President Trump has "volleyed his inevitable response" to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell following Goodell's 81-second video statement released Friday evening "pronouncing Black Lives Matter and admitting the league was 'wrong' in its handling of player protests," according to Jack Baer of YAHOO SPORTS. Trump last last night took to Twitter and "questioned Goodell's statement, specifically asking if it meant that the league would allow players to protest during the national anthem." Trump "poked at the NFL last week as well, specifically in the direction of Saints QB Drew Brees (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Andrew Beaton writes Goodell's message "could prove thorny ahead of a season that promises escalated political tensions against the backdrop of a presidential election." Multiple execs said that they "expected renewed, broad player protests and couched it as an inevitability." Beaton writes Goodell had been "moving toward making a big statement for a week," but the league's efforts to "show that it understands the issue were haunted by the memory" of the Colin Kaepernick case (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/8).
WHITE HOUSE RELATIONS: In N.Y., Ken Belson wrote Goodell in the video offered his "strongest support yet for the players seeking to fight racism and police brutality." But his statement "in support of peaceful protests could inflame the relationship between the league" and Trump (N.Y. TIMES 6/6). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Beaton noted Goodell with the video "took a much different stance on the issue of player protest than he has in the past." His comments were "planned before Trump tweeted" on Friday about Brees and kneeling during the anthem, and he "didn't address Trump's comments but confronted the concerns raised by players in recent days" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/6). YAHOO SPORTS' Terez Paylor wrote, "In the past, the NFL has appeared to go to great lengths to stay out of the crosshairs of Trump, who has been antagonistic toward kneeling NFL players. But now, here Goodell was, siding with players in spite of Trump" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/6). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan wrote if Goodell "meant what he said," he has "changed the nation's most popular sports league forever." Trump-supporting NFL owners "cannot be happy," but this is "bigger than them, bigger than their league." If it is a choice between Trump and Kaepernick, Goodell "made the right call." Brennan: "He chose peaceful protest. He chose Black Lives Matter. He chose his players" (USA TODAY, 6/6).
PRESSURE ON OWNERS: USA TODAY's Mike Jones wrote now the "pressure falls on the owners of America’s most powerful sports league," who "must bring validity to Goodell’s words." It will "take time to see what kind of action follows before players, coaches and fans learn just how strongly the NFL believes that black lives matter, and just how badly the league wants to be a part of the sorely needed change" (USA TODAY, 6/7). ESPN’s Ryan Clark said for the NFL to be taken seriously on its pledge to support Black Lives Matter, team owners “need to be visible.” Clark: “They need to be side-by-side with their players as they’re doing outreach. ... They have to get their faces out there” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 6/7). NBCSPORTS.com's Mike Florio wrote although Goodell "encourages players to 'peacefully protest' during the video, some owners may try to reserve the right to say 'you can protest all you want, just not during the anthem'" (NBCSPORTS.com, 6/6). ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano wrote if there continue to be owners who are “dug in on this issue -- as there were in 2018 -- there’s a chance that things could get touchy in some places between now and September" (ESPN.com, 6/5).
WILL JERRY JONES SPEAK OUT? In Ft. Worth, Mac Engel noted the Cowboys have "finally spoken" on the issue with a video over the weekend, but Owner Jerry Jones, the "most powerful man in the league, and all of sports, has not said a word." The NFL is "no longer on the side of the president of the United States in this matter, which puts Jerry Jones in an awkward position." But the question "isn’t whether Jerry will say something." The "question is whether Jerry will do something." Until Jones "does something, and he prods his beloved NFL into doing more than just talk, these are nothing more than a collection of nice statements" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/7).
