Michael Strahan It tells people that this is not what it seems.

Facing scorching heat for his physical posture during the national anthem on Sunday, the football analyst responded by saying his hand placement was simply because he was caught up in the moment.

controversial incident It occurred during the playing of the national anthem during Fox’s “Fox NFL Sunday” broadcast during Fox’s annual Veterans Day visit to a U.S. military installation. Strahan didn’t put his hand over his heart like everyone else.

It may seem like an exaggeration, but Strahan was allegedly protesting by somehow not putting his hand on his chest.

But the former NFL star turned TV personality said that was far from the case and addressed the moment publicly. long video Tuesday night on Instagram.

“I have nothing to protest,” Strahan said. “I have no explanation to make. The only explanation that needs to be made and that I want to make is that I love the army, I have always loved the army and I always will.”

Strahan’s father was a Major in the US Army, and Strahan grew up on a military base. As a result, he scoffed at the idea of ​​disrespecting the occasion and went on to explain his deep respect for the military, explaining that this was actually what led to this pose.

The Hall of Famer said he didn’t put his hand on his chest because he was “caught up in the moment” of watching “all these young Marines” making a commitment to serve the nation.

While doing so, she did not notice that the other co-hosts had their hands on their chests while “The Star-Spangled Banner” played; He admitted that this made him panic a little.

Strahan said he thought it was best to respectfully keep his hands in front of him in the middle of the song, rather than placing his hand on his chest to blend in with his colleagues and risk looking like “an idiot.”

And that’s what he ended up doing.

After the awkward moment, something happened to Strahan: tense encounter Tuesday with a reporter asking about the incident. He later expressed regret for how he handled the situation but stated that he would always protect his family and home.