Response to Trump Made NFL’s Roger Goodell ‘Proud of Our League’

Columnist Peter King weighs in on protest debate in 'Monday Morning QB' column.

Roger Goodell
CANTON, OH - AUGUST 4, 2016: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner on August 4, 2016 at the Canton Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
Diamond Images/Getty Images

After President Trump’s speech and follow-up tweets in which he slammed the NFL protests and the league’s response to them, Commissioner Roger Goodell had some choices. He could’ve stayed silent. He could’ve also made some heads roll. He could’ve also had a publicist handle with the situation.

Instead, he decided to fight back: Speaking to Sports Illustrated‘s Peter King, Goodell said, “The way we reacted today, and this weekend, made me proud. I’m proud of our league.”

This, after his official response to Trump’s comments the other night, which, in part, read: “Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”

How did the league’s players respond to Trump’s controversial comments? They laid it on even harder—upping the number of silent pregame protests by players from about 10 the week before to more than 250. As King asks rhetorically, “How would you guess strong and principled men would respond to anyone, never mind the president, calling them SOBs?”

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!