It might not be the best idea to make a racially insensitive analogy about a highly publicized meeting about racial inequality, but one NFL owner reportedly managed to do that.
More than two dozen NFL representatives and players met Oct. 17 in New York to discuss the issues behind the league-wide national anthem protests, which include the mistreatment of minorities by police officers and general racial inequalities. Texans owner Bob McNair likely didn’t endear himself to the players with his reaction to the meeting.
McNair was one of the NFL’s 11 representatives at the meeting. The following day, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell convened all 32 owners and the previous day’s meeting was discussed.
“We can’t have the inmates running the prison,” McNair said to the other NFL owners one day after the meeting, according to ESPN.
The image of an NFL owner using that analogy after a meeting with players to discuss these issues, which included — per an NFL memo obtained by ESPN — “criminal justice reform, law enforcement and community engagement” is not likely to help the league’s desire to ease tensions.
Troy Vincent, currently the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, was not happy with McNair’s comment, going as far as saying he’d been called many names, including the N-word, while playing in the league but he never felt like an “inmate.”
McNair released a statement Friday morning after his comments became public.
“I regret that I used that expression,” McNair’s statement said. “I never meant to offend anyone and I was not referring to our players. I used a figure of speech that was never intended to be taken literally. I would never characterize our players or our league that way and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”
It wasn’t the only questionable thing a team owner said the day after the meeting. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and Cowboys boss Jerry Jones — who were not invited to the meeting with the players — both spoke about the business impact the national anthem protests were having.
While Jones was speaking, Snyder added: “See, Jones gets it — 96 percent of Americans are for guys standing.” This claim was not well received, according to ESPN.
The reaction to the original players-owners meeting from its participants was mixed. A couple of players said immediately afterward that they felt it was a productive meeting, and some important issues were raised.
Chargers left tackle Russell Okung has since voiced his displeasure with inactivity by the owners on those issues discussed. Jets linebacker DeMario Davis made it clear during the meeting that this was something the players were concerned with, according to ESPN.
“I’m going to break it down for you guys,” Davis said. “You guys aren’t supporting us, and until you do, there’s going to be an issue.”
The next meeting reportedly is set for Oct. 31 in New York. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who ignited the movement by sitting and then kneeling during the anthem last season, is expected to attend.