Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that it's "about time" NFL commissioner Roger Goodell demanded players to stand for the national anthem. The president's comments come a day after Goodell sent a memo to NFL executives and club presidents encouraging players to stand for the anthem to honor the flag and the country.
“We live in a country that can feel very divided. Sports, and especially the NFL, brings people together and lets them set aside those divisions, at least for a few hours,” Goodell wrote. “The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country.”
Goodell added: “Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us.”
Goodell also noted that the NFL "cares deeply" about players and "respect" their "opinions and concerns about critical social issues." Goodell and NFL team owners will meet in New York City next week for their annual fall meeting. Goodell says they will work to develop a plan, including promoting the work of their players on these core issues, and ensuring "that any work at the League level is consistent with the work that each club is doing in its own community."
The demonstration was initially started by Colin Kaepernick to protest against racism, oppression, and police brutality against black people; not as a disrespect to the flag or military members. The issue was reignited after Trump referred to protesters as "sons of bitches" and called for them to be fired at an Alabama rally. Since then, over 250 players knelt during the anthem or showed another form of protest.
Now in addition to Goodell's memo, team owners like Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, have demanded their players stand for the anthem or risk punishment.
