A new article from Sports Illustrated outlined the Trump effect on the decision by the NFL to change their policy on The National Anthem.
Donald Trump did come up. “Oh yeah,†Packers president Mark Murphy said, laughing, when I asked him. “It was more how [Trump] might react, anticipating that. Also, how the fans will react, how the media will react. That’s what we tried to think through. … No matter what we did, [Trump] would probably try to get involved one way or the other—either criticizing us or taking credit for the change.â€
The point, though, wasn’t belabored. One owner recalled Trump’s name coming up three times, and never for any extended time. As Cowboys owner Jerry Jones explained it to me, “[Trump] certainly initiated some of the thinking, and was a part of the entire picture. But all of that was given consideration.â€
Yesterday the NFL put in place a new policy that would fine the owners of any team that had players who kneeled during the National Anthem. This new report will certainly raise questions surrounding Trump, the President of The United States impact on a privately owned companies, such as the NFL and all of its teams.
