Instant Replay-The Unedited Edition

Coach Lombardi was always a big patriot. As all of us on the Packers were. Many of us were vets and some of us were in the reserves. So we all stood at attention and held our hands over our hearts when they played the Anthem. Except for some of the Negros

They seemed to have a different view. There weren't that many of them on the team and the ones we had all stuck together. Not the way Paul Hornung got stuck to some of the rookies in the shower. More that they always hung out together. Now there weren't many Negros in Green Bay at the time. So they kind of stood out and were under a microscope.

They were always grumbling and complaining under their breath. They never said anything to Coach. Because he would cut them the next day. So they just kept their ideas to themselves. All of the black power and protest stuff was not something that was allowed in the locker room. Coach said to keep all of the politics out off the field.

Which made it all the more surprising when Lionel Aldridge decided to kneel during the National Anthem. That shocked everyone. It was during an exhibition game and the Coach wasn't even aware of what happened. When he found out he called Lionel into his office and read him the riot act. You see Coach Lombardi had coached at West Point. He was a super patriot. He wouldn't stand for it. We all expected that Lionel would be traded to Detroit or something.

But a funny thing happened. Nothing. Lionel apologized to the team and it never happened again. I had to ask the Coach what happened.

"Coach I don't understand. Why didn't you fine Lionel for disrespecting the flag?" "Fine him I was going to cut him. But once I talked to him I realized it wasn't right. You know he is crazy." "What?" "Yeah he is crazy as a loon. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in the nut house someday. You know how I knew that he really is a crazy person?" "No coach how did you know?" "He married a white girl." "Gotcha."
(Instant Replay- The Unedited Edition, Jerry Kramer & Dick Schaap Random House 1968)