Ditka apologizes for comment on racial oppression
Mike Ditka has apologized for saying he wasn’t aware any racial oppression over the last 100 years in the United States. The famed Chicago Bears coach came under fire for making the comments during a radio interview on Monday about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. He issued an apology the next day, saying he was talking about professional football and not society as a whole.
“I have absolutely seen oppression in society in the last 100 years,” the Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning coach said in statement to WGN-TV in Chicago. “The interview was about the NFL and related issues. That’s where my head was at.”
The interview aired before the Chicago Bears played the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
The 77-year-old old Ditka has previously made harsh comments about players who take a knee, which has sparked fierce debate about issues such as patriotism and protest. He said he would bench players who didn’t stand during the anthem.