A New Jersey car dealership is pulling its television ads from NFL broadcasts for the rest of the 2017 football season in response to NFL teams protesting the national anthem.
NJ Advance Media reports that the owner of Flemington Car and Truck Country said it would pull ads for the dealership from NFL game broadcasts for at least the rest of the 2017 NFL season.
“The National Football League and its owners have shown their fans and marketing partners that they do not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that players stand and show respect for America and our flag during the playing of the national anthem,” Steve Kalafer said in a statement. “We have canceled all of our NFL advertising on the Optimum and Infinity (cable) networks.”
Kalafer said he decided to retract the ads Thursday after many of his employees and customers commented on how the players and coaches who knelt and locked arms during the national anthem were disrespectful towards the flag.
He added that he was especially disgusted at how the NFL and team owners have not taken a firm leadership stance against the protests and suggest alternate ways players and coaches can express their freedom of speech.
“As the NFL parses the important nationwide issues of ‘social justice’ and ‘freedom of speech,’ it is clear that a firm direction by them is not forthcoming,” Kalafer said.
Kalafer is not the first person to pull ads for his business from NFL games. A Tennessee man pulled ads for his business from NFL broadcasts for the rest of football season, calling the teams’ protests “unpatriotic.”
Other business owners are also taking a stand against those who take a knee during the national anthem.
Sports bar owners in Virginia and Louisiana are no longer showing NFL games until NFL players, coaches, and owners stop protesting the national anthem.
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