Chris Kyle's Widow To NFL Players: Get Off Your Knees And Build Bridges

DALLAS (CBSDFW) - Taya Kyle wrote an open letter to the NFL about the protests taking place in their stadiums on Sunday and Monday.

Kyle, the widow of 'American Sniper' and decorated Navy Seal, Chris Kyle, pleaded for the league to get their players out in the communities to build bridges rather than take a knee during the National Anthem.

In the statement posted on Facebook, Kyle also wrote that the NFL's "desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport" of football.

Kyle also said what made the game of football so great was that it was already bringing people together from different backgrounds to cheer on their team.

"Did it ever occur to you that you and we were already a mix of backgrounds, races and religions? We were already living the dream you want, right in front of you," Kyle said. "Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world –different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal - to do well, to win, TOGETHER."

President Donald Trump's criticism of players who kneel during the national anthem sparked angry protests around the National Football League on Sunday, as about 200 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance.

A week ago, just six players protested.

Most NFL players on Sunday locked arms with their teammates -- some standing, others kneeling -- in a show of solidarity. A handful of teams stayed off the field until after "The Star-Spangled Banner" to avoid the issue altogether.

President Trump said over the weekend that the players protesting the anthem were "very disrespectful to our country" and called again on owners to stop what he considers unpatriotic displays in America's most popular sport.

"This has nothing to do with race," Trump said. "This has to do with respect for our country."

The president's comments turned the anthems -- usually sung during commercials -- into must-watch television shown live by the networks and Yahoo!, which streamed the game in London. In some NFL stadiums, crowds either booed or yelled at players to stand. There was also some applause.

The Dallas Cowboys displayed a "statement of unity" before their game on Monday. The team, along with the Jones family, locked arms and took a knee prior to the National Anthem for a moment of silence. The team and the Jones' returned to the sideline and locked arms during the anthem.

"The reason I'm particularly proud of this team is because we all agreed that our players wanted to make a statement about unity and wanted to make a statement about equality," Jerry Jones said after the Cowboys beat the Arizona Cardinals. "It was really easy for everyone in our organization to see that the message of unity and the message of equality was getting pushed aside and diminished by the controversy."

President Donald Trump was quick to jump on social media Tuesday morning and applaud the 'great anger' from the majority of Cardinals fans as the stadium filled with the sound of booing at the Cowboys gesture when the initially took a knee before the anthem.

A few minutes later, the President acknowledged the teams standing for the National Anthem.

On Wednesday morning, President Trump said that he had spoken to Jerry Jones.

"Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for Country!"

The Cowboys nor the White House have commented yet on what the conversation entailed.

This is a developing news story. Refresh for the latest details.

In:
• Jerry Jones
• Chris Kyle
• NFL
• Donald Trump
• Roger Goodell