“
Whether you agree with it or not, that’s irrelevant. Individuals have a right to freedom of speech. I mean…,” Baldwin paused here, and seemed to consider how to say what he wanted to say. “We want to talk about somebody taking a stand for something that’s important. Taking a stand, taking a seat, for something they deem important.
“Inequality in our country, injustice in our country – we’re sitting here having a conversation about whether or not it’s important that a guy stands for the national anthem or sits when the topic is inequality or injustice, but yet I look in the stands at some of our games, both home and away, and I see people that are drunk with their hats still on, yelling. How come you guys aren’t talking to them? How come there’s not a discussion about them? This guy is taking a reasonable and peaceful approach to something that – I mean, I don’t know who doesn’t think is (vitally) important to our society and the health and wellness of our communities, but yet we’re not talking about people who are in the stands, drunk during the national anthem with their hats still on, yelling at players, cussing during the national anthem, we’re not talking about that.
“I know you guys are reporters and you’ve got to make a story about something but I just think we’re taking it too far.”