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Sportscaster Vin Scully vows to ‘never watch another NFL game’ over take-a-knee protests

By Valerie Richardson

The Washington Times
November 5, 2017

Legendary sports broadcaster Vin Scully declared Saturday night that he will “never watch another NFL game” in response to the player take-a-knee protests during the national anthem.

“I am so disappointed. And I used to love, during the fall and winter, to watch the NFL on Sunday,” Mr. Scully said during “An Evening with Vin Scully” at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California, as shown on multiple social-media videos.

“And it’s not that I’m some great patriot. I was in the Navy for a year. Didn’t go anywhere, didn’t do anything,” Mr. Scully said. “But I have overwhelming respect and admiration for anyone who puts on a uniform and goes to war. So the only thing I can do in my little way is not to preach. I will never watch another NFL game.”

The audience reacted to his comment, which came in response to a question from a moderator, with enthusiastic applause.

A member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mr. Scully retired last year after 67 seasons calling games for the Los Angeles Dodgers but had also done play-by-play announcing for NFL games for CBS from 1975 to 1982.

In 2000, Mr. Scully was named top sportscaster of the 20th century by the American Sportscasters Association.

He threw out the first pitch for Game 2 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Houston Astros at Dodgers stadium.

Some NFL players began taking a knee or sitting during the national anthem last season in response to the deaths of black men at the hands of police, a demonstration that experienced an uptick after President Trump criticized the protests in September.

The number of protesters has dropped to about 20 since nearly 200 players took a knee during the Sept. 25-26 games.