As Trump Rekindles N.F.L. Fight, Goodell Sides With Players

[TomCADem]

Source: The New York Times

The protracted debate in the N.F.L. over players protesting racial injustice during the national anthem reignited with force on Friday as President Trump rekindled his war with the league over the issue and the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, issued his strongest support yet for the players seeking to fight racism and police brutality.

In an swift response to a video montage featuring star players asking the league to address systemic racism, Goodell said he apologized for not listening to the concerns of African-American players earlier and said he supports the players’ right to protest peacefully. During the 2016 season, Colin Kaepernick started the movement within the league when he knelt to call attention to racial injustice and violence by police, but no team has offered him a contract since then.

Goodell did not directly name Kaepernick in his video. Still, his comments were diametrically opposed to those made by the president. Trump defended New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who said this week that it was disrespectful to kneel during the pregame playing of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

After a swift rebuke from fellow N.F.L. players, including some of his teammates, Brees apologized on Thursday. But the president said on Twitter that Brees should not have bowed to pressure and everyone should stand when the national anthem is played.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/as-trump-rekindles-nfl-fight-goodell-sides-with-players/ar-BB156mT1?li=BBnbfcL

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It is an easy way for Trump to score points with his base. Attack Asians, Mexicans, Women, African Americans, Immigrants, etc.,

[PatrickforO]

1. You know, Trump just can't seem to work with anyone. He's always

got to have an enemy. Someone to blame.

Disgusting, small man.

[flibbitygiblets]

2. *Distraction Alert*....*Distraction Alert*....*Distraction Alert*

What's that? Covid-19 resurging, unemployment 16% not 13%, most of the country protesting outside and exposing police violence and racial inequality?

Time to pick a fight with...the NFL players.

[C Moon]

4. I know, right?

[MissMillie]

8. It just goes to show how small 45s mind is

It's not only a distraction, it's a STUPID distraction.

Whether or not someone stands or kneels or salutes or whatever has no bearing on my life whatsoever.

Whether or not they are allowed to DOES have a bearing on everyone's life.

And why the hell does 45 need to insert himself into the workings of the NFL? Doesn't he have enough on his plate?

And isn't it a GOOD think that Goddell recognizes that he should listen to his players?

Some people can't see the forest through the trees.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse: no leadership or bad leadership.

[AllaN01Bear]

3. will you shut the heck up and or take his guldurn phone away from him please.

step away from the phone and put it down. friends dont let friends drive phones while stupid.

[onetexan]

7. The man is psychotic & revels in pitting people against each other

I believe whenever he's rage tweeting he's having a psychotic episode. 25th amendment anyone?

[Cha]

5. And, Football Players!

[Skittles]

6. Cadet Bone Spurs should STFU

he is using the military as a prop and he questions the patriotism of others?

[NNadir]

9. Unfortunately, I can't boycott football.

It would make no difference since I have never participated in that sport which has caused so many people to suffer from CTE.

Well, I have watched the Superbowl for the commercials, but I'll skip even that this year.

The fact is that this corporation's attitude toward Kaepernick helped to perpetuate the cause of racism.

[Marcuse]

10. Drumpf has been at war with the NFL since the 1980s.

[link:https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-crusade-nfl-usfl-history-repeating-165618037.html|

In 1981, Trump tried to buy the Baltimore Colts, an NFL franchise. He backed a group that offered owner Robert Irsay $50 million for the team; the offer was rejected. Trump denied making the offer, but Irsay confirmed publicly that he turned the offer down.

In 1983, Trump instead settled for buying a USFL team, the New Jersey Generals. As Pearlman reports in one of the most fascinating insider anecdotes of his book, after committing to buy the USFL team Trump arranged a private meeting with then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. He made clear to Rozelle that the USFL did not matter to him and that what he really wanted was an NFL team. According to a colleague of the USFL marketing man who was in the room for the meeting, Rozelle told Trump at the end of the meeting, “AS LONG AS I OR MY HEIRS ARE INVOLVED IN THE NFL, YOU WILL NEVER BE A FRANCISE OWNER IN THE LEAGUE.”

It was then that Trump approached the other USFL owners and said that the USFL, a league that played its games in the spring, needed to move to fall and get a big TV deal to challenge the NFL. He convinced USFL owners to sue the NFL for $567 million over its monopoly of fall television rights. The 1986 trial, USFL vs. NFL, lasted 48 days.

Pearlman calls it “the craziest lawsuit of all time.”

As he describes the trial to Yahoo Finance, “Donald Trump is the star witness for the USFL. And he’s the worst witness in the history of mankind. And what the NFL did is they made him the enemy.” Pearlman even interviewed one of the jurors from the trial, who recalls Trump “staring her down” during his testimony.

The jury in the trial found in favor of the USFL, concluding that the NFL did have a television monopoly. But it also found that the USFL was to blame for its failures, and it awarded the USFL $1 in damages — hence Pearlman’s book title.
That wasn’t the end of Trump’s attempts to become an NFL owner.

In 2014, after Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson died, Trump made an offer for the team. After a six-month bidding process, Terry and Kim Pegula, the owners of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team, got the Bills for $1.4 billion.

Trump was not happy. In a series of tweets in October 2014, he questioned the NFL’s tax exemption status; mocked the league’s ratings; and finally concluded, “Glad I didn’t get the Bills.”

[HotTeaBag]

11. He ain't winning this fight.

What, is he gonna demand his MAGAts boycott the NFL?

Besides guns and unborn children to protect they got nothing else.

[truthisfreedom]

12. This is unwinnable for 45.

Total losing battle.

[Bengus81]

13. Honestly....FUCK ROGER GOODELL

And this is from a guy who has been a long time KC Chiefs sufferer until the last few years. Goodell was dead set against players taking a knee and took no action when teams claimed they were going to drop or bench players who did.

Ohhhh NOW gosh he's all for it!! I call BULLSHIT

[Marrah_Goodman]

14. A little late for that Roger

He is an ass.