Stick to sports and 'leave politics alone': Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry criticizes NFL players' anthem protests and calls president Donald Trump 'a great man' whom 'we all need to support'
BY Alex Raskin
Daily Mail
September 13, 2017
Former New York Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry does not approve of NFL players protesting the national anthem and he firmly believes president Donald Trump is 'a great man' whom 'we all need to support.'
'The national anthem stands for what America is all about regardless of what's happening,' the eight-time All-Star told the Fox Business Network.
In a pair of interviews with the channel on Tuesday and Wednesday, Strawberry was asked about NFL players protesting police violence against minorities by refusing to stand during the national anthem; and about suspended ESPN personality Jemele Hill, who referred to Trump as a 'white supremacist' in a recent tweet.
'I would tell them, really leave the politics alone as far as your job,' Strawberry said when asked about the anthem protests in the NFL. 'You go out and do your job and play sports because you only really have [a] one-time window open to play sports and have an impact and sports is going to pass away. But what legacy will you leave in life? And that's the most important thing.'
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the trend of protesting police violence against minorities during the 2016 preseason, when he was still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Since that time, players across the NFL have followed in a variety of ways. Some, such as Seattle
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett have remained seated on the bench during the anthem whereas others have stood with one fist raised in the air.
Strawberry did not specifically name any current athletes, and stressed that he has no problem with any of the people who have chosen to take a knee during the national anthem.
The problem, as Strawberry sees it, is that the protests are becoming divisive.
'I wouldn't do it and I'm not against guys that are doing it, but we have a problem in America, and we need to come together as people, not color but as people,' Strawberry said. 'And we need to understand that God has a perfect plan for all of us to come together and love each other and really work together. And I think when we work against each other, it separates us.'
Strawberry's message comes after Bennett accused the Las Vegas Metro Police Department of profiling him for being black and violating his civil rights. The Pro Bowl defensive end says officers pointed their weapons at him and threatened to 'blow my fucking head off'.
'Las Vegas police officers singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time,' Bennett wrote in a letter he posted on Twitter.
The Las Vegas Metro Police Department announced an investigation into the matter but has not admitted to any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday morning, Strawberry was asked about Jemele Hill’s recent suspension [by ESPN], which came about after she criticized Trump on Twitter.
'Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,' Hill wrote. 'The height of white privilege is being able to ignore his white supremacy, because it's of no threat to you. Well, it's a threat to me.'
Strawberry, who played 13 seasons in New York and later appeared on Trump's reality show, 'The Apprentice,' defended the native New Yorker.
'President Trump, he’s a great man to me,' Strawberry said. 'He was always gracious to me. I really love him, his family. I was on his show and he’s always been kind to me.
'So, a lot of people say things because they have their own issues and they’re hurting inside,' Strawberry continued. 'When you’re pointing fingers at someone else, three are pointing back at you, so I never want to sit and point fingers at someone like the President of the United States.'
These days, Strawberry is an ordained minister, who runs The Darryl Strawberry Foundation, which is aimed to assisting children with autism.
Prior to becoming a born-again Christian, Strawberry's playing career and early retirement were marked by trouble with the law. In addition to receiving three suspensions from Major League Baseball for drug use, he was also suspended for 140 games in 1999 after being arrested for attempting to solicit sex from an undercover police officer.
Strawberry served an 11-month sentence for a parole violation before being released in April of 2003.
A four-time World Series champion, most notably with the Mets in 1986, Strawberry was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1983 and finished second in the MVP voting in 1988 behind Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson. Strawberry retired in 1999 after winning three titles as a member of the Yankees.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It took a lot of courage for Darryl to condemn the unpatriotic behavior of NFL players and for that he deserves the nation’s highest civilian medals.
As for Jemele Hill, ESPN’s black sports columnist, she should have been axed by ESPN, not just suspended!
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