Mike Ditka: ‘If You Can’t Respect Our National Anthem, Get the Hell Out of the Country (Watch)

Mike Ditka is back railing against athletes who kneel during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and systemic racism.

The NFL dinosaur tells TMZ Sports that he wouldn’t allow any kneeling during the anthem in his new women’s football league, the tackle-football organization previously known as the Legends Football League.

“If you can’t respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country,” Ditka said. “That’s the way I feel. Of course, I’m old fashioned, so I’m only going to say what I feel.”

Colin Kaepernick has said of his original protests in 2017 that kneeling has nothing to do with the military or American flag. He’s continuously claimed the demonstrations are all about raising awareness for social justice and police brutality in America. Still, Ditka says he views kneeling as a sign of total disrespect to the red, white and blue.

“You don’t protest against the flag and you don’t protest against this country who’s given you the opportunities to make a living playing a sport that you never thought would happen,” Ditka says. “So, I don’t want to hear all the crap.”