The NFL just received some bad news, a pizza chain linked to the league has blamed them for weak sales growth.

Papa John's, an American pizza franchise has lost a lot of dough this week. CEO and founder, John Schnatter announced Tuesday that shares are down 11% and guidance on same-store sales has lowered.

Schnatter did not shy away from blaming the league for his company's recent decline–he has made it known that the outcry surrounding players kneeling during the national anthem has widely affected the company's pizza sales.

"The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle," he said, "NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders," . Papa John's is the NFL's official pizza sponsor.

The company has reported that their customers have a negative view of the NFL  and the company's association with it.

The pizza chain has made their opinion clear on the issue by releasing the statement, "The controversy is polarizing the customer, polarizing the country," said Schnatter.

Ratings are down for the NFL, but the spineless commissioner, Roger Goodell still has not declared that players must stand. Unfortunately for the league, critics have made it clear that the famous pizza franchise will be pulling their advertisements associated with the NFL.

Papa John's hit the nail on the head when they stated "This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago," and we could not agree more.