I recently went to my first live rodeo.

All the young cowboys and girls were looking so smart in their hats, jeans and boots.

The opening ceremony was very moving. About 20 mounted horses were choreographed to show off the red, white and blue as they went around the arena.

They lined up with our flag in the front as they recognized our armed services, police and firemen. They recognized vets  and had them stand, to much applause.

The entire audience stood with their hats in their hands as we all sang the Star-Spangled Banner. There were no demonstrations, no kneeling and no fist pumping.

These cowboys love their country. I am sure some of them may have political differences, but they recognize these issues are totally separate from their love of our country, as represented by our flag.

They get it.

The next day, I was watching one of the FIFA World Cup soccer matches, as Uruguay was playing Portugal in a seaside city in Russia. I was especially interested in the opening ceremonies.

Gigantic flags of Portugal and Uruguay took up both ends of the playing field, and the officials and captains of both sides met in the middle for the coin toss. An orchestra played the national anthems of both countries, and all the players stood reverently and sang vigorously.

Nobody took a knee, nobody hid in the locker room, nobody used the occasion to voice some issue they might have had with their country or its politics. All of these players seemed to understand that there is a time and place you bring up issues — and this was not the time nor the place.

They may be young, but they get it.

I am pretty sure NASCAR, professional golf and other sports think the same way.

I feel sorry for the National Football League and the National Basketball Association for two reasons: they don’t get it and they will be without me, yet they probably do not care.

Jim Strausbaugh,

Tryon