NFL, Cowboys can’t stay silent on George Floyd’s death, impact of Colin Kaepernick
Shut up and dribble is dead and any facsimile there of.
Athletes and NFL players, specifically, white players are finally finding their voice en masse and taking a stand with their black and brown teammates against racism.
That is one the positives emerging from the ashes in the wake of the senseless killing of George Floyd by a white (now former) Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin last Monday and the rising protests across the country.
From an NFL perspective, it’s important that white quarterbacks are standing up and being heard. They are leaders in the locker room and their voices carry weight.
The list includes the 2020 top overall draft pick Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles and newly-signed Cowboys backup and former TCU star Andy Dalton.
All found a way to step out of their comfort zone and found a way to denounce systemic racism and police brutality via Twitter.
Atlanta owner Arthur Blank put out a statement on Saturday in the wake of the riots around Atlanta.
“A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over,” Blank said in the statement. “People are scared and in pain. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. More must be done to address systemic racism. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change.”
The silence, however, had been deafening from the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys organization.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally released a statement late Saturday afternoon.
“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,” Goodell said. “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.”
The statement comes late and doesn’t undo the damage that has already been done.
The NFL must take ownership of how the death of Floyd and the rising protest which have turned into the riots are related to the blackballing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee during the national anthem in silent protest of racism and police brutality against people of color.
Even Kaepernick was good enough to play, although no NFL owner would sign him because they felt it was bad for business and would cost them money.
Those were the words of former NFL executive vice president Joe Lockhart in an editorial on CNN Saturday. Lockhart was in charge of communications and government affairs from 2016-2018.
“For many owners, it came back to the same things,” Lockhart said. “Signing Kaepernick, they thought, was bad for business. An executive from one team that considered signing Kaepernick told me the team projected losing 20% of their season ticket holders if they did. That was a business risk no team was willing to take, whether the owner was a Trump supporter or a bleeding-heart liberal (yes, those do exist). As bad of an image problem it presented for the league and the game, no owner was willing to put the business at risk over this issue.”
That is a decision that is coming home to roost. The league’s inability to stomach the knee of Kaepernick on the field in silent protest wrought the knee of Floyd’s killer on the back of his neck. And the protests rose up in cities across the country.
All of the love of money that is seemingly blowing up before our very eyes with the destruction of property and the burning of buildings.
And this is where Jerry Jones and the Cowboys come in.
Jones forbid his players from protesting during the national anthem for essentially the same reason. He didn’t want to upset sponsors and potentially cost the team money by an appearance of disrespecting the flag.
Never mind that peaceful protests were what the flag was built on and one of the things our soldiers fight to protect.
But the Cowboys have forcibly stood with toes on the line.
And even when players who have protested with other teams, like Robert Quinn in Miami and Michael Bennett in Seattle, joined the Cowboys, the players encouraged them to stand in solidarity.
The players are done being quiet and silent for appearances in the name of the almighty dollar.
Defensive end Tank Lawrence voiced his frustration on social media.
“DONE BEING QUIET AND DONE BEING ANGRY,” Lawrence said in a tweet. “HOW CAN WE FEEL SAFE WHEN THOSE MEANT TO PROTECT US ARE KILLIN’ US?!!!! WHEN WILL MINORITIES BE FREE TO BE AMERICANS IN AMERICA!?”
As Lawrence later tweeted in a response, making millions “doesn’t make him feel any safer in this country than any other minority living in fear cause of their skin color.”
The NFL needs to acknowledge what their players are feeling beyond throwing millions of dollars in the community. Money does not get to the heart of the issues.
They need to fix their Kaepernick problem as his treatment symbolizes frustration of the many of the protesters.
Jones has provided generational wealth for many Cowboys players and legends who continue to stand by him and consider him a father figure.
Now, he needs to let his players be free to protest, or not protest, without the threat of them losing their jobs.
