WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The National Football League (NFL) reiterated Wednesday that all players "should" stand during open game anthems, siding with the White House in a war of words between the president and athletes.
"I think our clubs all see this the same way -- we want our players to stand, we're going to encourage them to stand and we're going to continue to work on these issues in the community," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"The fact is that we have about half a dozen players that are protesting. We hope and continue to work to try to put that at zero," he said after meeting a collection of players, club owners and NFL executives.
Goodell said the meeting convened Tuesday to "promote equality and effectuate positive change," focusing on "discussion about the national anthem."
Though Goodell refrained from stating that the NFL would take mandatory measures to make players stand during the playing of the national anthem, the statement sent out a clear message that kneeling during national anthems to show protest is heavily frowned upon in the sports league.
The statement marked a clear-cut win for U.S. President Donald Trump, who said that athletes who refused to stand during national anthem was disrespectful to the nation and its servicemen.
"I think it's certain a step in the right direction," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders commented on the NFL's move during a press briefing Wednesday.
"As we've said many times before, the president supports standing for the national anthem, saluting the flag, and honoring those men and women in uniform that fight to protect it," she said.
But the remarks seems not enough for the U.S. president, who expressed his displeasure at the reluctance to impose mandatory measures.
"The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of the National Anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!" Trump said in a tweet, adding that the NFL gave "too much talk, not enough action" in another tweet later.
Colin Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers became the first player to stage protests during the national anthems against alleged police brutality and unfair treatment for blacks. Later other players joined in. Goodell said currently about half a dozen players are protesting.
Trump brought the protest to public eyes several weeks ago with fiery tweets at athletes who refused to stand during national anthems, calling them unpatriotic.
Trump called on the NFL to fire the protesting players during a rally, and said Monday in a White House press conference that the NFL should have suspended some of these players for one game and more games for repeated offenses.
"All you have to do is look at their ratings and look at their stadiums, you see empty seats where you never saw them before. A lot of people are very angry at it," Trump said.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence walked out of a football game in Indiana when players kneeled on the field, heightening the tension between the government and the sport.
According to U.S. media reports, the NFL is split on what to do in face of the protests and the feud with Washington. While some supported the players' right to voice their opinion, others say they are against any form of disrespect for the U.S. military and its flag.
