Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians questioned the value of the protest on Thursday, saying it “didn’t suck.” This sparked a back-and-forth between the Arians and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.
Smith said on Twitter, responding to the Arians’ remarks: “Eeveryone is entitled to their opinion, but it’s clear he is sadly ill-informed on the history of protest in sport and in America. “
Via ESPN.com, the Arians hit back at Smith.
“Yeah, I have a story,” Arians said. “It could be a little longer than his.”
The reality, in our opinion, is this: Every coach hopes to find a way to get players to train and play. The Arians probably did this by downplaying the value of the protest. Because, of course, protesting has value.
If the Arians can persuade his players that protesting “doesn’t do shit,” he doesn’t have to worry about players skipping practices or games. And, yes, sometimes it’s that easy.
