Broncos reaction:
Players take to social media to reply to comments by Trump.
After President Donald Trump called for the firing of NFL players who protest during the national anthem, league executives, owners, coaches and players all reacted strongly to the comments many described as “divisive.”
Broncos president/ceo Joe Ellis and some Broncos players were among those who weighed in.
“Our players have shown a tremendous commitment to raising awareness for important societal issues by using their platform in a positive way,” Ellis said. “In addition to their hard work off the field, we have great admiration for their dedication to making our team the absolute best it can be. They’ve made incredible sacrifices to reach this level, and we recognize they give their all to our team and fans each and every day.
“As an organization, we could not be more proud, appreciative and grateful for our players. We’ll continue to support them and work together to advocate for values of respect, diversity and inclusion.”
Inside linebacker Brandon Marshall, who took a knee for seven games during the national anthem last season to protest social injustice, retweeted a video clip of the president’s profane comment with the message “wow.”
Offensive lineman Max Garcia retweeted the same video of Trump and wrote: “What an emphatic response, where was this passion in response to Charlottesville.”
Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders penned a message to Trump on Instagram, admonishing him for his leadership style.
“@realdonaldtrump That’s not the way to lead. You’re the president of the greatest country on earth, but yet (you’re) acting and speaking like a child,” Sanders wrote. “There are ways to express how you feel, but to degrade someone as a son of a bitch is intolerable and inhuman. I defended you at first to my family and my friends (saying) that they should give you a chance, but now (you’re) proving them to be right. I am highly disappointed!”
And outside linebacker Shane Ray interacted with Twitter users Saturday afternoon, including one who told Ray, “I’m not sure you understand the meaning of the national anthem and respect.”
Ray’s response, in a string of tweets: “Wrong, my grandfather was in the military. Served in the army (in) WW2. If he could see how the president of the country he fought for treated his people and people of color he would stand with his fist high or take a knee right along with the others fighting for a voice.
“The heart of America is our military. There are multicultural people fighting together for us beyond what we see here at home. Those same people will come home and be discriminated against regardless of (their) military sacrifice. Simply because of the color of their skin.”
At a rally in Alabama, Trump had said: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired! He’s fired!’ ”