NFL ignores latest Trump tweets, focuses on unity and stresses original protest message
President Trump continued his attack on the NFL for the fifth day in a row on Tuesday morning, producing several more tweets about players not standing for the national anthem.
“The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can’t kneel during our National Anthem!’’ Trump wrote.
But the NFL chose not to respond directly and instead focus on its theme of unity.
“He’s exercising his freedom to speak, and I’m exercising my freedom not to react,’’ NFL executive vice president of communications Joe Lockhart said Tuesday morning. “Whatever people’s purposes are for being in this debate, all of this has brought our teams closer together.’’
Lockhart said the league was proud of the displays from the Cowboys and Cardinals on Monday Night Football. The entire Cowboys team, including owner Jerry Jones, took a knee before the playing of the national anthem, then stood together with locked arms during the anthem. Cardinals plays also locked arms for the national anthem.
Lockhart said the Cowboys’ message came together just minutes before the start of the broadcast.
“What you saw was driven by both teams wanting to make a statement, each in their own way, but completely united with their teams,’’ Lockhart said. “All in the face of a lot of forces out there that have been divisive over the last three or four days. It was a strong showing of unity.’’
Trump’s speech in Alabama on Friday and continued Twitter attacks prompted an unprecedented level of player demonstrations during the national anthem throughout Sunday’s games, with dozens of players taking a knee and three teams — the Seahawks, Titans and Steelers remaining in the locker room. It also promoted the owners of all 32 teams to release a statement either condemning Trump’s comments or supporting the players’ right to free speech.
Thousands of fans across the country, including those in Foxborough at the Patriots-Texans game, booed the players for taking a knee, viewing the demonstrations as anti-flag, anti-military, or anti-police.
But Lockhart stressed on Tuesday that the players and teams view the demonstrations as a plea for equality and social justice.
“For those who oppose what they saw last night, that’s their right, that’s their privilege,’’ Lockhart said. “But it never has been about respect for the flag. What it is about is efforts to raise awareness to make progress on equality and social justice, and the NFL stands with those who speak to that and want to do that.’’
Lockhart mentioned that the TV ratings for Monday’s Cardinals-Cowboys game were up 63 percent from the Week 3 Monday Night game last year, though the 2016 game was played on the same night as a presidential debate.
Lockhart also announced that starting with this Thursday night’s Bears-Packers game, the NFL will work with broadcast partners CBS and Amazon to raise funds and spread awareness of the unfolding tragedy in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
