By 
Papa John's CEO, John Schnatter, recently blamed its low pizza sales on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem—and it didn't go well. Schnatter said that because some people are boycotting watching games on TV as a response, fewer people are ordering pizzas to watch during the game. "This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago," Schnatter said.
The company's stock price dropped after the conference call, and Schnatter's personal net work dropped by $70 million at one point. ESPN notes that Papa John's didn't say exactly how much the protests affected sales, but did say that they are one of the most recognized NFL sponsors so the league's performance affects theirs.
Now, two weeks after Schnatter's original comments, Papa John's is changing its tune. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the company apologized for anyone who thought the comments were "divisive," saying they look forward to working with the NFL to figure out a "positive way forward."
But not everyone fully accepted the company's apology, with some critics saying that the NFL players protesting already created their "platform for change" and don't need a company's help to change what they are doing. On Twitter, the company told people to "stay tuned" for future updates on their efforts.
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