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Kansas City Chiefs: Clark Hunt should speak out on Trump comments

By Ben Almquist

Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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 In today’s highly charged political climate, it is an almost no-win situation for NFL owners to take public stands. However, Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt should condemn the statements of President Trump.

*Update:

Stick to sports.

If only it were that easy. I mean, it used to be. Not even a year ago, my Twitter feed hardly ever got into political talk. Now I can’t get away from it, and it definitely annoys me. I don’t follow football players, NFL insiders, and draft analysts to get their political opinions. What’s worse, I now feel a need to see what Kansas City Chiefs owner says on the latest political issue.

For those of you who have managed to stick to sports in your social media accounts (first of all, congratulations!), President Donald Trump ventured from the political arena into the world of sports. The President advocated for NFL owners to fire players who protested during the National Anthem.

Now, I understand that this is a hot button issue. I know there are a lot of divisive opinions on whether or not players should protest. Personally, I don’t agree with that method of protest. I think there are better ways to make your voice heard on these issues.

However, I served this country for four years in the United States Marine Corps because I believe in the freedoms we are granted. First and foremost is the freedom to express your opinions in a peaceful manner. A representative of the government (especially the President) advocating punishment for exercising the First Amendment is bordering fascism.

Clark Hunt Must Speak Out

I do not envy the position that Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt is in right now. For the most part, NFL owners have the luxury of sitting back and being almost invisible. However, Hunt is not in a position to remain quiet on this.

First and foremost, President Trump was speaking to Clark Hunt. The Chiefs CEO is one of those owners that has a player protesting on his team. In fact, it’s a very important player in star cornerback Marcus Peters.

Related Story: Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters Makes A Stand

Now whether or not you agree with Marcus Peters and his protest is not the issue here. The issue is his right to do so without fear of punishment. That is why Clark Hunt needs to speak out on this. Hunt needs to let everyone, and especially Peters, know where he stands on this issue.

I would hope he stands on the side of the US Constitution.

Speak Now Or Hold Your Peace

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I will say this to you right now…there will be increased demonstrations and protests over the next several weeks. That is going to be the resulting fallout from President Trump’s tweets. You can bet that many players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster will rally around Marcus Peters.

That means that Clark Hunt won’t get another go around at this. Saying anything next week, or even on Monday, simply won’t do. As an NFL owner with a player protesting, Hunt must make his voice heard now. He needs to get out in front of this. There can be very long-reaching effects of staying silent.

We have already seen the NFL, NFLPA, and 49ers come out against President Trump on this. Clark Hunt needs to do the same, and needs to do it now. Whether or not we agree with Marcus Peters and the other protesters is not the point. It’s whether or not they have the right to do this. That right is guaranteed in the Constitution. It’s not up for debate.

Clark Hunt and the Kansas City Chiefs have the opportunity to make a very impactful statement. I don’t envy the position that Hunt is put in here, but that is beyond control. You can bet that Marcus Peters is keeping an eye on what happens. Hunt needs to be on the right side of this.

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