If there was one person who wanted to get his hands on the Carolina Panthers, it was Sean “Diddy” Combs. The music mogul had his sights set on buying the NFL team but eventually backed out. Now Combs is singing a different tune and says he doesn’t want to be associated with an organization like the NFL, which oppresses black men.
“I was one of the two last bids for the Panthers. Man, I really wanted to go in there and be a part of the NFL and try to be a positive change. This last move, though, I don’t even want to own an NFL team no more,” Combs said during an appearance on BigBoyTV.
“I don’t want to be associated with oppressing black men. I don’t want to be associated with telling grown-ass men what they can do and cannot do,” he continued.
Telling black men what they can and cannot do is something the NFL seems to be pretty good at. Especially when it comes to its new policy about “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The NFL gave its players the option of either staying in the locker room during the playing of the song before games or standing. If a player decides to kneel, he’ll be subjected to a fine.
“Y’all in a messed-up position, but this is a defining time, and if [Muhammad] Ali and all them was able to do it, if Jim Brown was able to do it, if y’all stick together, they can’t break you,” Combs said of the players with regard to the NFL and its new policy.
“I’m just at a point where my feelings are hurt because I’m such an NFL fan,” the music mogul continued. “And I hope they do what they have to do to fix it. And I hope that they re-engage my dream to want to do that, because if not, I don’t want to be associated, to be around a table that does that to people at all.”
Best believe if Diddy owned a team, he’d allow his players to protest. Take that, NFL.