Houston Texans Owner Does Not Regret His "Inmate" Comment
Source: Carolina Business Review
Source: Carolina Business Review
The Houston Texans owner adds some more context to his comment from last year
Last October, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair found himself in a controversy when, during a meeting with other NFL owners, he said "we can't have inmates running the prison," in reference to players who were protesting during the national anthem.
After ESPN reported about the comment, McNair quickly released a statement apologizing, saying "I regret that I used that expression. I never meant to offend anyone and I was not referring to our players. I used a figure of speech that was never intended to be taken literally."
Now, McNair says he regrets apologizing.
READ:'You Can't Have The Inmates Running The Prison': Texans Owner Compares NFL Protesters To Prisoners
During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, McNair said that he "really didn't have anything to apologize for." The billionaire owner claims that the "inmates" he was talking about were NFL executives who he felt had more control than the owners.
McNair said:
We were talking about a number of things, but we were also washing some of our dirty linen, which you do internally. You can't do that publicly. That's what I was addressing: The relationship of owners and the league office.
READ: NFL Owners Considering Ordering Players To Stand During National Anthem
After McNair's comments came out, the majority of players on the Texans took a knee during the national anthem before they were to play the Seattle Seahawks. One Texans player in particular, offensive tackle Duane Brown, was outspoken about the comment, saying:
I think it was embarrassing. I think it angered a lot of players, including myself. We put our bodies and minds on the line every time we step on that field, and to use an analogy of inmates in prison, that's disrespectful.
He was later traded to the Seahawks. In his interview with the Journal, McNair claimed Brown was traded because he was trying to be a "troublemaker."
Source: Wall Street Journal
