The Baltimore Ravens reportedly blamed their participation in the national anthem protests for low game attendance in a letter to season-ticket holders this week.
The team’s president, Dick Cass, signed the letter, which expresses concern to fans about the “noticeable” no-shows at recent games, ESPN reported.
“There are a number of reasons for the no-shows, but surely the one-time protest in London has been a factor,” the letter reads.
The Ravens were among several NFL teams who kneeled during the national anthem at games this season to protest racial inequality and brutality.
{mosads}
The protests by players and other team officials sparked massive backlash from President Trump, who urged team owners to fire players who participated.
The president also demanded that the NFL establish a rule banning players from kneeling. Many fans also called for a boycott of the league in response to the protests, saying that players were disrespecting the military.
Members of the Ravens kneeled during the anthem at a September game in London, the first weekend after Trump called for players to be fired. The following week, the team kneeled in prayer and then stood for the anthem. Since then, the team has not kneeled during the anthem.
Cass wrote in the letter that he and the team have reached out to fans who raised concerns about the protest.
“We have responded to your concerns about the protest by re-doubling the efforts of both the organization and our players to make the Baltimore area a better community,” he wrote. “When the Ravens win, we can bring families and the community together. We’ve done that before, and we can do it again.”
The Ravens are having a successful regular season, and will head to the playoffs if they win their final two games.
“In light of recent events, we are also reminded that winning alone is not always enough to make the Ravens the unifying force we want to be,” Cass wrote.
“We don’t take your support for granted, and we know that we must continue to earn your respect and investment in us.”