Michael Strahan says he would probably kneel during the anthem if he was still playing in the NFL

Michael Strahan said Monday that while he was still playing in the NFL, he would likely kneel at the national anthem. During her appearance at Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show, the Professional Football Hall of Fame cited her father's military service as saying that the events organized by Colin Kaepernick were not meant to disrespect anyone in the world. the armed forces.

Only a handful of NFL players have staged events this year, in August, during the pre-season games and during the first week of the regular season. However, the problem has continued to make headlines, in part because President Trump continues to talk about it and because Kaepernick was recently unveiled as the centerpiece of a major new Nike advertising campaign.

Asked by DeGeneres about the risk that Nike probably took to promote such a polarizing character, Strahan replied, "They are smart, they know what they do." The former defensive end of the Giants, become even more famous as that daytime presenter and co-presenter of "Good Morning America," said that according to his information, Nike has received more than $ 100 million in advertising through coverage of his Kaepernick campaign.

[Nike enjoys 31 percent bump in online sales after debut of Colin Kaepernick campaign]

The former 49ers quarterback has been out of the league since becoming a free agent in March 2017, and in a NFL complaint he accuses the owners of acting to keep him out of the league. . events to raise awareness of racial injustice and police brutality. A slogan accompanying the Nike campaign carries this message: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.

In the absence of Kaepernick last season, several NFL players continued to demonstrate, but few of them seemed inclined to do so during the first week of the NFL season. Marshawn Lynch of the Oakland Raiders sat before the game on Monday night, continuing to demonstrate how he had done last season. Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson of the Dolphins were the only players to kneel on Sunday at the anthem, as Kaepernick did. Michael Eagett of the Eagles took place towards the end of the anthem before the first game of the season. On Sunday, Robert Quinn of Miami and Marquise Goodwin of San Francisco would have brandished their fists and Demaryius Thomas and Brandon Marshall of Denver would have stayed away.

"If you still played football today, do you think you would take a knee or what do you think you would do?"

After jokingly saying that he still played football today, he would be "old as earth," replied Strahan. "You know, I do not know. I think I would have, I think I would have.

"I would have had a conversation with my father, and on the basis of this conversation and conversations, I've had with him, I'm sure I would have it," he said. pursued.

The 46-year-old, whose friendly nature made him a popular TV host and pitchman, added that he "would also have been proactive in getting more organized" because "there must be more than organization between players and owners. "

"When we look at other sports, they do it all together," Strahan said. "Football seems to be a divide between the players and the property, and they have to do it together in order to get the message out in the right way and not to let the message be diverted and turned into something that does not happen. never been wanted. be."

These comments echoed what Strahan did in an appearance on "Ellen" in October 2017. "You have the right to protest, but I think what's crazy is the reason for [NFL] the protests were completely lost in all this, "he said at the time. "… It's about racial inequality, it's not about the flag, it's about the lack of respect for the soldiers."

Several actors have expressed frustration that the point of protest has been lost amid a flood of criticism from Trump and others that those who engage in it lack respect for the flag and sacrifices of veterans. However, since last season, the NFL and groups of players have begun discussions on how to reach a resolution on the issue of demonstrations, without success.

[Malcolm Jenkins, the new face of NFL player protests, says ‘We’re really just at the beginning’]

In May, the league announced a new policy to end the protests, with players mandated to "stand up and show respect for the flag and the anthem". would have the option to stay in their respective locker room during the song.

This policy was suspended in July, but, as criticized by the NFL for attempting to impose it unilaterally, it chose to work with the players' union to reach a mutually acceptable solution. These talks have not yet succeeded, which means that the players have been free to organize demonstrations.

"It's one of the things you can do in this country, you can protest, and it's protesting against the injustices it's going to happen," Strahan said Monday at Kaepernick. "And I take my hat off because he really made sacrifices and put so many things online for others that he did not know who they were. He never met them, did not know them and put his life and career at stake. "

Noting the service of his father, a retired US Army Major, Strahan told DeGeneres: "I know why [Kaepernick] Knelt did not disrespect the military or anyone else in the military because I'm grateful. And when my father, who is 81 years old, can look at me and tell me that he was not offended, and that he understands, then how could I, who did not do this service, be offended?

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