Papa John’s International, which said earlier this month that the NFL’s US national-anthem controversy had hurt sales, is apologizing to anyone who thought the comments were “divisive.”
Papa John’s chief executive officer John Schnatter had railed against the NFL on a Nov. 1 conference call, criticizing its leadership for mishandling a flap involving players taking a knee during the national anthem.
The company, a top NFL sponsor, said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that it did not intend to be polarizing with the remarks.
“The statements made on our earnings call were describing the factors that impact our business and we sincerely apologize to anyone that thought they were divisive,” the pizza chain said on Twitter. “We believe in the right to protest inequality and support the players’ movement to create a new platform for change. We also believe together, as Americans, we should honor our anthem. There is a way to do both.”
The company also spoke out against neo-Nazis, using a middle-finger emoji to refer to “those guys.”
“We will work with the players and league to find a positive way forward,” the company said. “Open to ideas from all. Except neo-Nazis.”
Papa John’s earlier remarks prompted white supremacists to endorse the chain as their go-to source of pizza — an idea the company rejected.
Peter Collins, a spokesman for the Louisville, Kentucky-based company, said Papa John’s posted the tweets because “it became obvious over the last week people didn’t understand our position.”
NFL players began kneeling during the national anthem more than a year ago — starting with a protest against racial inequality and police brutality by Colin Kaepernick, then the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
The action spread across the NFL and got new life after the US president began scolding the players.
Some NFL critics have said that the league should force players to stand for the anthem.
“This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago,” Schnatter said on the call earlier this month. “Like many sponsors, we’re in touch with the NFL. Once the issue is resolved, we’re optimistic the NFL’s best years are ahead.”
However, the comments were misunderstood, Collins said on Tuesday.
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