Mike Ditka had an interesting take this week on the national anthem protests at NFL games, which spread this past weekend after President Donald Trump suggested that owners fire players who do so.
The Chicago Sun-Times quoted the NFL Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bears coach as saying that players should "just play football" and not be demonstrating against the American flag or Constitution.
"Listen. I'm too old for this," Ditka told Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed. "Look. Whoever you think is right, is right. But I don't believe you demonstrate against the American flag. I believe in the American flag. Or demonstrate against the Constitution. I believe in the Constitution.
"I'm old fashioned. There are other ways to get your point across. But I don't believe one should demonstrate against our country. Just play football. And that's the way I feel. And now I'd like to go back to my card game."
Ditka supported the president in the 2016 election, telling the Chicago Sun-Times in 2015 that he believed Trump was on the "right track," the Chicago Tribune noted.
"I do like Donald Trump," Ditka said then, per the Tribune. "I think he, sometimes he's gotta think a little bit more before he says things, but I think he's on the right track. I think that he has the fire in his belly to make America great again and probably do it the right way. I do like him, yes. I do like him."
More than 200 players took a knee during the national anthem last Sunday after Trump said during a rally that they should be fired for participating in the protest. The protests began last year when then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and then took a knee during the national anthem of his games to protest alleged police brutality against African-Americans.
Ditka's comments received a mixture of reactions on social media.