Hall of Fame NFL coach and Pitt Panther Mike Ditka said athletes who kneel during the national anthem should “get the hell out of the country.”
Ditka, 80, reiterated his stance after strongly criticizing former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others for starting the solidarity movement with Black Lives Matter back in 2016, the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd hasn’t changed Ditka’s outlook, New York Post reports.
In an interview with TMZ Sports about his women’s pro football X League, Ditka was asked if his players would be allowed to kneel during the national anthem.
“No,” he replied.
“That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned,” the former broadcaster went on. “So, I’m only going to say what I feel … You don’t protest against the flag, and you don’t protest against this country who’s given you the opportunities to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen. So, I don’t want to hear all the crap.”
Both MLB and NBA leagues have granted players the opportunity to voice their support of the BLM movement through their uniforms and other apparel worn during warm-ups.