As a life long Packer fan, stock holder and season ticket holder I found your statement regarding the National Anthem issue disgusting

(Murphy's statement.)

Football game attendance has always been a highlight. A wonderful stadium, wonderful fans and a good product. The NFL and you have allowed the NFL to become political. I used the NFL to escape politics. But you have changed that.

Republicans, Democrats, Blacks, Whites, Christians, Jews, Men and Women, Straight and Gay, etc. etc. would stand in unity, celebrate our country and Packer Football. There was unity. The anthem has noting to do with race, religion or social justice issues.

You have allowed your players to be more important than the fans, owners and season ticket holders.

Please discontinue flyovers and everything else that is patriotic. The Green Bay Packers have shown their true colors. You really don't care about patriotism and unity.

Sincerely,

Thank you for your recent letter regarding the national anthem. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us and share your thoughts. I have received many letters on this topic.

First and foremost, please know the Green Bay Packers recognize the national anthem is an important aspect of our pregame ceremony that allows us to honor our country, as well as the men and women in uniform who make sacrifices to protect it. It's a tradition that goes back many decades, an we teach our players about the importance it holds for the organization and our fans. Similarly, the Packer's support of service men and women also goes back many decades, as does our support of all citizens in uniform who are on the front lines of our protection, including law enforcement and first responders.

Some players in the NFL, including three from the Green Bay Packers, had chosen to peacefully express themselves during the anthem with the hope of change for good with regard to social matters of concern, including racial inequality and social injustice. We feel it is important to support those players as we are fortunate, as Americans, to be able to speak openly and freely. The players are leaders in our communities and are positive influences.

Furthermore, prior to our Week 4 game against the Bears, our players held a meeting to determine how they could demonstrate their support of each other and unity in support of these matters of concern. After a lengthy discussion they dediced to all stand during the anthem for the rest of the season and lock arms to demonstrate their unity. They also reiterated their support of the military. I was proud of the players for their thoughtful approach to an emotional issue.

Earlier this month, NFL Team owners and a representative group of players met to discuss how all of us could further work together to bring attention to the concerns that have been voiced. While the specific plans will be developed in the coming weeks, we all determined that we can utilize our game as a platform to bring attention the the challenges of social injustice, advocate for positive change and engage our communities across the country in discussions that will make meaningful inroads in these areas.

We realize you may disagree with the approach some of the players have taken and our support of this effort. We respect your opinion, but also hope you can understand that no disrespect is meant by standing and locking arms, as it is intended as a way to show support for the cause and unity behind the effort.

Again, thank you for taking time the time to share your thoughts. We appreciate it and hope you can continue to support the team.

Sincerely,

Green Bay Packers, Inc.