Following the NFL controversy this weekend, former Cleveland Browns player, Jim Brown told TMZ Sports that he’s got a “big problem” with the football team of 8-year-olds that took a knee during the national anthem this week.
“I thought that was exploitation,” Brown said.
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The NFL legend has spoken out in the past against San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem demonstration, noting that the coaches and parents manipulated the children into emulating his gesture in Illinois on Sept. 17
“I don’t personally do anything against my country, against my flag, against my national anthem,” Brown said while out in Beverly Hills, California.
Brown goes on to say that he is someone who “works out the problems” and tries to “contribute” to the solution, telling TMZ, “I don’t ever disrespect the flag.”
According to WGN, every player on the Cahokia Quarterback Club football team under the age of 8 took a knee during the national anthem before a game on Sunday in protest of the St. Louis riots, along with the treatment of African-Americans and minorities.
“I felt like it was a good teaching moment for me to circle the team and have a meeting,” he said, adding he explained why the former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during anthems.
“One of the kids asked, ‘Can we do that?’ I said, ‘As long as we know why we’re doing it, I don’t have a problem with any of it,” he said.
Photo credit: Twitter / @NESN
