Yet Trump stood his ground. He attacked Goodell, wondering whether the commissioner was telling players “that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the national anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?” And he separately lashed out about a blossoming discussion about renaming military bases named after Confederate leaders.
The debate over kneeling during the national anthem began in 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the song in protest of police brutality and racial injustice. Trump fanned the flames of the issue, at one point calling for NFL owners to fire players for taking a knee.Around the same time, Trump praised NASCAR for resisting kneeling protests.
More broadly, the president has long aligned himself with the two leagues. Trump once tried to purchase an NFL team and counts some NFL owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, among his supporters and donors. Trump tapped New York Jets part-owner Woody Johnson as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. And he has praised the NASCAR-founding France family, some of whom are Trump donors, at political events.
Trump with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft at the White House. Kraft donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesAs part of that, NASCAR issued a statement banning the Confederate flag from all events, just hours before Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only top-tier black driver, made laps in a race car painted with “Black Lives Matter.
“In all sports, we have this big platform and we are speaking to millions of people every week, and have a devoted fan base and we need to lead,” France said.
React América! Biden for President.
He'll lose more. And not just on kneeling.
You should of stopped your headline at loses. 🙂
Not their fans.
Only two? Get ready to start counting!
It's about time!!!
It's about time they walk away from that bozo!!
Pivotal? Lol, stretching here I think
You mean, Trump is on the wrong side of of history and progress again? Shocking!
Scenario ... the maoists win the this round .. Leauges stop playing the anthem altogether, - file under dems ruin everything. But in (some) cities fans sing a loud impromptu version, if the haters have the balls to kneel, my bet is over half the fans walk for good.
Nascar and the NFL are the biggest losers.
Trump is right!!! God bless him!!!
Let’s see how the fans like it. Who cares About drivers in players
Я переживаю
Where were they 2 years ago?
SethAbramson
progress
Starrsea3 Also lost US soccer
Good🤡🤡🤡
7 NFL owners now have a Deep Change decision to make after contributing $1M to Trump 2016: callemout: 1. Woody Johnson, N.Y. Jets 2. Robert Kraft, Patriots 3. Jerry Jones, Cowboys 4. Daniel Snyder, Redskins 5. Shad Khan, Jaguars 6. Bob McNair, Texans 7. Stan Kroenke, L.A. Rams
SethAbramson Are they withholding their donations to his campaign?
Nascar without confederate flags is like NYC without theater or department stores.... well yeah, both true now....
SethAbramson
Wonder why.
All Trump’s stance hinge on racism. Has nothing to do with the flag or knee. It has to with who’s doing the protesting and why. Trump’s proved he’s an overt racist. The racists try to say that he’s not being “PC”. Racists don’t get to redefine racism. We call them Republicans.
SethAbramson Took them long enough...I wonder who else will discover that they have a conscience & leave Trump?
NASCAR is done, their consumer base just walked away.. the National Felons League will follow suit in a couple more years!
game over.
Race baiting again.
He doesn’t need them.
SethAbramson It’s unfortunate that the core supporters who have begun walking away are not willing to come out.
It’s a shame that there are people who don’t want to stand for their national anthem especially high paid athletes that were given the opportunity to become what they have from living in that country.
Join the growing crowd.
CheriJacobus
SethAbramson TrumpResignNow
Walk away from crazy, trumplicans. Maybe you can redeem yourselves one day for betraying your country.
Same ppl as before but the FANS more importantly the VOTERS haven't left. If anything this bs has made his support even stronger and the riots etc have made ppl turn deaf ear to the cause
Higgie0 Bout time they woke up,they get it lost wont be from Trump it will be from us and nascar is already losing its fame..
SethAbramson Well, Happy Birthday to HIM!
Trump's racism in this blood, just like this daddy Fred.
They will regret it nascar is already loosing.
Higgie0 As well as they should. Our rights are far more important than a ritual involving a song and a piece of fabric.
Trump2020
Higgie0 It’s time too. I never understood the NFL siding with a corrupt politician using them as a club to beat and pummel their valuable players. 🤔trumpcorruption
No matter how good childishly dishonoring everything that Trump honors makes one feel, it is a sure sign the nation is on the road to a hellish demise & deservedly so.
I love Trump. Taking a knee during the national anthem is a cowardly act!!!
SethAbramson WalkAwayFromTrump
Their loss!
Ummmm...... EVERYONE will be walking away from trump. He knows it but doesn’t want to hear it.
SethAbramson If the armed forces would take a knee in solidarity, it would be the final act necessary to rebuke trumps racism
The fat lady is yet to sing,though !
Both are tired of the threats from him and his supporters if they walk away from the NFL and Nascar good. Maybe they will find something constructive to do.
Way to stand tall Mr. President! When they start losing money and ratings, their tune will change. It always does.....
Trump will change venues and preside over the Golf Cart versus Jazzy Scooter race.
So lets get this clear nasblmcar bands the Confederate flag but allowes bubba to wear a defaced american flag while inviting veterans to the race , I WONDER HOW THE VETERANS WOULD FEEL WHEN THEY SEE THAT SHIT.
Nobody GAF
What’s there to challenge if people don’t watch I guess that’s where the challenge will be is how to get the fans back No Fans I guess they’ll have to take pay cuts
Go for what’s right.
They’re not standing up.
The NFL and NASCAR have made a MONSTER Mistake. They are so absorbed with the MOB that they ignored their PAYING FANS. Money talks!
Neither organization is serious. They are making zero efforts to hire black people into management. Take neither seriously until the face of the organization is black.
Believe me, the NASCAR an NFL are the ones losing. Armed forces will not authorized a dime on them
The NFL was never trumps ally
No....they are challenging there FANS/ PATRONS!!! and it will hurt them.... !!!
Anyone still watching NFL is a total loser
Trump was just at NASCAR flying low in AirforceOne. Now they kicking him in the arse! Way to go NASCAR and the NFL. The American people get to kick him last in November. Kick his ass out the WhiteHouse.
It’s all good, 45?has +70M allies to support him
Trump insulted fans who go to the bathroom or wait in line for beer during the national anthem because if you don't stand at attention in the stands, he thinks you hate the flag. TrumpDictatorship
Seems more like NFL and NASCAR are going to challenge their relationship with MILLIONS of fans
He loosing everything not only this organization?
He’ll have to find a new sport to follow. Badminton anyone?...
He's going to pick up his marbles and go home and sulk.
Let’s just create another crisis.
Trump2020
You know we are fucked when the NFL has higher moral standards than the POS squatting in the White House
They will go broke soon too
yeah im thinking they dont care about their relationship with him
NFL should require transgenders on all teams along with top management
He doesn't have 'relationships'. He has financial and political understandings. Commonly known as: quid pro quos. Even his marriages are based on these.
It might challenge his relationship with the organizations but it damn sure won’t challenge his relationship with the people that vote for him. These organizations have just cut their own profits greatly.
Do you how ridiculous this whole article sounds? How stupid is it that a President takes a side and that the side that he takes is the one that backs traitors who fought to LEAVE the union over 150 years ago?
May challenge the relationship that many USA citizens have with NFL and NASCAR. No Pledge of Allegiance during games etc. It was a gesture of celebrating and honoring our country and since it will now used as a gesture for denouncing it just time to stop.
I think that's their point. No longer electable? Good riddance Donny
Who cares !! trump is tonedeaf
Is the NFL planning on stopping abuse of cheerleaders too
Don’t worry Trump will hold his racist line against both
And they are losing thousands and thousands of viewers
Это правда?