Hue Jackson on National Anthem protests: 'I would hope that we don't have those issues'
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns head coach Hue Jackson acknowledged on Monday that he understands the reasons behind NFL players protesting during the National Anthem by kneeling or sitting, but also said he hopes it won't happen with his team.
"I think everybody has a right to do, and I get it, but the National Anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team," Jackson said when asked about anthem protests re-emerging in the NFL following the events in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend. "I hope -- again I can't speak, I haven't really talked to our team about it -- I would hope that we don't have those issues."
Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat on the sideline during the anthem on Saturday night, and Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett sat on the bench with a towel over his head during the anthem on Sunday night. The protests came the same weekend as a white supremacist rally in Virginiaturned violent, leaving one dead after a car plowed into a group of counterprotesters . Two state troopers who were monitoring the demonstrations also died in a helicopter crash.
"With everything that's been going on the last couple of months, and especially after the last couple of days seeing what's going on in Virginia, and earlier today in Seattle," Bennett said after the game according to ESPN , "I just wanted to be able to use my platform to be able to continuously speak on injustice."
This comes a season after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in response to police shootings of unarmed black men. Kaepernick remains unsigned.
Jackson said he prefers to address those issues internally.
"I understand there is a lot going on in the world. I like to just keep it here. What we deal with, we try to deal with as a team in our closed environment. We talk about things," Jackson said. "Hopefully, that won't happen. I can't tell you it won't happen, but I just know our guys, and I don't think that is where our focus is. We hope the things that are going on in the world get ironed out, but I know right now we are doing everything we can to get our football team better."
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Even if this came directly from the owner he worded it in a way to take all the heat on himself. 
Owner should be in federal prison but he had the millions to buy his way out of trouble. Of course Haslam loves a country that lets scumbags like him do what they want.
Kaepernick was kneeling for the black people that don't get any justice and don't have the skin color or money to get away with slaps on the wrist or by cutting checks.
This explains a lot.
