Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield issues defiant message to fans angry that he said he would kneel during anthem

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield doubled down on his plan to kneel during the national anthem despite being inundated with criticism by some fans.

"No I don't have any regrets," Mayfield said during a media briefing.

"I think you know, being in my position, which is a blessing, being you know, out on a platform where I can speak on issues that are just wrong. You know, right is right and wrong is wrong," he explained.

"It's a human rights issue. It's been going on for a long time and I believe in that. It's nothing against the military, anyone who served. Anybody that knows my history knows I completely support the military and people that serve our country for the right reasons and do it for justice," Mayfield continued.

"The people that don't know that, that's OK. Take your time. Just take a second to get to know me. You know, it's a human rights issue," he added.

"There's right," Mayfield concluded, "and there's wrong."

The league turns over

After rejecting the politicization of the professional sports league in 2019, the NFL has changed course and embraced the messaging of the Black Lives Matter movement for the 2020 season. In July, the league announced that players would be allowed to plaster messages for political causes on their helmets during games.

in June, a poll of Americans found a majority of 52% supported the kneeling protests, while only 36% said the protests were inappropriate.

NFL under coronavirus

The 2020 NFL season is still scheduled to commence in September but many believe that the season will need to be canceled in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the players and the fans. Some teams have already announced that fans will most likely not be allowed to attend the games as spectators.

Many Cleveland fans were hopeful for the Browns 2019 season but the team and ended with a disappointing record of six wins and 10 losses, and missed the playoffs for the 17th year.