Riders lottery president makes waves with pro-Trump comments
'I will no longer support the Friends of the Riders,' says fan
Tom Shepherd runs the lottery which sells draw tickets and 50/50 tickets to raise money for the CFL team.
On Sunday, before the Rider game against the Calgary Stampeders, Shepherd spoke out on the CKRM pre-game show.
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect....
—@realDonaldTrump...our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!
—@realDonaldTrumpThe players were doing so as a political statement against racism and division in the country.
The Roughriders linked arms during the Canadian national anthem to join the movement.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders sent out a statement Monday, stressing that Shepherd's "opinions and comments are not representative of our club."
It also said "we stand alongside our players and support their individual right to freedom of speech and their beliefs."
Rider fans took to Twitter to distance themselves from Shepherd, calling him a "clown" and a "fossil."
Many shared the sentiment that he should leave the organization or face risking the loss of ticket sales due to his outspokenness.
Friends of the Riders president Tom Shepherd just called <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trump?src=hash">#Trump</a> "his man" and agreed with his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash">#NFL</a> stance during <a href="https://twitter.com/CKRMRiders">@CKRMRiders</a> pregame show.
—@Devin_HerouxI will not buy another FOTR lotto ticket until Shepherd is gone. Unbelievable. I now hope every black player kneels for our anthem. Shepfail
—@laytonburton61Welcome to the Alabama of Canada
—@ImCSHHe should save his opinion for his own time. Poor that he feels the need to speak like this when connected to Riders. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShameOnShepherd?src=hash">#ShameOnShepherd</a>
—@NevinHodgesVery disappointed, I will no longer support the Friends of the Riders.
—@DedeBonnycastleWhat a clown. <a href="https://t.co/pMl2rHYKuj">pic.twitter.com/pMl2rHYKuj</a>
—@StoriesFrom17thWhen asked for comment, Shepherd replied to CBC in an email with: "I think I said enough."
Shepherd has a long history with the Saskatchewan Roughriders including serving as club president from 1987 to 1989. He was inducted into the Canadian football hall of fame in 2008.