Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka took a pause-worthy stance against the protests that have swept across the NFL over the past two seasons when during an interview with Westwood One on Monday, October, 9 he rejected the notion that there is still oppression to protest in the United States in 2017. In fact, so far as Ditka is concerned, one would have to go way back to circa 1917 to find oppressed people in the nation.
"All of a sudden, it's become a big deal now, about oppression," Ditka told Westwood One host Jim Gray. "There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of. Now maybe I'm not watching it as carefully as other people. I think the opportunity is there for everybody. ... If you want to work, if you want to try, if you want to put effort into yourself, I think you can accomplish anything," he said.
Ditka's remarks sparked disagreement from a number of NFL players past and present. Jets great, Joe Namath responded in an atypical manner for a Fox News guest, when during a sitdown on Fox & Friends, he said Ditka might want to "Look up the meaning of oppression." Retired Bears linebacker Otis Wilson stepped forward to disagree with his former coach as well, telling ESPN Radio's The Sporting Life that Ditka obviously can't relate. "Well, I guess if he walked in a black man's shoes, he would understand," Wilson said.
Check out audio from the interview above.
Source: YouTube
