Villanova anthem protest is a foul

Growing up, I watched Villanova at the storied Palestra.

I rooted for them in Madison Square Garden at Big East Tournaments.

And I was in Lexington for the most incredible NCAA championship in history, when the Wildcats crashed the coronation of the “unbeatable” Georgetown Hoyas.

Under Hall of Fame Coach Jay Wright, the program has been stellar, winning two more championships. That’s rarefied territory, given that only six teams have more trophies.

But as the saying goes, all good things come to an end.

That sentiment has nothing to do with the Wildcats’ play on the court — they just earned a Number 2 seed in this year’s tourney. Sadly, it’s something more. Something that for this author, and I suspect many others, has created a void where there was passion. Something that has deflated the sails in cheering for the Hometown Heroes. Something that cuts deep and divides.

That “something” is when a number of Villanova players have walked off the court during the National Anthem.

When March Madness comes our way each spring, miraculous things occur. On game days, little work gets done. And that’s OK, even with most bosses. If there is ever something to which we can legitimately feel “entitled,” it’s taking time to watch the tournament together. And that’s the most important thing: unity.

For a few weeks, Americans become blind to their prejudices. Political partisanship and the management-labor caste go out the window. And the only colors we care about are those worn by our favorite teams. No longer do we see ourselves, and each other, as black and white, male and female, gay and straight, liberal and conservative.

Instead, we become friends, neighbors and countrymen, all side-by-side, cheering together. In lunchrooms, bars, cubicles, and crowded around cellphones, we huddle. Screaming. Smiling. And sometimes even crying. We come together to cheer for the teams — some of whom we’ve never heard of, hailing from places we don’t know — watching as a No. 14 seed comes agonizingly close to felling a giant.

The themes of March Madness — unity, team, togetherness — have been defined by Villanova basketball more than damn near any other program. Coach Wright’s hallmark has always been unselfishness, an “all-for-one, one-for-all” mentality where focus is always on the team — not self-centered players with a penchant for hotdogging and padding their own stats.

Making Coach Wright’s philosophy all the more impressive is that he wins while employing it. Put another way, in a society where so many frontline players value the TV highlight reel infinitely more than team success — since the former can lead to greater financial reward — Jay has consistently attracted top talent and meshed it into a single, cohesive unit that is always competing for the ultimate prize.

And that’s what makes leaving the court during the Anthem so…sad. It is hard for many fans (and maybe players, even if they don’t voice it) to still see Nova in the same light as a true family.

The bigger issue — and this is a lament more than anything — is that walking out on the Anthem is totally counterproductive. Not only does it create a level of division where one needn’t be — within a team, in the stands, and throughout society as a whole — but it alienates a huge segment of the population.

The civil rights movement was not, and could not, have been won by black Americans alone. It took an entire nation, comprised of people of all colors, faiths and ethnicities, to force change. That principle remains the same. If protestors truly want their issues addressed, they need to understand that the overwhelming majority of Americans A) have unwavering support for the flag and Anthem, and B) view protests of such things with scorn. Failing to heed that lesson is not the way to win hearts and minds.

For my part, I agree with many of the issues in question, and have a long track record trying to solve them, from opposing stop-and-frisk and reforming the justice system and certain police practices, to improving education in inner cities and creating a colorblind playing field. Anthem protest or not, this column will never stop working on those problems, but the same cannot be said of many who wash their hands simply because they feel disrespected. That fundamental truth needs to be understood, or change will come much more slowly.

While still wishing Nova success, hopefully next season we will see Villanova in the colors that project true unity: blue and white.

Go ’Cats!