Dolphins owner on Trump’s protest remarks: Country needs leadership, not divisiveness

Stephen Ross is loudly and proudly supportive of Miami Dolphins players who use their platform to fight for social change.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, tweeted Saturday that NFL players should respect the flag — a day after calling one who protests during the national anthem a “son of a bitch.”

Ross, Dolphins owner and founder of the anti-racism RISE initiative, predictably took issue with the president’s remarks.

In a prepared statement Saturday, Ross wrote:

“Our country needs unifying leadership right now, not more divisiveness. We need to seek to understand each other and have civil discourse instead of condemnation and sound bites. I know our players who kneeled for the anthem and these are smart young men of character who want to make our world a better place for everyone. They wanted to start a conversation and are making a difference in our community, including working with law enforcement to bring people together. We all can benefit from learning, listening and respecting each other. Sports is a common denominator in our world. We all have the responsibility to use this platform to promote understanding, respect and equality.”

Ross has publicly supported Michael Thomas and Kenny Stills, who knelt during the playing of the national anthem before every home game in 2016 to protest the way police treat African-Americans.

This story was originally published September 23, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Dolphins owner on Trump’s protest remarks: Country needs leadership, not divisiveness."