After a third week of league-wide protests, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally took a stand on the issue Wednesday, sending a letter to all 32 owners saying that players should stand for the anthem.
It didn’t take long for the controversial commissioner to make a move as fan outrage has reached its zenith, threatening viewership and sponsorship, which is what the NFL fears most. In the wake of Goodell’s overdue letter, President Trump has once again weighed in on the issue, praising the commissioner for siding against the protestors.
As reported at the Daily Mail, President Trump tweeted out his support of Goodell after it was revealed he sent out a memo encouraging players to “honor our flag and our country” during the national 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,” Trump tweeted.
Trump had tweeted Tuesday morning that the government should “change [the] tax law” because the league is “getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country.” On top of the president’s comments over the tax dollars the NFL utilizes, his press secretary also highlighted the issue on Tuesday.
“Billions of taxpayer dollars continue to subsidize the construction and renovation of professional sports stadiums,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.
“If this industry is going to use money from American taxpayers to build the very fields they play on, is it really too much to ask that they show respect for the American flag at the beginning of the game?”
“The federal tax law doesn’t apply here,” she clarified later. “But certainly we know that they receive tax subsidies on a variety of different levels.”
It’s no surprise Goodell came out against the protests after hearing these tacit threats directed towards such an important stream of money. The league’s incredibly dependent on tax dollars, so even a hint of a threat directed at cutting off subsidies is enough to get an immediate, favorable response from the commissioner.
It goes to show you what’s most important to the NFL. While the league’s reeling from fan anger, it took threats against their all-important subsidies to get the commissioner to finally make a move. It’s disappointing, but at least the memo might put an end to the clownish behavior on behalf of the players.
Source: Daily Mail