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Brett Favre doesn't want politics in sports: 'I want to watch the players play'

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre was very public about his support of Donald Trump during the 2020 presidential election, but recently said on a podcast that he wants politics out of sports.

On "The Andrew Klavan Show," Favre said that he thinks politics is destroying sports, especially for the "general fan."

Favre only wants to see the sports

"I know when I turn on a game, I want to watch a game. I want to watch players play and teams win, lose, come from behind," Favre said on the podcast via USA Today. "I want to watch all the important parts of the game, not what's going on outside of the game, and I think the general fan feels the same way."

Favre went on to say that the people he's spoken to have been driven away from sports because of the "outside" forces affecting it.

"I can't tell you how many people have said to me, 'I don't watch anymore; it's not about the game anymore.' And I tend to agree," Favre said.

According to a recent YouGov / Yahoo News poll, nearly half of American sports fans have changed their sports viewing habits due to social justice issues. About 11 percent of those polled said that they watch more sports due to political and social messaging, but three times as many — 34.5 percent — said that they watch less.

Favre: Kneeling for the anthem caused 'turmoil'

Favre, when asked about athletes kneeling for the national anthem, said that it "created more turmoil than good." He believes the flag should be a unifying symbol.

"It's really a shame that we've come to this," Favre said via USA Today. "Something has to unify us, and I felt like the flag, standing patriotically — because Blacks and whites and Hispanics have fought for this country and died for this country. It’s too bad."

Athletes who have kneeled for the anthem — many of whom have been Black — have said it's not to disrespect the flag or the military. It's to reflect their own experience in America, which often involves racism in every day life and from law enforcement. That experience is why some athletes aren't comfortable with being required to show patriotism in a certain way.

TAMPA, FL - SEP 20: Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre shows his support by wearing the Tom Brady version of the Bucco Bruce vintage Bucs t-shirt before the regular season game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, 2020 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brett Favre thinks there's too much politics in sports. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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