them. One line, shared by the family, immediately spread across social media, stopping people mid-scroll and leaving thousands in tears. It wasn’t fear she passed on — it was strength, guidance, and love delivered before tragedy ever struck. As the words circulated online, strangers began sharing them as if they were their own, turning a private mother’s final message into a collective moment of mourning that now refuses to fade quietly….