Think of all the athletes who refused to stand for the National Anthem. They were lionized by the media, praised, and celebrated.

The Toronto Blue Jays cut pitcher Anthony Bass on Friday, one day after the right-handed reliever said he didn’t think an anti-LGBTQ+ social media post he shared last month was hateful.

The message is clear.

You can refuse to stand for this flag:

But you better bow before this one: