The National Football League re-aired a one-minute advertisement about football’s power to unite people on Sunday night’s game broadcast.
The ad, which as originally produced for this year’s super bowl, was re-aired this week in response to President Donald Trump’s renewed criticism of the league.
On Sunday he created a Twitter firestorm when he accused some football players of disrespecting the flag and the country by kneeling during the national anthem.
‘We think this is the single-best response to demonstrate what we are about,’ a league spokesman told CNN.
The National Football League re-aired a one-minute advertisement about football’s power to unite people on Sunday night’s game broadcast
The ad, which as originally produced for this year’s super bowl, was re-aired this week in response to President Donald Trump’s renewed criticism of the league
The ad, which is narrated by actor Forrest Whitaker and called Inside These Lines, says that Sunday night football brings people together from all different backgrounds.
‘Inside these lines, we don’t have to come form the same place to help each other reach the same destination,’ Whitaker narrates.
‘Inside these lines, we may have our differences, but recognize there’s more that unites us.’
The division between Trump and the league gained momentum on Friday night when he called protesters ‘sons of b*****s’ during a speech in Alabama.
During the speech he said any player who protests racism by kneeling during the national anthem is a ‘son of a b****’ and that, if they choose to protest in that way, they should be fired.
This manner of protest started before the 2016 season when quarterback Colin Kaepernick used his public platform to protest police brutality and racism.
The ad, which is narrated by actor Forrest Whitaker and called Inside These Lines, says that Sunday night football brings people together from all different backgrounds
‘Inside these lines, we don’t have to come form the same place to help each other reach the same destination,’ Whitaker narrates
‘Inside these lines, we may have our differences, but recognize there’s more that unites us’
On Sunday more than 150 NFL players joined in on that protest by taking a knee, sitting down, raising a fist into the air, linking arms or just not coming out of the locker room during the national anthem.
Players from both the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars were the first to protest by taking a knee ahead of their game at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday morning. No players were kneeling during the playing of God Save The Queen – the British national anthem.
The defiance against Trump continued as games kicked off across the country with an unprecedented number of players kneeling and most teams in the early afternoon games locking arms in solidarity.
At least 20 Patriots players were spotted kneeling as Tom Brady linked arms with his teammates.
Pittsburgh Steelers players were absent from the sideline and remained in the locker room during the Star Spangled Banner. Alejandro Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan, was the only Steelers’ player to stand outside the tunnel for the anthem.
The protests from each team came in the wake of Trump’s critical remarks toward players who don’t stand for the anthem. Last week across the entire NFL, only four players knelt or sat, and two stood with their fists raised.
Players from the Seahawks and Titans remained in their locker rooms ahead of their game in Nashville on Sunday afternoon. The Seahawks walked onto the field arm in arm as members of the crowd booed.
Detroit Lions defensive end Armonty Bryant (97), defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson (91) and defensive end Cornelius Washington (90) take a knee alongside their teammates
All of the players for the Green Bay Packers locked arms during the national anthem before they took on the Cincinnati Bengals
Some members of the Oakland Raiders sit on the bench during the national anthem on Sunday night .The whole team and the coaches were in solidarity, either sitting or linking arms during the singing
Washington Redskins tight end Niles Paul (84) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (52) and Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Carter (55) kneel with teammates during the playing of the national anthem. Every member of the team and the coaches either took a knee or linked arms during the singing
The President took to Twitter on Sunday afternoon following the protests, tweeting: ‘Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!’
‘Courageous Patriots have fought and died for our great American Flag – we MUST honor and respect it! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’
Later in the afternoon Trump gave an impromptu press conference from the tarmac at Morristown Municipal Airport – where he arrived to board Air Force One and head back to DC after a weekend in Bedminster.
He addressed the controversy over athletes kneeling to say his criticism has ‘nothing’ to do with race.
On Sunday evening Trump told reporters that his criticism has ‘nothing’ to do with race, saying: ‘I never said anything about race. ‘This has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country and respect for our flag’
Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon after at least 130 players protested during the national anthem
‘This has nothing to do with race. I never said anything about race. This has nothing to do with race or anything else. This has to do with respect for our country and respect for our flag,’ he told reporters.
During the conference he also doubled down on calls for players who protest the flag to be fired, saying: ‘It’s very disrespect to our flag and to our country, so I certainly think the owners should do something about it.’
When asked about Robert Kraft’s comments, Trump said he thought it was ‘okay’ that the Patriots owner was disappointed in him, saying: ‘He has to take his ideas and go with what he wants.
‘I think it’s very disrespectful to our country. I think it’s very disrespectful to our flag.’
On Sunday the owner, who has previously been forward about his friendship with the president, said the comments ‘deeply disappointed’ him.