NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka has a blunt message for the players who are kneeling for the national anthem.
The former Chicago Bears head coach, who played in the NFL from 1961-72, is not one of those people who agrees with athletes protesting during the Anthem and he sent a message loud and clear while speaking with TMZ.
“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,” Ditka told TMZ Sports. “That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say what I feel.”
Ditka says he’s views kneeling as a slap in the face to the red, white and blue.
“You don’t protest against the flag and you don’t protest against this country who’s given you the opportunities to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen,” Ditka says. “So, I don’t want to hear all the crap.”
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The six-time All-Pro as a player took issue with kneeling back in 2016.
“I have no respect for Colin Kaepernick – he probably has no respect for me, that’s his choice” Ditka said of Colin Kaepernick in 2016. “My choice is, I like this country, I respect our flag, and I don’t see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on.”
