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over the weekend after he attacked football players who refuse to stand during the national anthem in protest and rescinded a White House invitation to the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry.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 ...
As did we. It was the last thing taken down/in before the storm and the first thing put up/out after the storm.
Except for the many NFL felons who scored 11 on the Wonderlic test.
How many teams made it through last season without at least one player getting arrested or failing a drug test?
There are many good people in the NFL, but let's not pretend they are all choir boys.
Remember OJ Simpson and Aaron Hernandez?
Just saw on Fox News that most of the players kneeled for the National Anthem and stood for ghe British Anthem in the week 3 game in London earlier today.
BOYCOTT THE NFL
I give you the news cycle for the next week. This will dominate … divert attn from the health care & immigration disasters from the “master negotiator” … and Trump will continue being unscathed & worshipped by his MAGA church. You really have to be biased & close-minded beyond words to not at least consider that there is as much a chance that Trump is a closet Dem/liberal Manchurian candidate as the conspiracy that Obama is a Kenyan-born Muslim.
Football is dying in suburbia. White kids play lacrosse, etc. now. It’s becoming a sport played by poor white and black kids. Asians and Hispanics have little interest in the game and those folks are an ever increasing piece of the demographic pie. While the NFL won’t go away it’s best days are definitely past.
The US Flag also was being flown by the Union Army as they defeated the slave-state democRATs of the Confederacy
Well said.
The players are the owners' employees. They already tolerate a great deal of non-conformity from them, and they know there is no league without players. They also know there is no league without fans, but they are hoping that the fans will just swallow. I agree with you that they have miscalculated. But they are looking for someone else to resolve the matter while being able to publicly side with their employees.
A much better fan protest would be to stand outside the stadium and BURN their tickets.
I never watch football and now I will never watch football.
I became a fan at an early age because my father always had the games on at the house when growing up and it was one of few things we had a bond with. Also, at school, my classmates would always be discussing the games come Monday. When my own sons were growing up, I also had football on in the house but my sons would rather be on their computers and other devices. They had no interest in football at all and neither did their peers. Different world.
They need to discipline the offenders immediately and not compromise.
Same here, with the Eagles.
I'm perfectly "aware" of the issues, Mr Kraft. I suspect I've given them much more serious thought than you or any of your SJWs. I disagree with them, and with you.
I find their sanctimony tiring and their 'activism' presumptuous. And I'm not alone.
Condescending to your client base seems a poor business model, Mr Kraft. Trying their patience and good humor by treating them as a captive audience seems equally poor.
Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease, Mr Kraft. Considering the mood of your client base, the squeaky wheel might just get replaced.
The change you and they seek may not be the change you get.
They need to discipline the offenders
*************
No chance of that happening. The players are their cash cows.
Trump got mega likes on his NFL tweets, like 180K. People like what he’s saying about the disrespectful NFL players.
And therein lies the problem for the NFL. They are afraid about being called racist is they don’t support the predominantly non white league, while not realizing that the men and women who died to give them the freedom to express their views, outside of this event which is meant to honor them , fought without race in mind....
What we need is some clever way for the fans to stage a similar protest while in the stadium, while at the same time honoring the anthem.
Send a message to the players, we will not stand for this....
Just “ shut up and play “
Ideas ?
They’re attempting to conflate what Trump said as attack on the entire NFL.
Trump called out the idiot SJW’s.
Nice try Kraft.
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