Houston Texans Owner Bob McNair Talks National Anthem Controversy: “We Can’t Have Inmates Running The Prison”

As the national anthem controversy continues, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held a meeting between owners and team execs to discuss a possible resolution to the protest. On Friday, ESPN released a report, detailing the public and private meetings between upper management, as well as the players, concerning the issue. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

In the report, Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. cited a statement from Houston Texans owner Bob McNair in response to NFL players taking a knee during the anthem. According to the report, McNair said, “We can’t have the inmates running the prison,” which reportedly shocked many in the room.

McNair’s comment reportedly came after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones discussed the financial impact of the player’s protests. However, McNair’s statement was not the only questionable comment made during the meetings. ESPN reports that Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula had an interesting exchange with Anquan Boldin, who recently retired to focus on social issues.

In the report, Wickersham and Van Natta revealed that Pegula suggested Boldin to be the league’s spokesperson, since he has a personal experience with police brutality. However, Pegula addressed Boldin as “Antwan,” and said the former baller would make a good fit because it couldn’t be a “white owner but needs to be someone who’s black.”

Since the release of the report, McNair has issued an apology, saying, “I regret that I used that expression. I never meant to offend anyone and I was not referring to our players,” he said. “I used a figure of speech that was never intended to be taken literally. I would never characterize our players or our league that way and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”