Governor Candidate Pulls ads from NFL Game

Rep. Jim Renacci campaigns

WADSWORTH, Ohio (WTVN)--One of the candidates for Ohio Governor is pulling an advertising campaign from an upcoming NFL game, over the recent protests during the national anthem.

Republican Congressman Jim Renacci's campaign announced the withdrawal of the ad, which was set to run during Sunday's Bengals-Browns game. 

A statement from Renacci reads, "While the First Amendment clearly affords NFL players and officials the freedom to engage in this appalling behavior, having the right to do something does not mean it’s the right thing to do.  Throughout our nation’s history, countless American men and women of all backgrounds and races have sacrificed deeply to protect and preserve the ideals that our nation and its flag stand for-and our National Anthem serves as a tribute to that sacrifice that we should honor, not disparage.  And while the right to speak and protest peacefully is a fundamental freedom that we as Americans enjoy, protesting the most sacred symbols of those freedoms is both sadly ironic and an inexcusable, offensive display of contempt for what our nation stands for."

The campaign says the $20,000 ad buy will now go to an upcoming non-NFL event. Renacci is one of four candidates running for Governor in the Republican party. He currently represents Ohio's 16th District in Congress, which is in northeast Ohio.

Protests in the NFL have centered on the national anthem, with players either taking a knee, or staying in the locker room altogether, during the anthem. That's prompted counter-protests from fans, who in some cases have recorded online videos burning their NFL gear.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content