Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath’s vision is apparently better than Mike Ditka’s.
During an appearance on Fox News, the former Jets quarterback rebuked Ditka’s assertion that there has been no racial oppression in the last 100 years.
“Look up the meaning of oppression,” Namath said, via The Hill. “Look up the definition of oppression, and you understand that it’s obviously taken place.”
While Namath believes that owners of private businesses have the right to limit protests during work hours, he also pointed out that the original point has largely been lost. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick initially sat (and then chose to kneel upon talking with veterans) to bring attention to the unfair treatment of minorities by law enforcement, it has since become a political football spiked by President Donald Trump.
“Going back to what Colin Kaepernick initially did, it was to point out some injustice that’s being done to the black race,” Namath said. “Or to people that obviously when you look — and I say obviously, some of these dash cams and shootings that were done to unarmed people. He was reaching out to try to get it more investigated. So that’s where this oppression thing comes in.”
Asked by one of the host whether he’d participate in a protest if he was playing now, Namath hedged.
“I’m not there, but I’ve never walked in a black man’s shoes either,” he said.
Neither has Ditka, apparently. He just knows he wants all the shoes off his lawn.