James Woods: ‘I Will Never Watch the NFL Again’

Actor James Woods is fed up with the way the NFL has handled Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest — so much so that he has vowed never to watch a league game ever again.

The 69-year-old conservative actor ripped the league in an impromptu interview with TMZ this week.

“They can do what they want, they can say whatever they think and I respect their Constitutional right to do it,” Woods said when asked about Kaepernick’s protest, during which he takes a knee during the National Anthem to protest the United States’ treatment of minority citizens.

“I hope they respect my Constitutional right never to watch the NFL again,” Woods added. “I will never watch the NFL again, ever.”

When asked whether there was anything the league could do to win back his viewership, Woods shut them down: “I don’t know, cause I’m never gonna watch them again, so how would I know?”

Woods has been one of the most vocal critics of Kaerpernick’s National Anthem protest. Shortly after the San Francisco 49ers quarterback first made his statement ahead of a pre-season game in August, Woods told Kaepernick not to “tarnish out flag by standing.”

“Just stay where you choose to be, with your worthless ass in the mud,” the actor tweeted.

The actor also called for NFL viewers to “relentlessly boycott” Kaepernick’s sponsors.

Woods isn’t the only one to speak out against Kaepernick’s protest, which has since spread to other teams and players in the league.

Last week, model-actress Kate Upton called it “horrific” that players would choose to protest the National Anthem on September 11, when most Americans were remembering the lives lost in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.

“Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and currently serve our country. Sitting down during the national anthem on September 11th is even more horrific,” the model wrote in an Instagram post.

Former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, rapper Fat Joe and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have all similarly criticized the protests.

 

Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum