Trump slams NFL for not forcing players to stand for US anthem
Washington: US President Donald Trump slammed the National Football League (NFL) again on Wednesday for not forcing players to stand for the national anthem.
Trump waded back into the anthem controversy with an early morning tweet after NFL team owners and player representatives met in New York on Tuesday.
“The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of our National Anthem,” Trump said. "Total disrespect for our great country!"
The meeting between owners and players ended with no agreement on the thorny issue of protests during "The Star-Spangled Banner," which has bitterly divided the sport and fans of the game.
A joint statement released by the NFL and the NFL Players Association described the meeting in New York as "productive."
“NFL executives and owners joined NFLPA executives and player leaders to review and discuss plans to utilize our platform to promote equality and effectuate positive change,” the statement said. “We agreed that these are common issues and pledged to meet again to continue this work together.”
The statement also stressed that “everyone who is part of our NFL community has a tremendous respect for our country, our flag, our anthem and our military”.
