Willie McGinest and Matt Light were New England Patriots teammates for five seasons, but they’re not on the same team when it comes to interpreting NFL players’ protest during the national anthem.
Before New England’s game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, 17 Patriots players knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest racial inequality, something Light said on WEEI’s “Kirk & Callahan” on Monday made him “ashamed to be a Patriot.” But McGinest stepped in and explained Tuesday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria” that the former offensive tackle misunderstood what was happening.
“I get Matt Light’s point, but listen, it’s already been expressed by the players,” McGinest said. “This is not an attack on our country our flag, what it stands for. What it actually stands for is, you have a right to express yourself. You have the right to have an opinion. This is what our men and women fought for.”
McGinest added later: “When it comes to what everybody is standing up for, this weekend was a little different, because of the comments (President Donald Trump) made. But prior to that, it was about police brutality and injustices in the community against people of color.”
Light also said Monday that that Patriots teams he played for wouldn’t have allowed players to kneel, but McGinest believes no one would have been forced to do anything. The former linebacker also believes the 2017 Patriots all are in agreement about the protest.
“I would’ve probably stood up,” McGinest said in the WEEI interview. “But if there’s a team thing that was –– we were all going to be on the same page –– and you know the Patriots, they do everything as a team. We saw (Tom) Brady locked arms. And last time I checked, everybody was saying Brady and Trump are boys. Mr. (Robert) Kraft, they’re boys. They issued comments, they partook in the festivities as well. Everybody has an opinion and Matt is still entitled to his opinion. But there was no disrespect intended to the flag in my opinion.”
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
