WATCH: Coach Ditka on Anthem Protests: 'If You Can't Respect This Country, Get the Hell Out of It'
Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has reiterated his disgust over NFL players who protest during the national anthem, telling them if they don’t like the U.S.A., they should “go to another country.”
In an interview on Newsmax TV on Monday, the Hall of Fame coach once again wagged his finger at the “privileged” players who have become incredibly wealthy playing football.
“Football’s football. It’s not a complicated thing. You’re playing the game, you’re enjoying the game. You don’t like the game, get out of it,” Ditka told host Shaun Kraisman.
NFL 🏈: Hall-of-Fame coach Mike Ditka tells protesting players that if 'they can't respect this country, get the hell out of it.' [with Newsmax TV's @ShaunKraismanhttps://t.co/VlT7z8drtO] pic.twitter.com/E3jPCBrMdt
— Newsmax (@newsmax) September 14, 2020
“It’s not for protesting one way or the other. What color you are, what you think, this or that,” Ditka continued. “You play football. That’s it. You’re privileged. You got a gift from God that you can play the game because you got a body you can do it with. I don’t really understand what you’re protesting. I played the game. I coached the game for a long time. It makes no sense to me.
“You got to get down on your hands and knees and thank God every night that you can make the kind of money you can make playing football,” Ditka said.
The man immortalized in Chicago as “Da Coach” then slammed those protesting and, as he has in past interviews, he went on to tell them to get out of the U.S.A. if they hate it here so much.
“I would tell those players go to another country and play football there,” he said. “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.”
The coach delivered this same sentiment during an interview in July, as well.
As he did with Newsmax, in an interview with TMZ Sports, Ditka blasted the athletes demonstrating against the country that has given them so much.
“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,” Ditka said. “That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say what I feel.”
Millions of fans seem to be lining up on Ditka’s side over this point as the NFL’s TV ratings have cratered nearly 30 percent since it has gone all-in for Black Lives Matter propaganda.
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