*NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is catching heat over what many believe is a hypocritical statement about the death of George Floyd.
Nearly a week after Floyd was murdered by a former Minneapolis police officer, Goodell took to Twitter to address the incident. Both players and fans of the sport were quick to remind him of the NFL’s stance on Colin Kaepernick in 2016, when the former 49er’s quarterback kneeled during games while the American national anthem played. The move was to increase awareness of police brutality in this country but the league would blackball the athlete for taking a stand against white supremacy and racism.
Below is the NFL statement in full:
The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country. The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger and frustration that so many of us feel.
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.
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As noted by The Daily Mail, many Twitter users called out the hypocrisy in the sentence in the last paragraph: “We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society,” as Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season because he used the NFL platform to call out racism and injustice against people of color.
Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills replied to the NFL statement with the tweet: “Save the bulls***.”
Screenwriter Gary Whitta also tweeted: “Actions speak louder than words and your actions have been wholly inadequate. Pass.”
Another Twitter user wrote “What all of this statement really says: Colin Kaepernick was right. The league’s owners—the commissioner’s bosses—blew this years ago when they didn’t care.”
And this commenter added, “This NFL statement about black people killed by police never actually mentions the police.”
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