Photo: TheEllenShow/YouTube
IfMichael Strahanwas still playing football, he believes that he would join in the take a knee protests.
Theformer NFL star, 46, talked about the movement onThe Ellen DeGeneres Showthis week. WhenDeGeneresasked if he would kneel, Strahan replied, “I think I would have. I would have had a conversation with my father… and based on that conversation, and conversations I’ve had with him, I’m pretty sure I would have.”
TheGood Morning Americahostexplained to DeGeneres the personal reason that his father’s views influence his thoughts on the movement.
Strahan praised Kaepernick’s leadership. He continued, “One of the things you can do in this country is you can protest, and he’s protesting injustices that he sees happening. And I take my hat off to him because he really did sacrifice and put so much on the line for other people that he had no idea who they were. He’s never met them, does not know them, and he put his whole life and career on the line.”
Strahanhas opened up on the topic before. In October 2017, during another appearance onEllen, Strahan said, “I think the crazy thing is, the reason for the protest has been completely lost in all of this.”
“It’s kind of like, ‘Look over here and we’re gonna make it really what it isn’t.’ It’s about racial inequality, it’s not about the flag, it’s not about disrespecting soldiers,” Strahan continued. “I just wish that people would see the real reason behind it.”
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Strahan did offer a critique on his recent trip toEllen. “I also would have been proactive in getting it more organized,” he said. “Because I do believe that there needs to be more organization between the players and the ownership… They need to get that together in order to get the message out there in the right way and not letting the message become hijacked and turned into something that it was never intended to be.”
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty
In 2016, Kaepernick explained his protest. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Nikesaw a 31 percent sales increaseafter releasinga commercial starring Kaepernickearlier this month, as well asan ad that says, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
source: people.com
