‘We Are Not Going to Be Divided by Anything Said by Anyone’
In response to President Trump calling on the NFL to fire players who are refusing to stand for the National Anthem in a silent protest of racism and oppression of people of color, the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday morning announced they will not appear on the field until the ceremony has concluded.
“We will not bow on the field,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told CBS. “We’re not participating in the anthem today.”
Trump on Sunday morning said the NFL should fire players who are “disrespecting our Flag & Country.”
“These are very divisive times for our country,” Tomlin explained. “For us, as a football team, it’s about us remaining solid. We are not going to be divided by anything said by anyone. That’s the thing that I posted to our guys. I said, ‘If you feel the need to do anything, I’m going to be supportive of that. As Americans, you have that right.’ But whatever we do, we’re gonna do 100 percent, we’re gonna do together. We’re not gonna let divisive times or divisive individuals affect our agenda. This collection of men, we’re chasing something here in 2017, and we’re not gonna play politics with football players, with football coaches.”
“We’re not participating in the anthem today. Not to be disrespectful to the anthem, to remove ourselves from the circumstance. People shouldn’t have to choose. If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn’t be forced to choose sides. If a guy feels the need to do something, he shouldn’t be separated from his teammate who chooses not to. So we’re not participating today. That’s our decision. We’re gonna be 100 percent. We came here to play a football game. That’s our intentions, and we’re going to play and play to win.”
Trump started this national attack on the NFL Friday night at a campaign rally during which he called Colin Kaepernick a “son of a b*tch.” He has continued this war via Twitter, demanding players be fired if they refuse to stand for the Anthem. Trump claims players who silently protest by taking a knee are “disrespecting” America.
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