UPDATE: November 2, 2017 at 3:14 P.M.

Papa John's CEO John Schnatter may have done some damage this week when he blamed his company's declining sales on the NFL's poor leadership. Less than 24 hours after he reported the company's slow third-quarter growth Tuesday, Schnatter's personal net worth dropped by $70 million, Forbes reported.

In an earnings call Wednesday, Schnatter attributed the 1 percent same-store sales last quarter – which was lower than expected – to player protests within the NFL. Schnatter says that fewer people are watching football because of the controversy, and as such there are less eyes on Papa John's ads, which often play during games. Papa John's is the official pizza sponsor for the NFL.

"The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle," he reportedly said on the conference call Wednesday.

NFL viewership is down this season – ESPN reported it dropped 7.5 percent in the first six weeks of the season compared to the 2016 season – though it's unclear how directly related this is to player protests this season. Last fall, a Rasmussen Reports poll showed that 32 percent of Americans said they're less likely to watch an NFL game because of the growing number of player protests on the field.

After Schnatter blamed the NFL, Papa John's shares dropped to a low of $59.77 per share Wednesday at 1 p.m. They've since risen slightly, and by 2:30 p.m. Thursday were back up to $63.09 per share. Because Schnatter owns around 25 percent of the company, his personal wealth was obviously affected. Forbes estimates his current net worth to be $801 million.

ORIGINAL POST: November 1, 2017 at 3:59 P.M.

Papa John's pizza sales are currently in a slump, and the company is pointing fingers at an unlikely source: football. Bloomberg reports that Papa John's says the NFL's latest controversies are to blame for lower pizza sales. That's because some people are boycotting watching games while players kneel during the National Anthem, so that means fewer people see Papa John's ads and decide to order pizza.

"The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players' and [team] owners' satisfaction," Papa John's founder and CEO John Schnatter reportedly said on a conference call. "NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders." The company frequently runs commercials during games, and said they were going to start moving some of their ad dollars away from the NFL.

"This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago," Schnatter added. "Like many sponsors, we are in contact with the NFL and once the issue is resolved between the players and the owners, we are optimistic that the NFL's best years are ahead. But good or bad, leadership starts at the top, and this is an example of poor leadership."

To be fair, chain founder John Schnatter is an outspoken Republican and Trump supporter, so he may be making a political statement by blaming NFL protesters for the sales slump. But his claim may not be entirely unfounded. A Bloomberg analyst said if fewer Americans are watching football, fewer people are ordering their usual pepperoni pizzas to sit and watch the game.

Papa John's has a sponsorship deal with the NFL, and didn't have an issue with sales when ratings fell in 2016. The NFL did not respond to the Washington Post's request for comment.

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