The NFL is mired in a tense standoff with President Donald Trump — and Robert Kraft is right in the thick of the dispute.
That was one revelation from a lengthy ESPN.com report published Sunday about the league’s handling of player protests during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which have drawn considerable ire from Trump.
Per authors Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, several NFL owners and players gathered in New York this week for a meeting to discuss the protests. And when one player noted Kraft’s continued support of Trump, the spotlight turned to the New England Patriots owner. From ESPN.com:
“Early on, one of the players pointedly told the assembled owners — in particular Kraft, who this year gave his longtime friend Trump a Super Bowl 51 champions’ ring — ‘We know a lot of you are in with Trump. This meeting is going on because the players think that some of the people that they work for are with his overall agenda, and that’s not in the players’ favor.’
“‘I’m not with Trump,’ (Miami Dolphins owner Stephen) Ross said, alluding to the president’s comments about the players. ‘And I don’t mind anyone printing that anywhere.’
“All eyes turned to Kraft, who had been one of the strongest advocates of hosting this meeting with players. He said that players, while within their rights to peacefully protest, needed to understand that, at the end of the day, the NFL was a business, and that everyone in the room needed to think about it that way and to think about the people they entertain.”
Kraft spoke out against Trump in a statement last weekend, but now, he apparently wants players to find a middle ground, toning down their protests so as not to offend NFL fans or the president, thus protecting the league’s business. Some players apparently didn’t agree with Kraft’s sentiment, observing that the owners were “afraid” of their players and frustrated that they weren’t able to control them.
The meeting progressed to include more “honest dialogue,” per Van Natta and Wickersham, who also noted the Patriots plan to stand Sunday for the national anthem before their game against the Carolina Panthers, but will “put one hand over their heart and the other around the shoulder of the nearest teammate.”
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
