Whether you’re a fan or not, if you think it was silly to name all of his sons George, or if you never got that grill to work: you can’t deny that George Foreman, the boxing legend is a Patriot through and through. On Independence Day 2021, when the common refrain from the leftist media was to denigrate and deride America, our founding fathers, and our flag or worse: to be silent while others did so Foreman unashamedly announced to Twitter (the most toxic possible outlet) his deep love for his nation.
Foreman’s message was defiant:
“For about 54 years, people have ask me not to keep saying “I love America” Well I do and I’m not ashamed. Don’t leave it; Love it. Happy 4th of July.”
For about 54 years, people have ask me not to keep saying “I love America” Well I do and I’m not ashamed. Don’t leave it; Love it.Happy 4th of July. pic.twitter.com/EqWmbWjgbz
— George Foreman (@GeorgeForeman) July 4, 2021
A History Of Being Told Not To Praise America
And Telling People To Shove It
George Foreman has been a patriot for decades and he has no intention of stopping now. During the height of racial tensions in 1968 Foreman fought in the Olympics for his country against Soviet boxer Jonas Cepulis to become the Olympic Heavyweight Champion. Following his victory, he took up an American flag and waved it as he paraded the ring. It was this iconic image of American victory that he chose to accompany his defiant tweet.
Apparently, this particular move didn’t endear the boxing champ to many on the left and in the black community at the time. According to Breitbart “after getting home from the games, Foreman has said that some people were unhappy that he didn’t emulate Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two other athletes who became infamous that year for raising a radical black power fist during their medal ceremony.”
Foreman told The Undefeated this was the criticism that stoked his anger most and transmuted his stoic patriotism into fierce defiance.
“From then on, anyone who came up to me and might say the same thing, they were only seconds away from getting [the glare], man. I carried a chip on my shoulder. It turned into anger. I changed. My face changed into a sword. It was fierce, I wasn’t playin’,” he said.
He told the BBC in 2012
“I had a lot of flak, In those days, nobody was applauded for being patriotic. The whole world was protesting something. But if I had to do it all again, I’d have waved two flags.”
Take It From a Boxing Legend: Protests Have Their Place
Regarding the protests like that of Gwen Berry turning her back on our national anthem or Megan Rapinoe and the U.S. Soccer team kneeling, Foreman had few wonderfully nuanced takes.
In an interview in 2018, Foreman in keeping with the most basic concepts of Constitutional rights maintained that there is a place for protests, “but, understandably, I am in love with the national anthem, and wavin’ that flag. I love that stuff,” per Breitbart.
“A lot of people died so that they can have that privilege” to take a knee during the National Anthem, he told The Daily Wire.
“The greatest day of my life was when I put on my colors, representing the United States in the Olympics,” said Foreman, The Daily Wire reported. “I love the United States. I love the flag. But there are a lot of people who haven’t found that reason. They don’t strive. They haven’t been brought up with people who were patriotic to even point them in the right direction.”
