Arthur Blank releases statement after Trump's comments on NFL

ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL.

The statement reads:

“We are at our very best when we are working together, building unity and including everyone’s voice in a constructive dialogue. Creating division or demonizing viewpoints that are different than our own accomplishes nothing positive and undermines our collective ability to achieve the ideals of our democracy. The NFL has historically been a strong catalyst for positive change and I’m proud of the way our players, coaches and staff use that platform to give back to our community and strive to be good citizens making a positive impact on this and future generations.”

President Trump made comments about the NFL while supporting Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who he was stumping for in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'get that son of a b***h off the field right now - he's fired,'" Trump said.
"Some owner is going to do that," he said.

Trump said players' shows of disrespect are the main reason behind a decline in NFL ratings.

He also mentioned that the game has grown more litigious, with hard hits and other recurring incidents during a game now being penalized more often.

Trump riffed on a referee from last weekend, saying his wife was likely proud to see him on television so often as he penalized such tackles.

"They're ruining the game," he said of anthem-kneeling players and overly litigious officiating standards.