Co-owner of the New York Giants John Mara revealed he will support players that choose to kneel during the National Anthem.
However, Mara also claimed his “preference” is for the Giants players to stand during a discussion with reporters Thursday, according to Giants Wire.
“My preference is that everybody stand, but if you decide in your conscience that kneeling is the right thing to do, I’m going to support your right to do that because I believe in the First Amendment,” Mara said, according to the outlet. “I believe in the right of people, especially the players, to take a knee in silent protest if that’s what they want to do.” (RELATED: REPORT: NFL Could Do Away With Live National Anthem Performances Due To Coronavirus)
“My position back in 2017 is the same as it is now,” he reportedly added.
The Giants have started a community charity campaign called #TogetherBlue. The NFL team has partnered with nine different local organizations that help in areas of poverty, homelessness, education, substance abuse, criminal justice and police-community relations.
John Mara prefers that everyone stands for the national anthem, but he supports his players if they choose not to:
“I support any player’s right to engage in silent protest” pic.twitter.com/1AQykNY84t
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 3, 2020
“What makes it easy for me to [support them] is when I see how much work they are doing in the community and how important what is going on in this country is to each of them,” Mara reportedly said. “They back it up with actions, not just words. Our players are very engaged in working in a lot of different areas.”