Posted on 09/24/2017 6:11:24 AM PDT by usafa92
President Donald Trump sparked a backlash from some of the biggest names in professional sports over the weekend after he attacked football players who refuse to stand during the national anthem in protest and rescinded a White House invitation to the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry.
On Sunday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a supporter and donor who gave the president his Super Bowl ring, released a statement criticizing Trump's comments and backing players to use their platform in order to draw attention to political issues.
"I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the president on Friday," Kraft said in a written statement. "There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics."
"Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful."
Kraft's statement came shortly after Trump doubled down on his stance, tweeting early Sunday, that if "NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!"
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
So much for loyalty. With friends like Bob Kraft, you don’t need enemies. Obviously, his business means more to him than his country.
“Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community...
...
Some are, most aren’t. There’s no reason to read beyond that false statement.
Like the DooDoo birds of the sports world .
Think of the money freed up to spend elsewhere and not wasted on these entitled fools.
These clueless millionaires owners and players are looking at extinction real soon .
Well, that takes care of the so-called Patriots.
Was a fan of that team, but no longer.
FU Robert Kraft!
Then you, Mr. Kraft, should tell your players to keep their politics out of the game, sir! We didn't bring politics into the game, your low-IQ players did.
Have any of the major league baseball players done this? If they have, I’ve missed it - along with all the other news I try to miss!!! Aren’t there a lot of major league players who are from other countries? When I followed baseball, I recall several but anymore, I don’t have any idea. I would hope they don’t have a beef about this country after being allowed in to participate in the All American Game...Too many great players of the past who never had reason to protest their lot in life..not even Jackie Robinson. Led the way for others and fought the battles but kept his criticism to himself.
My employer would fire me for making a political protest on company property.
“”Then you, Mr. Kraft, should tell your players to keep their politics out of the game, sir! We didn’t bring politics into the game, your low-IQ players did.””
Well said...that’s exactly what he and all owners need to do....
Which means it makes all the sense in the world to mix the two...NOT. Look in the mirror, Mr. Kraft.
Respect is earned.
Demanding the President, or us, to “respect” those who deserve none is absurd.
Get off the NFL drugs folks! It’s killing you!
Quit cable and never turn on network TV. Get YouTube Red and start watching documentaries. Watch movies on Netflix or learn how to bypass restrictions and download everything for free.
Don’t waste time watching millionaires giving each other CTE representing cities they didn’t grow up in. And hating you. And hating your children. And hating our country. That’s who they are.
Make the effort to stop supporting them and instead support your country. It will be a bloodless revolution.
The NFL owners and players are part of the privileged elite in America. The owners and the player’s union are in their safe space where they can act without immediate negative consequences. Trump is exposing them as spoiled elites. —Good for Trump.
Trump has (again) struck a nerve. Pro football has been in decline as entertainment for some time. The NFL and the NBA have made choices they will regret.
Sports unifies
Politics divides
Kraft supports political expression on the sports field
Therefore he is FOR divisiveness on the field.
Obviously Kraft is a very confused man.
Exactly! My cousin was once an English Teacher at LSU. Her sole job was, in her words, “to teach the new black football football recruits how to read and write”. Sad.
Some AH will want the UN flag up.
Let’s rewind the tape and see how each of these “free speech advocates” treated Tim Tebow and what the sports media had to say about proclaiming Christ as his Savior.
Shameless hypocrites.
Furthermore, why is it President Trump cannot express his opinions?
So I'm not among those who think that the NFL is going to go belly up anytime soon. Americans like to be entertained and not a lot of men would rather be painting the garage or raking leaves on a Sunday afternoon as opposed to drinking beer and watching a game on TV.
Just putting it all in context and being realistic.
I do think this helps President Trump. Americans respect a president who stands up for his country and calls out the few attention-seeking players who are disrespecting our country and flag. Like I said, a lot of these hateful thugs would be locked up in jail if not for the ability to jump, run and handle a ball.
Some folks should dump beer on the players. Call it a “political protest”. See how far that goes with the fascists running the NFL.
click “other” on the contact page, I just unleashed! http://www.nfl.com/contact-us;
So President Trump is divisive because he says what millions agree with, but Kaepernick is a force for good who wears a T-shirt glorifying a mass murderer....sounds reasonable!
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