Is Stevie Johnson a secret agent doing reconnaissance work in the United States for everyone's least favorite hermit kingdom, North Korea? Judging from a quick glance at the replies on his Twitter page, it would appear many think so. 
 
 The always-outspoken Buffalo Bills wide receiver ruffled a few feathers in New England on Wednesday night when he started talking about North Korea's escalating nuclear threats toward the United States and other world powers. But if Kim Jong Un and his pals won't "chill out," Johnson said, there's one spot he wouldn't miss if it was targeted. 
 
 That place? Foxboro, Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots and a location where the Bills haven't recorded a victory since November 5, 2000. 
 
 Here are Johnson's tweets: 
 
 North Korea tripping hard AF right now. Chill out with that Nuke talk. #uMadBro — STVN (@StevieJohnson13) April 3, 2013 
 
 War is nothing to be played with. I apologize North Korea........but if y'all do bomb 1st... Bomb Foxboro, Mass. Sincerely,#BillsMafia — STVN (@StevieJohnson13) April 3, 2013 
 
 Patriots fans, understandably, didn't take too kindly to Johnson's remarks. It wasn't a very nice thing to say and no one wants to picture Gillette Stadium as a hole in the ground with Kim Jong Un playing the role of Bane. 
 
 The rest of the league probably doesn't want to picture it either. Who knows what all that radiation might do to Bill Belichick? How large would his ego and coaching prowess be? Do they even make sleeveless hoodies that big? Nope, not a road we want to go down. 
 
 So, yeah, Johnson's joke was in bad taste. But given that most American citizens aren't taking North Korea very seriously, how can you fault a wide receiver for doing the same thing? 
 
 Plus, it's not as if Kim Jong Un and his staff are going to listen to anything Johnson says. (We all know that role is reserved for Dennis Rodman.) 
 
 After taking a lot of criticism, Johnson later backed off with this tweet. 
 
 i know some of yall took it too serious.. but i have Much Respect for The Pats along with Every other NFL Team. Gonna to be a Great #NFL2013 — STVN (@StevieJohnson13) April 4, 2013 
 
 So long as we're all still here, of course. 
 
 h/t: Game On! 
 
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 Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green (85) gestures as teammate Max Garcia, left, takes a knee during the playing of the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) (Associated Press) 
 
 President Donald Trump's comments about owners firing players who kneel during the national anthem sparked a mass increase in such protests around the National Football League Sunday, as more than 130 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during early games. 
 
 A week ago, just four players didn't stand and two raised their fists. 
 
 Defensive star Von Miller was among the majority of Denver Broncos who took a knee in Buffalo Sunday, where Bills running back LeSean McCoy stretched during the "Star Spangled Banner." In Chicago, the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in the tunnel except for one player, Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva, who stood outside with a hand over his heart. Tom Brady was among the New England Patriots who locked arms in solidarity in Foxborough, Massachusetts. 
 
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 In Detroit, anthem singer Rico Lavelle took a knee at the word "brave," lowering his head and raising his right fist into the air. 
 
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 Jaguars owner Shad Khan and players on both teams who were not kneeling remained locked arm-in-arm throughout the playing of the anthem and "God Save The Queen." No players were knelt during the British anthem. 
 
 Trump saw the arm-in-arm gestures as a victory . Among his latest tweets on the top Sunday was this: "Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!" 
 
 A handful of NFL players have refused to stand during the anthem to protest several issues, including police brutality. But that number ballooned Sunday following Trump's two-day weekend rant that began with the president calling for NFL protesters to be fired and continued Saturday with the president rescinding a White House invitation for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors over star Stephen Curry's criticism of Trump. 
 
 The movement started more than a year ago when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Collin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem as a protest of police treatment of racial minorities. This season, no team has signed him, and some supporters believe NFL owners are avoiding him because of the controversy. 
 
 A handful of Miami Dolphins players wore black T-shirts supporting Kaepernick during pregame warm-ups. The shirts have "#IMWITHKAP" written in bold white lettering on the front. 
 
 Trump's targeting of top professional athletes in football and basketball brought swift condemnation from executives and players in the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. 
 
 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended Trump's attacks Sunday, saying on ABC's "This Week" that the president thinks "owners should have a rule that players should have to stand in respect for the national anthem." Mnuchin added that "they can do free speech on their own time." 
 
 The National Hockey League's reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins announced Sunday they've accepted a White House invitation from Trump. The Penguins said they respect the office of the president and "the long tradition of championship team visiting the White House." 
 
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 Before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals in Minneapolis on Sunday, the Los Angeles Sparks left the floor while the Minnesota Lynx stood arm-in-arm. The Sparks returned to a chorus of boos when the song was finished. 
 
 Sports hasn't been immune from America's deep political rifts, but the president's delving into the NFL protests started by Kaepernick brought new attention to the issues. 
 
 "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you'd say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He's fired,'" Trump said to loud applause Friday night at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama. 
 
 "If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!" Trump said in a Sunday morning tweet. 
 
 Trump also mocked the league's crackdown on illegal hits, suggesting the league had softened because of its safety initiatives, which stem from an increased awareness of the devastating effects of repeated hits to the head. 
 
 Kahn, who was among the NFL owners who chipped in $1 million to the Trump inauguration committee, said he met with his team captains before kickoff in London "to express my support for them, all NFL players and the league following the divisive and contentious remarks made by President Trump." 
 
 Trump's comments drew sharp responses from some of the nation's top athletes, with LeBron James calling the president a "bum." Hours later, Major League Baseball saw its first player take a knee during the national anthem. 
 
 The NFL its players, often at odds, have been united in condemning the president's criticisms. 
 
 Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who's been a strong supporter of the president, expressed "deep disappointment" with Trump. 
 
 The NFL, meanwhile, said it would re-air a unity spot called "Inside These Lines" during its Sunday night game between Oakland and Washington on NBC. "Inside These Lines" is a 60-second video that highlights the power of football to bring people together. 
 
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 For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL 
 
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 AP Sports Writers Dennis Waszak Jr., Steve Reed, Larry Lage and Stephen Whyno and Associated Press Writer Zac Boyer contributed. 
 
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 Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
– Buffalo Bills player Stevie Johnson would really like North Korea to "chill out with that nuke talk." But if it doesn't, the wide receiver has suggested a target for Kim Jong Un's agression: "War is nothing to be played with. I apologize North Korea........but if y'all do bomb 1st... Bomb Foxboro, Mass. Sincerely, # BillsMafia " he tweeted to his 122,000 followers yesterday. Foxboro, Mass., is the home of the New England Patriots, where the Bills haven't had a victory in 13 years, says Yahoo! Sports. Unsurprisingly, the online backlash to the joke came thick and fast. A few hours later, Johnson tweeted something akin to an apology: "i know some of yall took it too serious.. but i have Much Respect for The Pats along with Every other NFL Team. Gonna to be a Great #NFL2012." Then something not so akin to an apology: "PatsFans i lo...like yall also. ask any1 in my fam. ive said TheBoro is my fav place to play-bkuz you Pats fans are Live! BUT not for long.."