>> Laura: LU HOLDS A GRIDIRON
LEGEND AND A MEMBER OF THE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.
HE HAS COACHED IN THE NFL, THE
SEC AND GUIDED NOTRE DAME TO A
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1988.
ALSO WRITTEN OR CONTRIBUTED TO
TEN BOOKS.
BUT TONIGHT HE JOINS US TO
DISCUSS ISSUES AT THE
INTERSECTION OF SPORTS AND
POLITICS AND HAS BECOME SO
PREVALENT TODAY.
COACH, IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> I'M DELIGHTED TO BE WITH YOU,
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SUCCESS
OF YOUR SHOW.
>> Laura: THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COACH.
THIS HAS BEEN SO WILD FOR ME TO
WATCH WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN
FOOTBALL.
I MEAN, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A
FOOTBALL FAN MY WHOLE LIFE, MY
MOTHER WAS AN ALABAMA FAN,
SORRY, COACH.
WHICH I INHERITED, NO PARTICULAR
REASON, JUST LIKE BAIRD BRYANT
AND IT WAS ALWAYS VIEWED WITH
PATRIOTISM AND LOVE OF COUNTRY,
AND WE ARE NOW AT A PLACE WHERE
AN INVITATION TO THE WHITE HOUSE
TURNS THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPION
INTO A PUDDLE OF GOO.
THEY ARE DEBATING FOR WEEKS HOW
TO HANDLE IT.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTR
COUNTRY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WAS
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO TAKE A
FOOTBALL TEAM TO THE WHITE HOUSE
AND IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST
EXPERIENCES FOR ALL OF OUR
PLAYERS.
THEY WERE NOT GOING TO EARN
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BY PLAYING
PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, BUT I
THINK THAT WE GET FOULED UP AND
WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
THE ONE THING THAT I TOLD OUR
TEAM WAS THAT WE WOULD NOT USE
OUR FOOTBALL TEAM TO PROMOTE
ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE
UNIVERSITY OF THE
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES OR THE
NEW YORK JETS.
IF YOU WANT TO PROMOTE A CAUSE
USE YOUR TIME AND YOUR MONEY,
THAT IS FINE.
BUT THE LOCKER ROOM BELONGS TO
THE PLAYERS OF THE NFL.
THEY CAN SAY WHAT EVER THEY
WANT.
FOR THE FOOTBALL THEME AND TEAM
ON THE FIELD BELONGS TO ME.
WE ARE HERE TO WIN THE
SUPER BOWL.
NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
I DO NOT WANT ANY OTHER
DISTRACTION EXCEPT ONE FOCUS, I
CONGRATULATE COACH PETERSON ON
WHAT A TREMENDOUS JOB, HE LOST A
GREAT QUARTERBACK AND STILL
MANAGE TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL.
I'M PROUD THAT HE WAS LOOKING
FORWARD TO GETTING TO THE
WHITE HOUSE AND IT IS
UNFORTUNATE OF THE PLAYERS DO
NOT GET THAT EXPERIENCE.
>> Laura: HIS QUARTERBACK WAS
ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT
WANTED TO COME TO THE
WHITE HOUSE ALONG WITH COACH WHO
WANTED TO COME AS WELL.
BUT THEY DID NOT MAKE THE TRIP.
ANOTHER COACH FROM THE NBA,
COACH CARE FROM THE GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS MADE THIS POINT ABOUT
PATRIOTISM AND DONALD TRUMP.
LET'S WATCH.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS TURNING THIS
INTO A POLITICAL GAME.
IT IS A BLATANT DISPLAY OF
NATIONALISM, WE HAVE THESE
MILITARY SING-ALONGS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE TO SHOW HOW
PATRIOTIC WE ARE EVEN THOUGH WE
DO NOT KNOW THE WORDS.
IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE.
IT IS INCREDIBLE.
BUT I AM REALLY PROUD OF PEOPLE
IN THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE
RECOGNIZING WHAT IS HAPPENING
AND INSTEAD OF TURNING THIS INTO
A POLITICAL GAME --
>> Laura: HE WENT ON TO SAY
THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THEIR
CONSCIENCE, BASICALLY THAT HE IS
A COACH FOR THE WARRIORS.
>> LOOK, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE IS
GOLDEN STATE IS OUT AROUND
SAN FRANCISCO, THAT IS PROBABLY
THE VIEW OF MOST PEOPLE.
I AM AN INDIVIDUAL, I REMEMBER
WHEN MY FATHER WENT TO THE
PACIFIC FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS
AND I NEVER SAW MY FATHER FOR
FIVE YEARS, BUT FORTUNATELY HE
CAME BACK.
MANY CHILDREN'S FATHERS DID NOT
COME BACK AND THEY PAID THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.
I'VE BEEN TO AFGHANISTAN, LAST
JUNE I WAS IN KOREA, GO INTO A
HOSPITAL IN AFGHANISTAN TO SEE
PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LEGS AND
THEY STILL HAVE THE LOVE OF THIS
COUNTRY, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
POLITICS, THEN THAT IS WHAT IS
COMING INTO THIS GAME.
IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN
SOMETHING, AND I THINK THAT IT
COMES BACK TO SAYING THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A RACIST, I
GET TIRED OF HEARING RACIST,
HOMOPHOBIA, FOR 77 YEARS HE DID
BUSINESS, THERE WAS NEVER A
CLAIM ONE TIME ABOUT HIM BEING A
RACIST.
I WAS IN DETROIT YESTERDAY, BEN
CARSON, WE WERE TRYING TO DO
SOME THINGS FOR THE DISADVANTAGE
YOUTH, PRESIDENT TRUMPS
LEADERSHIP, THEY HAD A SIGN THAT
I THOUGHT WAS GREAT, SAID TALENT
EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE
WORLD.
OPPORTUNITY IS ON.
LET'S WORK TO GIVE PEOPLE AN
OPPORTUNITY.
PARTICULARLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
BUT BEFORE THIS YEAR IN THE
PREVIOUS YEAR, LOOKING AT IT AS
ABSOLUTELY INSANE, BECAUSE WE
HAVE A PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE HAVE
A DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE.
WE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF
OPINION OF HOW TO MAKE AMERICA
GREAT AND HOW TO GIVE PEOPLE AN
OPPORTUNITY AND HOW TO WIN A
CHAMPIONSHIP.
COACH STEVE KERR HAS DONE A
GREAT JOB.
HE ALSO WON SEVERAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH HIS PLAYERS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT, BUT
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A POLITICAL
STATEMENT, READ STEVE KERR'S
COMMENTS, THAT SAYS IT ALL.
>> Laura: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
IS THAT THE PLAYERS ARE
FOLLOWING THEIR CONSCIENCE ABOUT
POLICE BRUTALITY.
IT IS NOT ABOUT THE COUNTRY OR
THE FLAG, THEY ARE VERY
PATRIOTIC PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE
IN THEIR OWN WAY PROTESTING
AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND
THEY THINK THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SO THEY
DO NOT WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> I THINK WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAID THIS MORNING WAS GREAT, HE
SAID YOU TALK ABOUT POLICE
BRUTALITY AND POLICE BEING
UNFAIR, BRING IT TO ME.
BRING ME THE CASE.
BRING ME THE PEOPLE.
I WILL LOOK INTO IT.
HE CANNOT DO ANY MORE THAN THAT.
ORDER TO PROMOTE A CAUSE.
WE ARE THERE TO WIN A
CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT IS OUR ONLY
PURPOSE.
>> Laura: I WAS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE WHEN THE
CRIMSON TIDE CAME, NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS THIS YEAR AND THEY ALL
CAME.
COACH MADE IT CLEAR, EVERYBODY
IS COMING, I'M SURE THE PLAYERS
DID NOT LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP,
BUT THEY CAME AND HAD A GREAT
TIME.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENT AND
PACKED OUT TO, AND TO ME THAT'S
WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
WE PUT ASIDE POLITICS AND IS
ABOUT THE COUNTRY, THAT IS THE
PEOPLE'S HOUSE, CELEBRATING THE
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU, HUGE
FAN, COME BACK SOON, WHAT DO
YOU?
>> I WILL, BUT WE CAN GO TO A
DIFFERENT GAME LIKE YOU
REQUESTED.
>> Laura: WE ARE DOING THAT
THIS FALL, YOU AND I ARE GOING
TO A GAME THIS FALL.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO NOTRE DAME.
I AM COMPLETELY EMBARRASSED.