NBA coach attacks NFL boss

NFL boss Roger Goodell is sharply criticized by NBA coach Gregg Popovich. The trigger is his behaviour in the “Kaepernick case”. Pop” also attacks the team owners.

Heavy criticism from Gregg Popovich, coach of the NBA team San Antonio Spurs, for NFL boss Roger Goodell.

“A smart man runs the NFL, but he didn’t understand the difference between the flag and what makes this country great, all the men who fought to allow Colin Kaepernick to kneel for justice,” Popovich told the New York Times.

He added: “The flag is irrelevant. It’s just a symbol that people get for political reasons.”

Goodell had threatened the players with stiff penalties in 2016 if they followed Kaepernick’s example and kneeled during the anthem. Popovich explained that Goodell was “intimidated” when US President Donald Trump condemned the players’ kneeling, after which the NFL boss “caved in”.

Recently, Goodell had published a video in which he encouraged players to “peaceful protest”, but he did not mention Kaepernick’s name. Trump questioned Goodell’s statements two days later.

Popovich criticizes NFL team owner: “Hypocritical”
NBA legend Popovich also took to his chest the seven NFL team owners who had supported Trump’s campaign for president with $1 million each.

“It’s hypocritical. It doesn’t make sense. People aren’t blind. Do they now go to their staff and their team and talk about injustice and democracy and how they protest? I don’t understand it. I think they have put themselves in an intolerable position,” Popovich said.

In the course of the massive protests following the death of George Floyd, numerous NFL players had already announced that they would kneel at the national anthem next season to protest against racism.