Texans owner apologized for comparing players to ‘inmates’ at anthem meeting

NFL executives, players and owners held meetings last week to discuss the issues surrounding national anthem protests, and there were some tense moments as expected. One of them was created by Houston Texans owner Bob McNair.

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. spoke with several people who are familiar with what went on inside the closed-door meetings. McNair, along with Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder, is reportedly among a handful of team owners who would support a league-wide mandate forcing players to stand for the anthem. When Jones and Snyder were stating their case for the mandate in a meeting without players last week, McNair came out with a regrettable remark.

“We can’t have the inmates running the prison,” he said, according to the ESPN report.

People in the room were said to be “stunned” by the statement. NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, a former player, was offended by McNair’s metaphor and stood up after the owners were done talking, stating that he had never felt like an “inmate” during his playing days despite hearing a number of derogatory terms like the N-word thrown his way. McNair later apologized.

It was starting to get nasty. Vincent and Jones had a sharp but quick back-and-forth, with Jones finally reminding the room that rather than league office vice presidents, it was he and fellow owners who had helped build the NFL’s $15 billion-a-year business, and they would ultimately decide what to do. McNair later pulled Vincent aside and apologized, saying that he felt horrible and that his words weren’t meant to be taken literally, which Vincent appreciated.

Even though McNair apologized and admitted he chose his words poorly, that comment likely isn’t going to sit well with the players. That is exactly the type of mentality Jones has been accused of illustrating with his strong remarks about anthem protests, and that mindset is largely responsible for the divide between players and owners.

As of now, it does not appear the NFL has any intention of implementing a rule forcing players to stand. With remarks like the one McNair made leaking out, such a mandate becomes even less likely.