Rex Ryan: "I supported Donald Trump, and I'm appalled at [his] comments."
By Jason Lisk
Donald Trump has certainly increased NFL talk in the last few days. After his comments at a rally on Friday night, numerous athletes have spoken out, and forms of protest are ramping up. Ray Lewis–who had met with Trump and criticized Colin Kaepernick in the past–joined the Baltimore Ravens in taking a knee in London this morning.
Today on ESPN, Rex Ryan, who participated with Donald Trump during campaign events, said:
"“I’m pissed off, I’ll be honest with you. Because I supported Donald Trump. You know, I sat back and when he asked me to introduce him at a rally in Buffalo, I did that. But I read these comments, and it’s appalling to me, and I’m sure it’s appalling to almost any citizen in our country, and should be. I mean, you know, calling our players S.O.B.’s and all of that kind of stuff. That’s not the men that I know. The men that I know in the locker room I’m proud of. I’m proud to be associated with those people.”"
The anthem protests were not popular, with more than half of the country not agreeing with them. That said, if you go by poll numbers, neither is Donald Trump. With these comments and rallying a larger swath of NFL figures, speaking out has now become a larger referendum on Trump.