How NFL stars and teams reacted to Trump's comments that protesting players should be fired

Get the Full StoryThomson ReutersBacklash continued on Sunday to President Donald Trump's call for the firing of any National Football League players who kneel during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality.

The president first made the comments at a rally in Alabama, specifically singling out former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whom he dubbed a "son of a b----" for protesting.

Compounded by his move to uninvite Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, who was considering skipping an upcoming White House visit, the president sparked criticism from athletes and team owners alike.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded on Saturday, saying Trump's comments showed an "unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL," though he did not name the president personally.

Several teams took a knee during the national anthem at Sunday's games, while team owners took to the field to support their players, linking arm in arm.

Still, as of Sunday afternoon, many other owners who supported Trump during the 2016 election had not publicly condemned Trump's remarks.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, and Houston Texans owner Bob McNair all donated over 1 million to Trump, and did not immediately offer statements condemning his comments.

Here's how teams, players, and owners reacted on Sunday:

Cork Gaines and Bob Bryan contributed reporting.New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft: "I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday."

Brad Penner AP

"I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities," he continued. "Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger. There is no greater unifier in this country than sports, and unfortunately, nothing more divisive than politics. I think our political leaders could learn a lot from the lessons of teamwork and the importance of working together toward a common goal. Our players are intelligent, thoughtful and care deeply about our community and I support their right to peacefully affect social change and raise awareness in a manner that they feel is most impactful."

Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy: "It's unfortunate that the president decided to use his immense platform to make divisive and offensive statements about our players and the NFL."

AP Photo Bill Wippert

"We strongly believe that players are leaders in our communities and positive influences," he continued. "They have achieved their positions through tremendous work and dedication and should be celebrated for their success and positive impact. We believe it is important to support any of our players who choose to peacefully express themselves with the hope of change for good. As Americans, we are fortunate to be able to speak openly and freely."

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross: "Our country needs unifying leadership right now, not more divisiveness."

Al Messerschmidt Getty Images

"We need to seek to understand each other and have civil discourse instead of condemnation and sound bites," Ross continued. "I know our players who knelt for the anthem and these are smart young men of character who want to make our world a better place for everyone. They wanted to start a conversation and are making a difference in our community, including working with law enforcement to bring people together. We all can benefit from learning, listening and respecting each other."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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