Matt Light “Ashamed” to be a Patriot as Team Protests National Anthem
September 25, 2017 by Cristina Laila 183 Comments
726Share64TweetEmail
NFL player protests exploded Sunday after President Trump lashed out at the players for kneeling during the national anthem on Friday while at a campaign rally for Senator Luther Strange (R-AL).
These NFL players protesting are disrespecting our Veterans who fought and bled for this country.
Sixteen Patriots players knelt during the National Anthem Sunday. Quarterback Tom Brady also came out against President Trump’s statements on the NFL Monday morning. “Yeah, I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive,” Brady told Boston’s WEEI hosts Kirk and Callahan.
Former Patriots left tackle Matt Light said he was “ashamed” to be a Patriot after Sunday’s protest and said he wasn’t the only one.
(Mapleville, RI 09/19/17) Matt Light, former New England Patriot and three time Super Bowl Champion talks to media during his 13th Annual Matt Light Celebratory Shoot Out. The event raises money to benefit at-risk youth. September 19, 2017 Staff Photo by Faith Ninivaggi.
Matt Light told the Boston Herald:
“If you think that it’s OK to take a knee during our national anthem and disrespect openly the national anthem, you are wrong,” Light said. “I don’t care if you have a ‘but what about’ or a ‘it’s because of,’ that doesn’t’ matter.”
The anthem kneeling “would have never happened during my time,” Light said. “As a guy that’s been there and helped set up the Patriot Way so they can walk in there and do what they do, it’s beyond disheartening. It’s the first time I’ve ever been ashamed to be a Patriot. And I promise you I’m not the only one.”
“We’ve never been those people. On the door going out it says ‘ignore the noise.’ It says ‘ignore the hype.’ It says ‘manage expectations.’ And it also says ‘speak for yourself.’ If that is not the Patriot Way anymore, then I am very disheartened and very upset. I’m also not saying that I’ll never be a Patriots fan. What I’m saying is I’m very ashamed.”
Light also said that he was watching the game with a 91-year-old Veteran and the wife of a SEAL team 6 member who was killed in action.
“His wife had to sit at her first NFL game and watch what these men chose to do. Her husband died, gave his life up so that they could do that.”