Earlier this week, the NFL announced the implementation of a rule that requires players to stand for the National Anthem prior to the start of games if they come onto the field. It has sparked plenty of conversation around the league concerning the new regulation.
President Donald Trump chimed in to support the new rule while stating that anybody who doesn't stand for the National Anthem should leave the country. In response to that strong statement from Trump, Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver Doug Baldwin made his thoughts quite clear, per the News Tribune's Gregg Bell.
Asked about what Trump said, Baldwin said at Seahawks' headquarters in Renton: “He’s an idiot, plain and simple.
“I mean, listen, I respect the man because he’s a human being first and foremost, but he’s just being more divisive, which is not surprising. It is what it is. But for him to say that anybody who doesn’t follow his viewpoints or his constituents’ viewpoints should be kicked out of the country, it’s not very empathetic. It’s not very American-like, actually. It’s not very patriotic. It’s not what this country was founded upon.
“It’s kind of ironic of me that the President of the United States is contradicting what our country is really built on.”
Throughout his career, Baldwin has been one of the league's most outspoken players, and that has only increased over the last couple of years since Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest social injustice that minorities continue to face with law enforcement. Baldwin's comments likely echo what many of the players in the league feel about Trump's stance on the issue.
There is still a clear divide that the league has struggled to bridge between itself and its players over the last couple of years. This new rule regarding standing for the National Anthem with the option of staying in the locker room does not create any sort of meaningful resolution to it all, but rather more problems.
Until the NFL truly sits down to connect and find a better route to addressing this serious matter, there will continue to be underlying issues.
Follow Us
Subscribe