PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – In an interview with former TMZ Sports player and coach Mike Ditka, he called the national anthem “disrespectful” arrogant.
“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get out of the country,” Ditka said in the interview. “This is how I feel. Of course, I’m old-fashioned, so I’m just going to say what I feel. “
This occurs in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement recognized by leagues like MLB, WNBA, NBA and others after George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota.
“You do not protest against the flag and you do not protest against this country that has given you the opportunity to earn a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen,” Ditka continued. “So I don’t want to hear all the crap.”
The purpose of the interview was to promote an upcoming women’s soccer league, “The X League,” in which Ditka will be president.
In the interview, Ditka said he doesn’t have the final say on The X League’s national anthem policies and that what he was saying is just his personal feelings.
Mike Ditka played football in high school and college here in the Pittsburgh area. First with Aliquippa and then Pitt, where he now has his jersey number removed and was inducted into the Soccer Hall of Fame in 1988.
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