Reporter says Indianapolis cab driver kicked him out over NFL protests during anthem
A Fox Sports reporter says he was kicked out of a cab in Indianapolis simply for being associated with the National Football League.
On Mike Francesa's radio show Friday, Peter Schrager shared the following account:
"I was doing a game in Indianapolis, I got in a cab, cab driver picks me up, and he says, 'What do you do for a living?'
"Oh, I work in the NFL. He turns around, stops the car, and says, 'You can get out of the car. The NFL is dead to me. The NFL, for the fact that these guys take knees, I will never watch the NFL again.'"
Schrager said it was the first time he'd had a real-life experience with someone "that charged up about this issue." He says it was an experience that will change his perspective, as someone who hails from New York.
"I said, ‘Wow, that’s crazy,’" he continued. "And the more you talk to fans who aren’t on the two coasts, the more you aren’t in blue-state territory, this is a real deal and it is affecting the bottom line. And the owners are seeing this.”
As for the politics of Indianapolis Colts fans — though they may not align with the general public — they're nearly split down the middle. Marion County is also one of the few in Indiana to vote blue in the 2016 presidential election.
More on silent protests during the national anthem:
Doyel: Vice President Mike Pence uses Colts for political purposes
Doyel: Colts players explain why they are kneeling for the national anthem
Air Force One vet turned ref walks out after athlete kneels, is suspended for 18 months
You can find IndyStar sports producer Dakota Crawford on Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.