Flags of Our Fathers?

[Flattop]

Read about his at UF.N. A video at BYUCougars.com has footage of a photo shoot on the salt flats with BYU football players. At the end of the video you see an attempt to recreate the famous photo of the flag raising on top of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

Uh, really? Someone thought that would be a great idea?

Here's a link to the Cougar TV Video Library page, look for the video titled "Photo Shoot: Location--Salt Flats":

http://www.byucougars.com/videos.jsp?S=ALL

[byu71]

My first thought is why is this a problem. It honors the event. Second thought, trivializes the event comparing men in war with a football game.

I would be interested in napper's opinion or anyone else who was in the military. Is it trivialization or a form of honoring.

[Flattop]

IIRC, a few years ago there was a pro football player -- whose name escapes me at the moment -- who was mad about something that happened during a game and went on and on about how he was a warrior. Meanwhile, real warriors were fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. The player's comments did not go over very well.

[DU Ute]

I think it's in poor taste. That depiction is almost sacred, probably the defining image of the War. Three of the men in the picture died in battle on the island, I'm sure the BYU football team made it back to Provo in the comfort of their chartered bus without incident.

I'd say the same thing if it were the Utes, and I'd probably be more upset about it.

[Flattop]

IIRC, a few years ago there was a pro football player -- whose name escapes me at the moment

Kellen Winslow!

[Hot Lunch]

IIRC, a few years ago there was a pro football player -- whose name escapes me at the moment -- who was mad about something that happened during a game and went on and on about how he was a warrior. Meanwhile, real warriors were fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. The player's comments did not go over very well.

Are you referring to Kellen Winslow when he was playing for the Canes and claimed to be a "Mother F*&%ing Soldier"?

[byu71]

I think it's in poor taste. That depiction is almost sacred, probably the defining image of the War. Three of the men in the picture died in battle on the island, I'm sure the BYU football team made it back to Provo in the comfort of their chartered bus without incident.

I'd say the same thing if it were the Utes, and I'd probably be more upset about it.

Come on, you don't think they thought they were comparing themselves to the soldiers who fought and some gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Comment might be, hey you guys didn't really think this through. Perhaps an apology might be in order. Again though, I haven't been a soldier, so I am more concerned about what they might think than my opinion.

[DU Ute]

Come on, you don't think they thought they were comparing themselves to the soldiers who fought and some gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Comment might be, hey you guys didn't really think this through. Perhaps an apology might be in order. Again though, I haven't been a soldier, so I am more concerned about what they might think than my opinion.

I'm not saying I'm offended by all this, just that it is certainly in poor taste. It is definitely an attempt to recreate the scene and like I said, I think the image is sacred and not to be used lightly. I agree with your 2nd paragraph, that's what I was getting at.

[Flattop]

Are you referring to Kellen Winslow when he was playing for the Canes and claimed to be a "Mother F*&%ing Soldier"?

Yes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82BPA5QAaQ

[byu71]

I'm not saying I'm offended by all this, just that it is certainly in poor taste. It is definitely an attempt to recreate the scene and like I said, I think the image is sacred and not to be used lightly. I agree with your 2nd paragraph, that's what I was getting at.

I would agree, not well thought out.

[Coach McGuirk]

Personally, I think they could have filmed them having a cup of tea and some people would have found a way to be upset.

[Hot Lunch]

College athletics marketing departments are some of the worst around. They really struggle for ideas when it comes to promoting their respected teams and tend to make poor decisions year in and year out. The raising of the flag probably isn't one of the best decisions that the marketing department has made. Whoever made the decision was probably playing of Bronco's use of "Band of Brothers".

[DU Ute]

College athletics marketing departments are some of the worst around. They really struggle for ideas when it comes to promoting their respected teams and tend to make poor decisions year in and year out. The raising of the flag probably isn't one of the best decisions that the marketing department has made. Whoever made the decision was probably playing of Bronco's use of "Band of Brothers".

I think the Band of Brothers theme isn't a bad idea, I wish our marketing team could come up with something half as good as this. But it's a TV show about the war, not an iconic depiction of it. I would argue that this definitely crosses the line, if the U had done something like this I would be on the phone the next morning asking that they take the video down, I'm not exaggerating.

[Hot Lunch]

I think the Band of Brothers theme isn't a bad idea, I wish our marketing team could come up with something half as good as this. But it's a TV show about the war, not an iconic depiction of it. I would argue that this definitely crosses the line, if the U had done something like this I would be on the phone the next morning asking that they take the video down, I'm not exaggerating.

I don't think the marketing department came up with Band of Brothers. I think that was Bronco. I don't think there is anything wrong with it as well.

[Flattop]

"Band of Brothers" comes from a monologue in Shakespeare's play Henry V.

Link with Kenneth Branagh performing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRj01LShXN8

The TV miniseries by that name was based on a book by Stephen Ambrose of the same name. Both the book and the miniseries are excellent.

James Bradley, the son of the one of the flag raisers wrote about book titled Flags of Our Fathers. Clint Eastwood later made a movie based on the book. I recommend both.