NFL anthem protesters are furious.
Donald Trump rallied patriotic Americans to stand for the flag and boycott the NFL.
Now one anthem protesting player is threatening to do something awful to Trump.
Gerald McCoy plays defensive line for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the wake of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sending a letter to all 32 teams making it clear that the league’s position is that all players must stand and will address the matter of national anthem protests at their next meeting, McCoy is threatening a mutiny.
ESPN reports:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Gerald McCoy, speaking on Adam Schefter’s Know Them From Adam podcast, said he thinks there might “be an uproar” if NFL players are forced to stand for the national anthem.
“I don’t think guys are gonna like it,” McCoy said, when asked about the possible reaction from players. “I think it’s gonna be an uproar if that is to happen because you’re basically taking away a constitutional right to freedom of speech. If guys wanna have a, I guess you would call it a peaceful protest, I don’t think it’s right to take that away.”
McCoy, an eight-year veteran and one of the Bucs’ defensive captains, said he does not plan on kneeling during the anthem.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear in a letter sent Tuesday to all 32 teams that he wants players to stand during the anthem. He did not provide specifics about how he intends to ensure it, but he wrote that it would “include such elements as an in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues.”
The issue will be discussed during the NFL’s regularly scheduled fall meetings in New York next week.
Trump reacted to Goodell’s letter with a tweet and once again affirmed that NFL players should respect the flag and the anthem.
It is about time that Roger Goodell of the NFL is finally demanding that all players STAND for our great National Anthem-RESPECT OUR COUNTRY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
But the NFL Players Association is standing firm.
They claim nothing has changed with regards to anthem protests and that they will continue.
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) October 11, 2017
The NFL is backed into a corner.
Their fan base has completely rejected the anti-American protests.
But the players are falsely insisting they have a Constitutional right to protest while one the job.
And the players – who claim they all protested in week 4 as a sign of unity against Trump because of his comments that owners should fire any player who kneels during the anthem – would be hard pressed to accept such a public defeat against Trump.
If the league changes the rules and players revolt, it will only further alienate the remaining fans who value patriotism and honoring the flag just as much – if not more than – their teams winning on Sundays.
Will you boycott the NFL if the protests continue?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
