The comment came from Donald Trump the 45th President of the United States and no one but him can explain the intent of the comment. The one thing that is clear is that the comments were hurtful and divisive.
During the rally on Friday Trump said NFL owners should fire players who take a knee during the national anthem.
“Get that son of a b—- off the field right now, out. He’s fired. He’s fired!” Trump said during a rally for Republican Senate candidate Luther Strange in Alabama.
Trump went on to suggest that NFL ratings were down because of stricter penalties on hard tackles:
“Because you know, today if you hit too hard — 15 yards! Throw him out of the game. They had that last week, I watched for a coupled of minutes. Two guys, just really, beautiful tackle. Boom! 15 yards. The referee goes on television, his wife’s so proud of him. They’re ruining the game! They’re ruining the game.”
The condemnation of Trump’s words was universal in the sports and entertainment industries.
A handful of owners also showed their support for the players and condemned Trump’s words.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross issued a statement criticizing the president’s words.
“Our country needs unifying leadership right now, not more divisiveness,” he said. “We need to seek to understand each other and have civil discourse instead of condemnation and sound bites.”
The Commissioners office issued this statement.
