Packers legend Brett Favre says he's voting for Trump because 'freedom, the Second Amendment, tax-paying citizens and the police' are what make this country 'great'

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Legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has voiced his support for Donald Trump's re-election, citing the President's support for the first and second amendment, as well as police and military. 

'My Vote is for what makes this country great, freedom of speech & religion, [second amendment], hard working (sic) tax paying (sic) citizens, police & military,' Favre wrote on Twitter. 'In this election, we have freedom of choice, which all should respect. For me & these principles, my Vote is for @RealDonaldTrump.' 

Favre, a native and current resident of staunchly conservative Mississippi, recently addressed Trump via satellite, during an episode of Sinclair Broadcast Group's 'America This Week,' saying that sports television ratings are down because fans are tired of athletes' political messaging.

'The NBA and the NFL are struggling with lower ratings, as fans clearly do not want political messaging mixed with their sports,' Favre said before posing a question to Trump. 'So how should the leagues support and promote an anti-racism position without becoming political and alienating fans?'

Brett Favre, who recently went golfing with Donald Trump (pictured), has endorsed the President's re-election bid, citing his support for first and second amendment rights 

Brett Favre voiced his support for President Donald Trump 's re-election on Friday

Brett Favre (right) recently addressed President Donald Trump via satellite,during an episode of Sinclair Broadcast Group's 'America This Week,' saying that sports television ratings are down because fans are tired of athletes' political messaging

NBA posted disappointing ratings after returning from its coronavirus hiatus as players began protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The league's playoff ratings were down 37 percent while the Lakers-Heat NBA Finals had a 49 percent drop in viewership from 2019.

NFL ratings, meanwhile, were down 10 percent over the first quarter of the season.

Trump, who recently went golfing with Favre, directed his response to the retired quarterback's question to Sinclair's Eric Bolling.

'Well, Brett is a great guy, okay, a champion, a winner,' Trump began. 

'I think the NBA ratings were down 70 percent, more than that for their finale… and the NFL is way down,' Trump said, misstating the NBA's Nielsen figures. 

Brett Favre reached two Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers, winning one

'People don't want to see all of the politics. They've got enough politics with me and with everybody else. And they don't want to see it with football or sports on Sunday or whenever they happen to be watching. I think it's had a huge impact on sports, a huge negative impact on sports.'

Trump said if players 'want to protest they can,' adding that doing so before a game is wrong.

'They shouldn't be protesting on the sidelines during the football game, especially when they're making $10 million a year for something they'd be doing anyway for free if they weren't in the league,' he said.

What Trump and others are ignoring with regards to protesting athletes is that Nielsen ratings are down for nearly every league, regardless of whether players protested or not.

Major League Baseball, which had only small pockets of protests earlier in the season, saw World Series ratings plunge 32 percent below the previous low in 2012.

In the NHL, where only a handful of players protested, Stanley Cup Finals ratings fell 61 percent from last year.

NBA posted disappointing ratings after returning from its coronavirus hiatus as players began protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The league's playoff ratings were down 37 percent while the Lakers-Heat NBA Finals had a 49 percent drop in viewership from 2019

NFL ratings, meanwhile, were down 10 percent over the first quarter of the season

Meanwhile the US Open golf tournament had its smallest audience (3.2 million) viewers in the last 30 years, while the Kentucky Derby went from around 15 million viewers to just 9.3 million after being postponed in September.

And while fan objections to athlete protests may explain some ratings declines, PGA golfers have largely abstained from any controversial statements, and it's not as though the horses at the Kentucky Derby have suddenly become more political.

Then there's the WNBA, where players protested and vocally opposed Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler's US senatorial campaign in Georgia. Still, WNBA Finals ratings surged 15 percent compared to last season. Furthermore, regular season viewership was up a whopping 68 percent, according to the league.

While many fans have voiced their displeasure over protesting athletes, other potential factors in the decline in sports viewership could be the ongoing presidential election, which has dominated ratings. There has also been more head-to-head matchup between leagues after the NBA and NHL seasons were interrupted by the ongoing pandemic and forced to finish their 2019-20 campaigns in October.

Furthermore, total live TV viewership has declined about 9 percent from September of 2019 until September of 2020, according to The New York Times, which could be attributed to the popularity of streaming services and digital recording. 

The NBA Finals ratings have fallen for several consecutive years, although players did not begin protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem until the league's July restart

Favre has not been entirely against athletes protesting.

Colin Kaepernick, who first began protesting racism with the 49ers in 2016 by refusing to stand for the anthem, will ultimately get 'hero status,' Favre said in June.

Favre even likened the controversial Kaepernick to Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who enlisted in the Army after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and was later killed by friendly fire at age 27 in Afghanistan.

'Pat Tillman's another guy who did something similar, and we regard him as a hero,' Favre told TMZ after being asked if Kaepernick has reached the stature of a Jackie Robinson or Muhammad Ali. 'So I'd assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.

'It's not easy for a guy his age, black or white, Hispanic, whatever, to stop something that you've always dreamed of doing, and put it on hold -- maybe forever -- for something that you believe in,' the Packers legend added.

Favre has not been entirely against athletes protesting. Colin Kaepernick (right), who first began protesting racism with the 49ers in 2016 by refusing to stand for the anthem, will ultimately get 'hero status,' Favre said in June. Favre even likened Kaepernick to Pat Tillman (left), the former Arizona Cardinals safety who enlisted in the Army after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and was later killed by friendly fire at age 27 in Afghanistan.