Michael Strahan is speaking out after days of backlash.
Earlier this week, we reported on the bizarre Michael Strahan “controversy” surrounding his participation in a Veterans Day tribute for Fox Sports.
The vitriol that the TV news anchor and retired athlete received was a little difficult to understand.
Unfortunately, Michael had to address this incident directly (if one can even call it that). He is handling it with much more finesse and grace than his opponents deserve.
What did Michael Strahan really do?
On Sunday, November 10, Michael Strahan was one of the participants on the Fox Sports special.
At Naval Base San Diego, the special segment included listening the star Spangled BannerAmerica’s national anthem.
While Michael Strahan and his co-workers stood respectfully for the song, Michael Strahan had his hands on his waist instead of posing with one hand over his heart.
We end our show with the national anthem at Naval Base San Diego ???????? pic.twitter.com/lDb2g6oF0f
– Fox Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) 10 November 2024
The video circulated on Twitter and beyond. Whether outrage-bait invited by grifters or for mysterious reasons of their own, several troll comments emerged in the replies.
Commentators condemned Strahan and accused him of insulting both the military and America. Some also called for Strahan to be fired for his “disgraceful” and “disrespectful” actions.
Perhaps people were just looking for reasons to freak out, and stopped at Strahan. As recent events have made clear, it seems the world has gone mad over the past decade. Part of it looks like this outrage culture Where people are living their lives – or standing solemnly during a song – are perceived as personal attacks.
What does Michael Strahan have to say about all this?
With extraordinary patience that many in his position might not have been able to muster, Michael took to Instagram late Tuesday night to address fans and critics alike.
Strahan explained that the coverage had “expanded” to such an extent that he wanted to discuss it.
As far as respectfully raising his hands, he was not performing a patriotic ritual, he was not performing any kind of protest. Michael reported that he felt he was “caught up in the moment” and did not initially realize that his hand was out of place.
“I have nothing to protest, I have no statement to make,” Michael insisted during the video.
“The only statement I want to make is that I love the army. “I have always loved the military and I will always love the military,” he said in a Veterans Day Instagram post earlier in the week.
“I do a lot of events to help veterans and servicemembers,” Strahan said. “I grew up on a military base with my father, who was a major in the army. My brother, my sister, my cousins, they all served in the military – I’m a military brat.
‘I am somewhat nervous’
“And so the fact of someone saying, you know, I’m a traitor, couldn’t be further from the truth,” he confirmed. As it turned out, he was caught in the moment as the national anthem began.
Michael Strahan explained his thinking in that moment: “I get kind of nervous and think, ‘Am I that stupid to put my hand on my heart afterward or do I stand respectfully with my hands in front of me? ‘”
He then admitted: “Joe, that’s what I did, that’s what happened.” In other words, he has a very concerning level of anxiety and overthinking.