On Sept. 24, two days after President Trump said NFL owners should fire players who "disrespect the flag," 17 players knelt during the national anthem as a show of unity. Following a team meeting, the players decided to stand together with one hand over their heart and the other on the shoulder of the teammate next to them. Patriots owner Bob Kraft, in a recent interview with Chris Wagner Men Jersey the BBC that centered around , said that, like Trump, it's very important to respect the flag. But unlike the president, Kraft doesn't think it should come at the expense of . "The greatest enemy in sport is division from within," Kraft said. "I personally feel it's very important to respect our flag and our anthem. But I also respect the right of people in this country to make statements or protests, peacefully, Jakob Silfverberg Women Jersey in a way that's appropriate to them. "I think there were some comments made about what our young men were doing that were a little inflammatory and inappropriate, and I thought I had to speak out. I spoke to the team, and I told them that they were free to do what they Jacob Larsson Women Jersey thought was correct as long -- I try to bring unity and bring things together, and part of that is respecting how other people think. Even if it's genuine, even if it's different than the way I speak; the way you build team and you build succe s is to let people be themselves." Kraft, who is a close friend to Trump and donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration celebration, . "I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday," Kraft said in Sept. 24 statement. "I am proud to be a sociated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together Cam Fowler Kids Jersey and make our community stronger." Meanwhile, Kraft doesn't think Kaepernick, who has been a free agent since the offseason and hasn't had a single workout with an NFL team despite the dearth of quality quarterbacks, is being blackballed. "I have never heard anyone talk about blocking Kaepernick or excluding him," Kraft said. Asked if Kaepernick will get another chance to play in the NFL, Kraft added, "I would think that's a po sibility Ryan Getzlaf Men Jersey ." Not everyone agrees, including quarterback , : "I think Kaepernick should be on a roster right now. I think because of his protests, he's not."