Legendary former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has revealed he doesn't support athletes kneeling during the national anthem.
When asked what the policy on kneeling would be for his women’s football X-League during an interview with TMZ, Ditka said athletes who choose to kneel should "get the hell out of the country."
"That’s the way I feel," he said. "Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say how I feel."
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the 2016 season in support of Black Lives Matter.
“I think there’s a way you protest, and I think there’s a way you don’t protest," Ditka said. "You don’t protest against the flag, and you don’t protest against this country who’s given you the opportunity to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen."
More recently, MLB teams have made headlines for holding black ribbons, or kneeling during the anthem in support of Black Lives Matters protests. The NBA has also released images of courts painted with “Black Lives Matter” for their upcoming return to play.
