Opinions on NFL National Anthem Protests Divide Poker Pros

With North Korea and healthcare funding supposed to be topping the ‘to do’ list for Donald Trump, it was actually the NFL National Anthem protests which he seemed to be focused on – and the nation-dividing debate quickly spilled over into a poker Twittersphere spat – actor James Woods, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow and others trading Twitter-blows on the subject.

Actor Woods, a huge poker and Trump fan, focused his daily anti-liberal tweets on the contentious issue…

…perhaps on the back of Daniel Negreanu’s support for the protests sparked by Colin Kaepernick’s ‘taking the knee’ last year, eventually leading to him becoming a ‘free agent’ as NFL teams spurned him.

Other big-name poker players were involved in the to and fro, with Mike Matusow rather surprisingly criticising President Trump for his call to have anyone who kneels during the anthem fired…

…followed by a nod to the fact that NFL TV ratings might have a role to play…

Woods was just as active on his social media, constantly tweeting and re-tweeting in favour of sanctions against the protestors, and pointing out the responses of NASCAR compared to the NFL…

Negreanu came swinging back with a shot at Trump, the Twitter-loving President still taking swipes at the NFL and all those behind them…

…and re-tweeting comedian Jim Jeffries commentary on matters…

Enter granddaddy of poker Doyle Brunson, who was urging people to focus on more important things, the Trump-voter not taking obvious sides this time around…

…until his own supporters got on his case…

If Brunson was being too soft for some, Woods once again was on the case taking every opportunity to hit the left where it hurts…

…and although Negreanu had slowed down, he was still fighting back as best he could…

Of course, when the issue blows over as it inevitably must, the world’s most famous poker players will probably find something else to trade insults over – and Woods is likely to be the first one to start swinging… as long as his target is a ‘leftie communist’!