Edmonton, AB - FC Edmonton Bagpiper Paul MacDonald stated that, "Bagpipes are for football, not for ESPN," after receiving requests from the ESPN staff to play for the camera during the FC Edmonton win over the New York Cosmos on Sunday.

"Our brothers were banned from Twickenham! They were banned from Rugby! Against Modern Football! Against Modern Rugby Administrators And Other Fans That Don't Know That Bagpipes Are Great" - Paul MacDonald
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

"I play for football, I play for my team, and I don't play for ESPN president John Skipper," stated MacDonald to The Nutmeg News on Monday. "I'm not a trained monkey playing for an organ grinder. My pieces are meant to inspire, to lift up our team or to denigrate the opposition. I am firmly Against Modern Football Pipers and Against the appropriation of bagpipe culture and the commodification of Bagpipers as well as supporters culture, of which bagpipes are a part."

Reportedly, Mr. MacDonald has indicated that there is a trend of new modern pipers to just play for the cameras and to select pieces that don't reflect what is going on the field.

"I'm here for the lads and for the football, but there are pipers out there that are in this for the fame. The only fame is that achieved by the 11 on the field. When the cameras are gone, I'll still be playing. I'll be playing on recreational fields, and outside, and somewhere out Forest Heights or Mill Creek Ravine practicing because I need a place since the neighbors complained about this the last time I tried to practice in doors, but you CANNOT stop the brotherhood of football bagpipers!"

The Nutmeg News will have more on this as Mr. Macdonald works on more up tempo selections to reflect a more youthful pipe perspective and attempts to pump up the team by exploring Beyonce's Lemonade as a Bagpipe exposition piece.