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NFL says it was WRONG to muzzle protesting players after Trump repeats criticizm of kneeling during National Anthem
THE NFL has said it was WRONG to muzzle protesting players, just hours after Donald Trump repeated his criticizm of kneeling during the National Anthem.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league made mistakes by not listening to players in a video posted to social media on Friday.
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"We, the , condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people," said Goodell.
"We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.
"We, the National Football League, believe . I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much needed change in this country."
He continued: "Without black players, there would be no National Football League.
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"And the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff.
"We are listening. I am listening, and I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward for a better and more united NFL family."
The NFL has recently been locked in an ongoing debate with players over kneeling protests during the national anthem before the start of games, a practice popularized by quarterback in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the league in 2017, claiming collusion as no teams signed him after he parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers. The NFL and Kaepernick settled in 2019.
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The NFL sent the video out just hours after renewed his call for an end to kneeling protests during the national anthem.
, Trump stoked flames over the feud surrounding NFL players kneeling as he tweeted in support of Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
The president tweeted: "I am a big fan of . I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag.
"OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high...
"..We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart.
"There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag -
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On Friday evening, Brees took to to address the president's comments.
"Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities," the caption read.
"We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform."
On Wednesday, Brees told he will not be supporting NFL players who choose to kneel during the national anthem in the upcoming 2020 season.
In the interview, the NFL star firmly stated: "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the of or our country."
The 41-year-old NFL star was responding to a question about how George Floyd's death might lead players to kneel again.
Following a wave of backlash, Drew has since apologized on Instagram saying "comments were insensitive and completely missed the mark".
Drew wrote: "I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday.
It breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."
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His apology continued: "In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country.
"They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy.
"This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character."
Drew Brees says ‘he will never agree with disrespecting the flag’ after being asked about players kneeling for George Floyd
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