Trump has been a strident opponent of the NFL's anthem policy since it was introducedgetty images
President Trump showed that "he’s still unhappy with the NFL," as he called the league's new national anthem policy "worse" than its previous stance on the issue, according to Nick Bromberg of YAHOO SPORTS. Trump, speaking on Thursday night at political rally in Montana, said of the policy, “If you don’t respect the flag or you don’t like the country or whatever it is just go into the locker room. Just go into the locker room. I think in many respects that’s worse. Isn’t that worse than having them not standing?” Trump then "took a swipe" at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s salary and "tried to say that attention paid to himself on cable news was a big reason for the NFL’s television ratings decline" in '17. Trump: “This commissioner, where this guy comes from I have no idea. They’re paying him $40 million a year and their ratings are down 20 percent. You know why their ratings are down? Yes, the flag, but their ratings are down because people find politics -- in other words, hitting Trump incorrectly, but hitting Trump -- they find that to be much tougher, meaner and more interesting than watching a football game. They actually do.” However, Trump’s claim that the NFL "lost a fifth of its viewers" in '17 is "greatly exaggerated" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/5).
HERE WE GO AGAIN: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio wrote the point "continues to be that the President will continue to find ways to harass and to criticize the NFL, no matter what the NFL does" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/5). Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman tweeted, "Trump sees a nearly 70 percent black NFL as a ripe target for his base. And Goodell, and the owners, with their stupid anthem policy, handed Trump the issue on a platter." Black Sports Online's Robert Littal tweeted, "NFL really thought they were going to appease Trump, shows how delusional they are about things." Forbes' Maury Brown: "Goodell and the owners were such boobs for bowing under pressure from Trump." WFAN's Mike Francesa added, "I agree with President Trump regarding new NFL anthem policy. As I said the day it was announced 'how can anybody see this as a solution. The NFL has lost its way'" (TWITTER.com, 7/5).
