MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American wide receiver Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks got the world’s attention when he carried the Philippine flag upside down before their National Football League (NFL) match against the Minnesota Vikings Monday.
Baldwin made the gesture in his effort to raise funds for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on Monday which included a large part of his family.
(Below is the video of Baldwin carrying the Philippine flag during his entrance courtesy of youtube user bslatercwu)
Baldwin, whose grandmother hails from Tacloban, Leyte, went to Twitter Monday night to apologize and explain his side why the flag was upside down (with the red portion on top) which usually signifies war.
If I offended anyone of the Philippines, it was not my intent. I only meant to call attention to the plight of the people devastated… (cont)
— Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) November 18, 2013 … by typhoon Haiyan. The aftermath of the typhoon can be compared to conditions after a battle during war. (Cont)
— Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) November 18, 2013 Leyte, is battling to overcome the ravages of typhoon Haiyan. My blessings and well wishes are with the families impacted by this disaster.
— Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) November 18, 2013 His pre-game gesture though helped the team earn $12,070 for their relief funds which has now collected over $24,000. The Seahawks will course through their donation to Red Cross in Washington, which in turn will channel it to their affiliates in the Philippines.
Thank you to the 68,235 fans that raised $12,070 today for @RedCrossWWA. With @PaulGAllen match our total was over $24k for #Haiyan relief.
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 18, 2013 Douglas helped the Seahawks score a 41-20 victory over the Vikings as the team improved to a league-best 10-1 win-loss record.
He completed a touchdown off a 19-yard pass from their sophomore quarterback Russel Wilson with 10 seconds left in the second quarter that easily was the biggest play of the game.
Douglas, who has never been to the Philippines, told Seattle Times that he is seriously considering to take a time out during the off-season to visit his relatives in the country.