NFL owner causes a stir with giant move in support of Trump
If there was one narrative that rose above the rest during the 2017 NFL season, it was the overwhelming disdain President Donald Trump and numerous Americans had for the league’s players who chose the national anthem as a platform for protests.
The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell became a frequent punching bag for Trump at both rallies and on social media.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now, he’s fired’?” Trump said about NFL anthem protesters during a rally in September.
“You know, some owner is going to do that,” the president continued. “He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country. Because that’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect for everything we stand for.”
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
…our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
Interestingly, as frosty as Trump’s relationship with players and Goodell became, he maintained some semblance of cordiality with several of the league’s owners.
One of the more well-known relationships Trump had with an NFL owner involved the New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft. The two seem to have a genuine friendship, as Kraft has recounted how Trump helped console him after Kraft’s wife, Myra, died after losing a battle to cancer.
One of the lesser-known owners that Trump has a relationship with? Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Ed Glazer, whose family owns both the Bucs and international soccer powerhouse Manchester United.
Glazer raised a lot of eyebrows when he threw an extravagant fundraiser for Trump on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Not only was it odd to see Trump chummy with an NFL owner, but from all indications it was quite a pricey affair. That means more funds raised for Trump.
Tickets to the fundraiser ranged from $35,000 to $250,000 per person. The cost of the event shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering that the Glazers’ mansion is in the same Beverly Park neighborhood as actors Denzel Washington and Sylvester Stallone.
More importantly, any potential Trump protesters were out of luck if they wanted to accost the president. Virtually all of the parking in the area was cordoned off.
All the public parking at scenic overlooks on Mulholland is a tow-away zone today bc of Trump fundraiser, said the nice LAPD officer before making me leave. pic.twitter.com/q1wNmVhuPS
— Seema (@LATSeema) March 13, 2018
Even if protesters could’ve parked nearby, the actual mansion was a significant distance away from the security gate.
This is the entrance to the gated community where President Trump will headline a fundraiser tonight. pic.twitter.com/lNtRg7bLT4
— Seema (@LATSeema) March 13, 2018
Glazer and his family donated $98,000 to Trump’s 2016 campaign and another $250,000 to his inauguration. Interestingly, Glazer also donated $5,400 to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Of note, in 2017, only two Bucs players protested the national anthem, and it only lasted for one game. Receivers Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson both knelt with their hands over their hearts during the national anthem in the team’s first game after Trump’s aforementioned September comments. Both Evans and Jackson stood for the national anthem the following week and did so for the remainder of the season.
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