Michael Strahan is probably glad November is over.

For most of the month, the former football player and broadcaster was attacked by critics who treated him like an enemy of the state for not placing his hand over his heart during a nationally televised performance of the national anthem.

What a jerk.

The fallout followed a special Fox Sports broadcast from Naval Base San Diego honoring U.S. service members ahead of Veterans Day.

As his partners stood with their hands in front of their hearts after the game, Strahan held his hands close to his waist as a military band played “The Star Spangled Banner.”

With all the controversy that followed, you’d think Strahan would have dropped his pants and cursed at the flag after setting it on fire.

Barely.

The Giants legend says he was simply “captivated by the moment” watching “all these young sailors” committed to serving the nation and securing our freedoms.

But Strahan’s attackers didn’t see it that way and went after him with the same intensity with which he once sacked quarterbacks.

“What’s wrong with Strahan @ NFLonFOX? one user wrote on Twitter.

“Blatant disrespect for the men and women who surround him and who protect his rights and freedoms.”

Another added: “Strahan couldn’t put his hand on his heart? VETERANS DAY HEALTH TO EVERYONE EXCEPT MICHAEL STRAHAN!! NO LESSONS!!”

“‘Fire Michael Strahan!’ another wrote. “This is unacceptable!”

A noble defense

Strahan, a Hall of Famer, fought tough battles on the field. But that was unnecessary rudeness.

Strahan, whose father served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, said he did not protest anything.

“I have nothing to protest, I can’t make a statement,” Strahan said on Instagram. “The only statement I want to make is that I love the military, I have always loved the military and I will always love the military. I do so many programs to help veterans and soldiers. I grew up on a military base, my father was a major in the army. My brother, my sister, my cousins, they all served in the military – I’m a military brat.

“And the fact that someone would say I’m unpatriotic couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Strahan defended his actions nobly, but I would have been even more impressed if he had told his critics to kick stones.

Why? Because this is America, where songs inspire, flags are symbols, and patriotism speaks for itself.

Strahan is no more required to cover his heart with his hand during the national anthem than politicians are required to wear flag pins in their lapels.

“I have decided that I will not wear this pin on my chest,” Barack Obama said in 2007 when he first ran for president.

“Instead, I will try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testament to my patriotism.”

Make a statement

That was a strong statement at the time. It was also short-lived. Soon Obama was wearing the pin again.

If Strahan is guilty at all, it is because he lost his head when the manufactured controversy spiraled out of control. When confronted with the anthem by a reporter outside his home, Strahan turned villain by grabbing the reporter’s phone and throwing it into a nearby bush.

“Don’t come to my house, man!” he yelled before picking up the phone. Strahan later admitted that he had gone too far.

“I’m not proud of how I handled the whole situation,” he said. “You have to protect your family and you have to protect your home, and that’s exactly what I felt I needed in that moment.”

Even if Strahan had made a statement during the anthem, he would have done so calmly and respectfully.

But this wasn’t a Colin Kaepernick moment. It wasn’t even close.

Leonard Greene is a reporter for the New York Daily News. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of the Florida Courier.