Arthur Blank releases statement after Trump's comments on NFL

ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank released a statement on Saturday following President Donald Trump's comments on Friday about the NFL.

The statement reads:

President Trump made comments about the NFL while supporting Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who he was stumping for in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say 'get that son of a b***h off the field right now - he's fired,'" Trump said.
"Some owner is going to do that," he said.

Trump said players' shows of disrespect are the main reason behind a decline in NFL ratings.

He also mentioned that the game has grown more litigious, with hard hits and other recurring incidents during a game now being penalized more often.

Trump riffed on a referee from last weekend, saying his wife was likely proud to see him on television so often as he penalized such tackles.

"They're ruining the game," he said of anthem-kneeling players and overly litigious officiating standards.