N.F.L. players and owners, already on edge following critical statements made by President Trump at a rally on Friday night, woke up on game day to another series of tweets from the president, this time calling for football fans to boycott N.F.L. games unless the league fires or suspends players who refuse to stand for the national anthem.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a longtime friend of the president, was among the first to reply on Sunday, saying in a statement:
“I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday.