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United States defender Reggie Cannon mentioned that his former MLS membership, FC Dallas, needed him to apologize to followers for calling their habits “disgusting” after they threw objects and booed gamers who kneeled to protest racial inequality because the nationwide anthem performed earlier than an August match.
Cannon, who transferred to Portuguese first division facet Boavista final month, revealed Dallas administration’s ask on the Crack Podcast, which is hosted by former U.S. males’s nationwide group standouts DaMarcus Beasley and Oguchi Onyewu. The episode that includes Cannon’s interview was recorded a number of days after the incident however was solely launched this week.
On August 12, earlier than an MLS common season recreation in opposition to Nashville SC in Frisco, Texas, all 22 starters on each groups agreed to kneel through the U.S. nationwide anthem, a present of unity in response to numerous high-profile latest situations of police brutality.
Attendance at Toyota Stadium that night time was restricted to only a few hundred spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions, however a few of these in attendance took exception to the athletes’ peaceable demonstration by hurling boos and bottles at their very own gamers.
“It was completely disgusting,” Cannon mentioned afterward. “You’ve received followers booing you for folks taking a stand for what they consider in. Tens of millions of different folks help this trigger and we mentioned with each different group and the league what we’re going to do, and we’ve received followers booing us in our personal stadium. How disgraceful is that?”
On Beasley’s and Onyewu’s podcast, Cannon, who has 11 caps with the USMNT, mentioned that FC Dallas brass have been so sad about his feedback that “they initially requested me to apologize.”
“That they had written out a press release,” Cannon mentioned. “I child you not.”
Cannon described intimately loss of life threats he mentioned he and his household have obtained for criticizing the followers’ actions. “I mentioned, ‘With all respect, I’m not apologizing. I didn’t do something fallacious,’” he mentioned.
The threats of violence in opposition to Cannon and his spouse apparently have been taken critically sufficient by FCD that the membership gave Cannon the chance to sit down out the rematch in Frisco 4 days later, he mentioned.
As an alternative, in what turned out to be his penultimate recreation with Dallas, Cannon went the total 90 minutes in a scoreless draw. The 2 video games with Nashville have been scheduled after each groups have been pressured to withdraw from the MLS is Again Match due to COVID-19 outbreaks inside their ranks. On the Crack Podcast, Cannon additionally revealed that he was among the many Dallas gamers contaminated.
Cannon, who made 67 common season appearances for the Hoops over components of 4 seasons, mentioned that whereas his spouse was initially hesitant about transferring abroad, she turned keen to depart Texas following the August incident. It has modified Cannon’s notion of his first skilled cease, too.
“Everybody on the membership mentioned, ‘Now we have your again 100%,’” Cannon mentioned. “And when it really will get sticky, and also you really need to undergo it, I imply I’m wanting round and I’m nearly alone on this.”
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