The president of the Green Bay Packers has strong words about the issue of protests during the national anthem and the way President Donald Trump has treated NFL players.
"Early in the (2017) season when the President called our players 'sons of bitches' and encouraged us to fire them, it's not good," Mark Murphy told WTMJ's Greg Matzek in an interview during Sports Central on Wednesday.
"It's divided our fans. It's divided the country. It's not good. The sooner we can move past it, the better."
Murphy initially criticized the President in September 2017 when Trump made those controversial words about NFL players, first led by Milwaukee-native Colin Kaepernick, protesting racial conditions in America while the anthem played before games.
"Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired. He's fired!", the President suggested to NFL owners in September.
The President is staying Wednesday night in Milwaukee before appearing at the Foxconn groundbreaking event Thursday in Racine County.
After the NFL changed its policy about the national anthem, allowing players to stay in the locker room during the anthem but fining teams if players protested during the anthem,President Trump showed anger at the policy and further stated that players "maybe shouldn't be in the country."
"This is an issue that plays right to his base," explained Murphy on Wednesday.
"I think we had a good discussion (among owners). It wasn't unanimous in terms of the owners with what we should do. What we came up with was a compromise. If you really don't feel like you can stand on the sidelines, you can stay in the locker room. Then, if there is a violation of the policy, the league fines a club."
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