Michael Strahan is opening up after he was criticized for the way he stood for the national anthem on Sunday afternoon.
During Fox’s special football coverage from Naval Base San Diego, the “Star Spangled Banner” was played, and while the rest of his teammates on television were seen with their hands over their hearts, the ex-Giant held his hands interlocked near his waist.
Some criticized Strahan for this, and he said the coverage has “spilled over” so much that he had to address it on his Instagram.
He admitted in a post on his social media page that he was not protesting anything and that he was “caught up in the moment” before realizing that he hadn’t placed his hands on his chest.
Strahan was asked for comment by a Daily Mail reporter outside his house, with the “Good Morning America” host grabbing and throwing away the journalist’s phone.
The ex-defensive lineman admitted he was “not proud” of the way he handle that interaction, but he felt he needed to “protect” both his family and his home.
And when it got down to the national anthem and why he didn’t have his hand on his heart, Strahan said he was not making any sort of protest on the Fox broadcast, especially with his father being in the U.S. Army for over two decades.
“I have nothing to protest, I have no statement to be made,” Strahan said on Instagram. The only statement that should be made that I want to make is I love the military, I’ve always loved the military and I will always love the military. I do so many programs to help veterans and soldiers. I grew up on a military base with a father who was a major in the army. My brother, my sister, my cousins, they all served in the military — I’m a military brat.
“And so the fact of somebody saying that, you know, I’m unpatriotic, couldn’t be any further from the truth.”
In the end, Strahan said that he was “caught up in the moment” of the “incredible scene” before him with all of the sailors and Navy SEALs in attendance.”
“I somewhat panic and I’m like, ‘Do I be the fool that puts his hand over his heart after or do I just stand here with my hand in front of me respectfully?’ Which, that’s what I did, that’s what happened,” Strahan explained when he realized he didn’t have his hand over his heart.
Fox Sports told the Daily Mail on Sunday that Strahan would not be punished for the incident.
