Tag Archives: football

Reuters reports: A majority of Americans disagree with President Donald Trump’s assertion that football players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem, even though most say they would personally stand during the song, according to an exclusive Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday. The Sept. 25-26 poll found that 57 percent of adults do not think the National …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump sounded very satisfied with his recent remarks on patriotism and the NFL in a dinner with conservative group leaders at the White House Monday night, according to a person who attended the event. “It’s really caught on. It’s really caught on,” Trump said of his NFL comments to attendees at the dinner, according to someone …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump said online Tuesday morning that the booing prompted by the Dallas Cowboys’ decision to kneel Monday night before the national anthem was the “loudest I have ever heard,” blaming the protesting trend for declining NFL ratings. Joined by their coaches and outspoken owner, Jerry Jones, the Cowboys took a knee Monday night before the national …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports: Alejandro Villanueva said he never intended to stand alone during the national anthem on Sunday and apologized to his teammates and coach Mike Tomlin for what he called “a very embarrassing” botching of the team’s pregame plan. “Every single time I see that picture of me standing by myself, I feel embarrassed,” Villanueva said. “We butchered …

Trump followed up this morning’s anti-NFL tweetstorm by retweeting a post about former NFL star Pat Tillman, who was accidentally killed by US troops in Afghanistan. Think Progress reports: In 2004, Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident, five weeks after the Department of Defense initially misreported his death as the result of enemy fire. When Colin Kaepernick began …

“I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive. Like I said, I just want to support my teammates. I am never one to say, ‘Oh, that is wrong. That is right.’ I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust. Those are the values …

The Washington Post reports: All but two of the NFL’s 32 team owners and CEOs issued statements Saturday night and through Sunday in response to Trump’s crusade against protesting NFL players, which began in earnest during a rally Friday night in Alabama. After making a thinly veiled allusion to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national …

The Hill reports: President Trump responded to the show of solidarity put on by the NFL on Sunday against his recent attacks on the league, saying that standing with locked arms is better than kneeling. The president’s tweets come after NFL players locked arms and kneeled in response to his attack on players in the league over the weekend. Trump’s …

Newsweek reports: The White House legislative affairs director has insisted President Donald Trump does not see the issue of NFL players kneeling to protest police brutality towards African Americans “through a racial lens.” Speaking in an interview with Fox News Sunday, Short was asked whether or not Trump was once again on shaky ground over race, following the backlash against …

The Hill reports: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Sunday defended President Trump’s attacks on NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, saying members of the league “can do free speech on their own time.” “I think what the president is saying is that the owners should have a rule that players should have to stand in respect for the …

NBC Sports reports: Many players knelt and those who didn’t linked arms as “The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung before today’s Ravens-Jaguars game in London. The early kickoff from London was the first NFL game since President Trump blasted protesting players on Friday evening, urging NFL owners to fire any players who don’t stand for the anthem. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump on Sunday morning renewed his demand that NFL owners fire or suspend players who kneel during the national anthem in protest, again urging that fans should boycott the sport to force change. The tweets continue a three-day crusade by the president to pressure the league to fire players who have taken a knee in …

The Hill reports: President Trump doubled down on his comments blasting the NFL and “other leagues” on Saturday, saying players should “find something else to do” if they cannot stand during the national anthem. Trump continued his war of words with sports players after stirring backlash on Friday by blasting NFL player Colin Kaepernick and other players who kneeled during …

Deadspin reports: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the President of the United States demonstrated a “lack of respect” and “failure to understand” when Donald Trump attacked players who protest racial injustice and called for those “sons of bitches” to lose their jobs. In typical Goodell fashion, the statement manages to both hit its target “hard” while dedicating the bulk of …

ESPN reports: Asked to divulge a personal secret during an offseason team-building exercise last year, Kansas State offensive tackle Scott Frantz told his Wildcats teammates that he is gay. “I came out to my teammates, and I’ve never felt so loved and so accepted ever in my life than when I did that,” Frantz told ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Wednesday. …

The New York Daily News reports: Former Patriots and Chiefs offensive tackle Ryan O’Callaghan publicly came out on Tuesday, saying that he strongly considered committing suicide before he received support from the Kansas City organization. O’Callaghan discusssed the gripping, heart-wrenching journey he took as a closeted gay man in college football and the NFL in a piece by SB Nation’s …

“The New England Patriots announced they will be the first NFL team to sponsor a ‘Gay Bowl.’ They’re sponsoring Gay Bowl 17, which is a national championship tournament for LGBT flag football teams. The Patriots have the right to do whatever they want, but I’m disappointed that a great team from such a wonderful area of the country would promote …

Newsweek reports: He [Hernandez] was convicted in April 2015 for shooting and killing his friend, Odin Lloyd, seemingly without motive. But interviews with multiple law enforcement officials directly involved in the case say Lloyd—a semipro football player who was dating Hernandez’s fiance’s sister at the time—had information the football star did not want out: that he was bisexual. One of …

TMZ Sports reports: Tom Brady says he will NOT join his New England Patriots teammates at the White House on Wednesday … citing “personal family matters.” Brady just issued a statement, saying, “In light of some recent developments, I am unable to attend today’s ceremony, as I am attending to some personal family matters.” He explained, “I am so happy …

The Associated Press reports: Massachusetts prison officials say former NFL star Aaron Hernandez has hanged himself in his cell and pronounced dead at a hospital. He was 27. An official with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections says Hernandez was found hanged in his cell just after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities tried to revive the former New England Patriots tight end, …