Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson caused a stir among some NFL players and personalities who stand in favor of players staging protests, when early this week he tried to convince reporters that he doesn't see them having to worry about his players sitting, kneeling, raising fists, or displaying any other variation of protest during the Star Spangled Banner. During Tuesday's [August 15] episode of Undefeated, Shannon Sharpe gave it to Jackson straight, while explaining why he was so taken aback by Jackson's "kick the can down the road" approach to concerns in the Black community.
"Man, they need to stop with all of this shucking and jiving and just tell the truth. I understand, Hue, you've got a job. But there are a lot of Black men that was before you that was equally or more so qualified than you that didn't get the opportunity. And I know you think you got this job on your own, but you don't understand how many men are working behind the scenes that get, not only you, but other Black coaches the opportunity to be heard," Sharpe said. "Skip, I am so glad Dr. King, Rosa Parks, John Lewis, the Andrew Youngs, the Jesse Jacksons, the Nelson Mandelas... 'That ain't my problem. Let them iron it out.' It caused Dr. King his life. It caused Nelson Mandela 27 years in prison on Robbers Island. Skip... does he realize how ridiculous he sounds?"
After bringing what turned out to be yet another one of his passionate rants to a close, Sharpe was asked whether what he meant to imply was that Jackson had sold his people out. Sharpe affirmed Bayless' conclusion by responding: "In the barber shop, he knows what he is," before continuing on to say, "For Hue Jackson to say that... there are a lot of people in their offices, they're clapping, golf clapping. Because they got this clown up here on front of national television saying that bull jive," Sharpe said.
