HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – President Trump has some tips for National Football League owners: Say goodbye to players who kneel during the national anthem. He also encourages fans to go out in protest.
And the president laments what he describes as a decline in violence in sport.
“They’re ruining the game,” he said during a political rally in Alabama Friday night that went beyond politics.
Several athletes, including a handful of NFL players, have refused to stand during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest the treatment of blacks by police. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who started the trend last year when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, not signed by an NFL team this season.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement Saturday morning in response to comments from Mr. Trump.
“Divisive comments like these show an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a lack of understanding of the overwhelming strength for the good that our clubs and players represent in our communities.” said Goodell.
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Mr. Trump, who previously owned the New Jersey Generals of the U.S. Football League, says these players do not respect the American flag and deserve to lose their jobs.
“This is a total disrespect to our heritage. This is a total disrespect to everything we stand for,” Trump said, urging homeowners to take action.
“You wouldn’t want to see one of these NFL owners, when someone doesn’t respect our flag, you’d say, ‘Get this b —- son off the field right now. Out! He has been fired, “Mr. Trump said amid loud applause.
Trump also predicted that any homeowner who followed presidential encouragement would become “the most popular person in this country,” for at least a week.
The NFL Players Association reacted to Mr. Trump on Saturday morning in a statement.
“We will never back down. We can no longer afford to stick to sports,” said CEO DeMaurice Smith. “This union … will never back down on the constitutional rights of our players as citizens, as well as their safety as men in a game that puts them at great risk.”
Mr. Trump, who was in Alabama campaigning for Senator Luther Strangehe also blamed a drop in NFL ratings on the nation’s interest in “yours for real,” as well as what he claimed was a decrease in violence in the game.
He said players are being kicked out for aggressive tackles and that “it’s not the same game.”
In recent seasons, the NFL and college football have increased sanctions and enforcement for illegal blows to the head and for hitting defenseless players. A July report on 202 former football players found evidence of debilitating brain disease related to repeated headaches in almost all of them. The league has agreed to pay $ 1 billion to retired players who claimed it fooled them about the dangers of concussion from playing football.
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During his campaign, Mr. Trump often expressed nostalgia for the “old days,” claiming, for example, that protesters at his rallies would have been held on bunks at the time. He recently suggested Police officers should be tougher on criminals and should not protect their heads when pushing them into patrol cars.
Nor is it the first time she has raised her knee problem. Earlier this year he was credited with not signing Kaepernick.
TV ratings for the NFL they have been slipping since the start of the 2016 season. of the fans with reports of head trauma and hymn protests.
Ratings have dropped further in the early 2017 season, although broadcasters and the league have blamed the hurricanes that hit Florida and Texas. Still, the NFL remains by far the most popular television sport in the United States.
Mr. Trump said the anthem protest was the main reason the NFL audience had dwindled.
“Do you know what hurts the game?” he asked. “When people like you turn on the TV and you see these people get on their knees when they play our great national anthem,” he said.
Mr. Trump encouraged his fans to pick up and leave the stadium the next time they see a player not standing up.
“It guarantees things will stop,” he said.
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- Colin Kaepernick
- NFL
- Donald Trump
- Star flag
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