Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle.
—
Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 07, 2013Despite spraining his right knee a month ago, injured Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was determined to play in yesterday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. He wound up badly twisting his injured knee and was pulled out of the game. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is facing criticism for playing Griffin in the first place, but today, Griffin defended Shanahan’s decision with a military metaphor, likening a football game to a battle.
Some of Griffin’s fans thought it was a suitable analogy:
Good lord people, @RGIII was obviously using battle as a metaphor. Try being less annoying.—
Ben White (@morningmoneyben) January 07, 2013
stop criticizing RGIII for using a war analogy, jeez people, too effing sensitive. Leave that man be, clearly he wasnt trivializing "war"—
Duke Blogger (@Dukeblogger) January 07, 2013
But for most followers, it didn’t seem to go over terribly well. Griffin is now facing plenty of criticism of his own:
Love you man, but you weren't in battle. MT @RGIII Many may question, criticize… But few have been in the line of fire in battle.—
Jon Gabriel (@ExJon) January 07, 2013
@ExJon Thank you. I am so sick of people and sports players comparing a game to war. Or calling them heroes for a game @melissabhays @RGIII—
Kent (2 of 5) (@kent_vig) January 07, 2013
Sorry, @RGIII, you haven't "been in the line of fire in battle." You play football. #fb—
Sandy (@npssandy) January 07, 2013
U wasn't in war RT@RGIII Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been n the line of fire n battle—
Jus' Coolin (@LETTmeTOUCHit) January 07, 2013
@RGIII really? What about us that have, should we just say nothing—
Warren Sapp (@WarrenSapp) January 07, 2013
@WarrenSapp @RGIII maybe you should rethink lines if fire in battle…. real battle is nothing like playing a sport. #TroopsAreInRealBattle.—
Derek Sanchez (@Cheezybreezy32) January 07, 2013
Stfu RT @RGIII: Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle.—
Khal Drogo (@ProfessorXzaver) January 07, 2013
@RGIII You play a GAME. Don't you dare compare what you do to what our #armedforces do.—
KING (@king_by_nature) January 07, 2013
@WarrenSapp @RGIII a real battlefield and true line of fire, Football is not! It after all truly is a game, not life and death.—
KCMadron (@kcmadron) January 07, 2013
@RGIII Line of fire in battle? Were u in Iraq or Afghanistan? I didn't see u there.—
Johnathon Knapton (@jsknapton) January 07, 2013
@RGIII wow, i didnt know you served in the armed forces. Whats that? oh, you play football for a living. #whatajoke #disrespectful—
(@PatrickSBrown) January 07, 2013
@RGIII hell of n athlete,but stop with the battle n line of fire talk.U were playin a game.Let soldiers speak about battle.Speedy recovery.—
Tony (@tramos16) January 07, 2013
@RGIII must've missed that line on your resume that said you were a war veteran—
Matt Savino (@Savino36) January 07, 2013
@RGIII you're talking about a game of football.—
IV (@KingPhilip4) January 07, 2013
@RGIII @nino_bottoms I hope he's referring to our brave men and women overseas cuz he hasn't been "in the line of fire" either #itsagame—
KING (@king_by_nature) January 07, 2013
@RGIII it's a game. You've never been in the line of fire or a battle in your life. #GrowUp—
IU Adam (@HoosierSince85) January 07, 2013
@RGIII you have not been in the line of fire in battle either. You play a game. Get real.—
Phil Keebler (@PhilKeebler) January 07, 2013
Athletes and war analogies are both ridiculous and stupid #youdidntgotobattle MT @RGIII: few have been in the line of fire in battle.—
Josh Mackey (@Doc_Mackey) January 07, 2013
@rgiii Battle? WTH? You are a football player, not a soldier or Marine. You play a game – don't conflate with a real war where people die.—
Leila Gardner (@leila_gardner) January 07, 2013
Evidently, Griffin wasn’t too keen on the backlash. He’s blocked at least one Twitterer:
Holy crap. Seriously? Robert Griffin III blocked me on twitter? What? http://t.co/QjawPjeD—
Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) January 07, 2013
Best I can tell, @RGIII has blocked me ( twitpic.com/btb7iw) for tweeting this: twitter.com/LoganDobson/st…—
Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) January 07, 2013
Not very sportsmanlike, is it?