Famed former National Football League (NFL) head coach Mike Ditka is not a man for mincing words, and he’s got some things to say about the ongoing trend of rich, professional athletes refusing to do their jobs and entertain people in the name of “social justice.”
Talking with Newsmax TV’s Shaun Kraisman on September 14, Ditka had some sage advice for sportsballers disrespecting the American flag by kneeling during the national anthem: if you don’t like America, leave and find somewhere you’d be happier to call home.
“Football’s football. It’s not a complicated thing,” Ditka said. “You’re playing the game, you’re enjoying the game. You don’t like the game, get out of it. It’s not for protesting one way or the other. … I would tell those players go to another country and play football there. You don’t have to come out. You don’t have to come out if you go to another country. You can’t! Because the game’s only played in this country. And if you can’t respect this country, get the hell out of it.”
Ditka’s right, and everyone knows it. Democrats and liberals say they’re so miserable living in the U.S., but they don’t emigrate because they know—in their heart of hearts—that America’s the greatest country in the world.
There’s always room for improvement, but is the workplace the right place to talk about social-justice issues? No, it’s not. Just as you or I suit up and do our jobs every day without talking about our politics, it’s not unreasonable to expect that professional athletes keep their politics to themselves when it’s time to go to work.
Sports needs more coaches and players like Ditka to step up and say what real Americans are thinking, and fewer players complaining about the culture and country that’s been so gracious to them by keeping them safe and providing them with a job.
As the saying goes, “shut up and dribble!”