Mike Ditka, the NFL legend who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame back in 1988, has shared his thoughts about BLM protests and kneeling during the national anthem.
As the former football player and coach suggested, athletes who choose to take a knee during the anthem should “get the hell out of the country.”
The ‘Iron Mike’ opened up about his opinion on the matter in an interview with TMZ after being asked if he, as a commissioner, will permit X-League athletes to bend the knee during the anthem.
While Ditka admitted it is not in his power to stop players from kneeling, he suggested protesting against the country and the flag isn’t the right way.
“If it was up to me, I would say no. If you can’t respect the anthem, get the he** out of the country. That’s the way I feel,” he told TMZ.
“I’m old fashioned, I’m only going to say what I feel. I think there’s a way you protest and a way you don’t.
“You don’t protest against the flag and you don’t protest against this country, that’s given you the opportunity to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen. So I don’t want to hear all that cr**.”
In the last few months, amid nationwide protests against racial inequality sparked by George Floyd’s death, not only protesters but also athletes and police officers have been seen taking a knee as a show of solidarity.
While the supporters of the act believe this to be the right way to protest inequality in the country, critics, like Ditka, believe that protesting the flag and the country isn’t the right way to address the issue.
Replaced!