>>
AT THE END OF THE DAY WHETHER
YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN
OR WHETHER YOU'RE AN EAGLES FAN
OR A PATRIOTS FAN, WARRIORS OR
CAVALIERS, WE'RE ALL AMERICANS.
AND AT A CERTAIN POINT, I THINK
PEOPLE GO TO SPORTING EVENTS
REALLY TO KIND OF GET AWAY FROM
THE GRIND OF POLITICS, THE NEWS
OF THE DAY AND WHAT'S BUGGING
THEM AT HOME.
SPORTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A
LITTLE BIT ABOVE POLITICS.
STUART: THAT WAS CHICAGO CUBS'
TO CO-OWNER TODD RICKETTS.
FORGET POLITICS, REINVITE THE
EAGLES, LET'S GET EVERYBODY
INVOLVED.
WHO'S WITH US NOW TO DISCUSS
THAT?
HIS NAME IS JOE THESE MATCH.
YOU RECOGNIZE HIM?
JOE THEISMANN?
MORE PEOPLE KNOW HIM THAN ME,
IT'S ALWAYS ANNOYED ME.
[LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU, STUART, GREAT TO
BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
STUART: WHAT DO YOU THINK?
DO YOU THINK WE ALL COULD PUT
POLITICS ON ONE SIDE, THE
PRESIDENT, THE FANS, GET THE
EAGLES BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
DO YOU THINK IT WOULD WORK?
>> NO, I DON'T THINK IT'LL WORK
BECAUSE IT'S LIKE INVITING
SOMEONE TO A DANCE.
ONCE THEY SAID NO, WHY WOULD YOU
ASK THEM AGAIN?
I THINK THE RESULTS WOULD BE THE
SAME.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE PLAYERS'
POSITION HAS CHANGED.
I FEEL BAD FOR THOSE PLAYERS
THAT WANTED TO GO TO THE WHITE
HOUSE.
BUT AS A TEAM, THEY MADE A
DECISION THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING
TO GO, AND THAT HAS TO BE
RESPECTED.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT OFFERED
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO
COME, THEY TURNED IT DOWN, AND
NOW YOU MOVE ON.
IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENS WITH THE CAPITALS NOW
AFTER THEY'VE WON THE STANLEY
CUP.
AS FAR AS WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
WITH WE KNOW WHAT BASKETBALL'S
POSITION IS, BUT NOW IT'LL BE
INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WITH THE CAPS.
STU STAWRT NOW, WE'VE GOT A
POLL, FOX NEWS POLL, 68% OF
PEOPLE THINK POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS HAS GONE WAY TOO
FAR.
68%, THAT'S A HUGE MAJORITY.
SO DO YOU THINK THAT THE ANTHEM
PROBLEM, THE PROTESTS, THE
PROBLEM THAT IT'S CREATED, DOES
IT STRETCH INTO NEXT SEASON?
IS IT STILL WITH US?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT -- I HOPE
IT'S NOT WITH US, LET'S PUT IT
THAT WAY.
I HOPE THAT THE PROTESTS HAVE
BEEN PUT OUT THERE, THE ISSUES
ARE BEING ADDRESSED.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T
GET COVERED, IS AFTER GUYS HAVE
RAISED AN ISSUE IN THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE WITH THE
KNEELING PROTEST, WHAT IS BEING
DONE.
AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUE SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB
OF, IS REPORTING THE THINGS THAT
ARE BEING DONE, THE COMMUNITY
ADVANCEMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON,
RIDING WITH THE POLICE, GOING TO
THE SCHOOLS, WORKING WITH THE
KIDS, TRYING TO MAKE THE
COMMUNITIES BETTER IN ALL THE
PLACES THAT PLAYERS FEEL LIKE
THERE'S A PROBLEM.
AS FAR AS THE RULE GOES, IF YOU
AREN'T GOING TO COME OUT AND
STAND, STAY IN THE LOCKERROOM.
YOU HAVE A CHOICE.
IF YOU DO COME OUT, YOU HAVE TO
STAND.
IF YOU TELL THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS THAT
THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING,
THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT SOME
OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO
COOPERATE --
[LAUGHTER]
STUART: I UNDERSTAND.
>> I FEEL BAD ABOUT THE FACT
THAT IF ONE DECIDES TO KNEEL,
THEN THIS WHOLE THING REARS ITS
UGLY HEAD AGAIN.
STUART: FAIR POINT.
DO YOU THINK THE NFL SHOULD BE
WORRIED?
AND I ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE
OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE
WORLD CUP.
I KNOW YOU'RE SMILING, I KNOW
YOU'RE NOT A SOCCER GUY, BUT A
LOT OF AMERICA IS BECOMING
INTERESTED IN SOCCER, AND THIS
WEEKEND'S ACTION AT THE WORLD
CUP WAS SENSATIONAL.
DO YOU THINK THE NFL SHOULD BE A
LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE RISE OF
SOCCER HERE?
>> I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK
THEY NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT
IT.
I THINK, OBVIOUSLY, THE NATIONAL
FOOTBALL LEAGUE FEELS LIKE THEY
HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT IN THIS
COUNTRY, BUT IT'S CALLED THE
WORLD CUP FOR A REASON, STUART,
AND THAT'S THE THING.
THE REST OF THE WORLD ABSOLUTELY
FOLLOWS SOCCER.
YOU KNOW, RENALDO WAS SCORING
THREE GAMES IN THAT GAME WHERE
THEY WOUND UP IN A 3-3 TIE.
I WATCH SOCCER TO A LARGE DEGREE
BECAUSE IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR
WHERE BASKETBALL'S OVER,
HOCKEY'S OVER, FOOTBALL HASN'T
STARTED, BASEBALL GAMES ARE
ALWAYS THERE, SO WHY NOT WATCH
SOME SOCCER?
I LOVE WATCHING IT.
STUART: WAIT A MINUTE, I'LL TELL
YOU WHY --
[LAUGHTER]
IT'S EXCITING.
DO YOU EVER WATCH ENGLISH
PREMIER LEAGUE SOCCER?
>> EVERY NOW AND THEN.
MANCHESTER UNITED, I EVEN KNOW
SOME OF THE NAMES OF THE SOCCER
TEAMS, SO I'M ADVANCING MY
KNOWLEDGE IN THE WORLD OF
SPORTS.
STUART: WELL, IT BEGINS AGAIN AT
THE END OF AUGUST, AND I'LL
GUARANTEE JOE THEISMANN IS
WATCHING ON A SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY, I'LL GUARANTEE IT.
AND I WANT YOU BACK ON THE SHOW
TO RATE THE GAMES.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY, JOE?
>> I'D LOVE TO DO IT.