NFL players should not protest during the national anthem: Fmr. Patriots owner

Former New England Patriots owner Charles Sullivan on Monday said NFL players shouldn’t protest during the national anthem.

“The appropriate place to protest is to run for office or join the social media, do those kinds of things. The appropriate place to protest is not during the national anthem of a nationally televised game, for the fans who are looking forward to seeing football,” he told FOX Business’ Liz Claman on “Countdown to the Closing Bell.”

During a rally in Alabama on Friday, President Trump slammed NFL players who choose to kneel during the national anthem. He also tweeted that NFL players should be “fired or suspended” for “disrespecting our flag and country.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady criticized Trump’s comments, calling them “divisive.” Sullivan believes there are two giant disconnects between the NFL players and President Trump.

“When he [President Trump] made that statement, he didn’t realize what an impact that would have and the players also didn’t realize what they were doing would also have a negative impact,” he said.

Sullivan said that NFL players need to express more solidarity with the U.S. military.

“The players instead of expressing solidarity among themselves, it would be my hope that they would express solidarity with the soldiers who made it possible to have the wonderful nation that we have. The soldiers who died, the soldiers who are hurt [and] the soldiers who are currently serving,” he said.