Posted on 09/25/2017 12:07:57 AM PDT by Enlightened1
President Donald Trump on Sunday urged fans to boycott National Football League games to pressure it to fire or suspend players who kneel in protest during the national anthem, intensifying a battle over politics, social justice and race in America's most popular sport.
But in the first NFL game since Trump touched off the spat Friday with an expletive-laden speech to supporters in Alabama, at least a dozen players on the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonsville Jaguars, playing in London, took a knee Sunday during the playing of "The Star-Spangled banner."
Others stood and locked arms in a show of solidarity. More protests were expected Sunday as the rest of the games of week three of the season were played.
It was one of the largest such protests since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is African American, first began refusing to stand for the anthem in 2016.
The protest spread Saturday to Major League Baseball for the first time: a black Oakland Athletics catcher named Bruce Maxwell knelt during the anthem before a game in California.
Trump's latest salvo came in an early morning tweet in which he said: "If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag and Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!"
"NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.," he said.
NFL ratings are in fact down but the decline predates the kneeling-during-the-anthem protests, the New York Times reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
I will not watch.
I couldn’t agree more:
To HELL, HELL, HELL, with the N. F. L.
Yes Mr. President, good idea ..
Bttt.
5.56mm
I haven’t watched a game this year. Oh, and not a penny for any of their “gear”.
I’ll continue to support Golf and our golfers. I bet they ALL strand for the flag at The Presidents Cup.
Now this I am on board with. If you want to make a change then make a change. All the complaining in the world on social media won’t do a thing.
Call for a National boycott of the NFL for Sunday November 12th, Veterans Day Weekend. Boycott all football telecast, all fans, all ticket holders, stay away from attending any games, let them play to empty stadiums. Pass this post along to all your friends and family. Honor our military, some of whom come home with the American Flag draped over their coffin. Continue with the weekly boycott of televised games.
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