Source: San Jose Mercury News / Getty
The NFL has some nerve. The same league that
blackballed Colin Kaepernick because he kneeled to protest police brutality sent out a statement about George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests across the nation—and the irony was not lost on many who promptly called out the blatant hypocrisy.
With brands and corporations expressing their support of protests against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, the NFL thought it would get in on the trend. Around 6pm on Saturday, May 30, the NFL shared a well-crafted message that may have had you fooled if you’re dense and haven’t been paying much attention.
“The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country,” reads part of the statement. “The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel.”
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It continues, “Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. George Floyd and to those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Ms. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions. As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league. These tragedies inform the NFL’s commitment and our ongoing efforts. There remains an urgent need for action. We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society. We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs and partners.”
Wait, now there is an “urgent need for action.”?
And what exactly did the league do? As you may recall, when Colin Kaepernick specifically protested police brutality by taking a knee during the National Anthem way back in 2016, the NFL and its mostly good ol’ white guy network of owners did their best to make sure his career was over. Even the Cheeto-In-Chief call him out of his name using the baseless spin that he was somehow disrespecting the flag.
But oh yeah,
the NFL did hire Jay-Z.
This missive from the NFL’s owners and its Commissioner Roger Goodell is lip service in gaslighting form.
While the NFL must have forgotten, the immediate backlash to its headass statement (they don’t even mention police) in light of their own reaction to a peaceful protest four years ago, was swift. Peep some of the best take downs below.
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