Tag: Derek Chauvin

Panthers great Steve Smith elaborates on his criticism of Brett Favre

Panthers great Steve Smith elaborates on his criticism of Brett Favre

Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith didn’t really have to explain himself following his objection to Brett Favre’s dull comments on the killing of George Floyd. But he had time this week, 29 minutes and 45 seconds, in fact.

In a newly-released bonus episode of his podcast, Cut To It featuring Steve Smith Sr., the franchise great expanded on last Thursday’s criticism of the Hall-of-Fame quarterback. Smith elaborated on why he called out Favre for his “out-of-pocket” commentary and, as an extra treat, addressed those who took to social media to, in turn, bash him for using the word “privilege.”

Favre, a day following the guilty conviction of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, irresponsibly theorized Floyd’s death was accidental. Smith, who implored Favre to “STFU,” didn’t back down from his initial backlash on Tuesday, noting that while he still respects the player, he “knows nothing about being a Black man.”

(For the full audio of Smith’s response, click this link.)

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Danny Green, Doc Rivers give thoughts on the Derek Chauvin verdict

The Philadelphia 76ers give their thoughts on the Derek Chauvin conviction.

On Tuesday, the verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was announced as he was found guilty of all three charges he was on trial for in the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. It was seen as a victory for the social justice movement over the summer after the events took place.

The Philadelphia 76ers involved themselves in that movement as Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle took their fight to the streets joining in protests and the Sixers organization made a number of commitments to help in the fight for racial equality in the country.

Once the verdict was announced, NBA players from across the league sounded off on the outcome. The Sixers spoke about the verdict as a group, according to veteran Danny Green.

“Doc (Rivers) has lived a good amount of it. He knows what it was like back then, and went through it and he said, which is sad, that if it happened back then, there probably wouldn’t even been a trial, which is crazy, but it’s a win,” Green said. “It’s a big one is huge. I think more so instead of people being excited about it, I think more people feel like, it’s about damn time type of situation.”

Rivers has been outspoken on racial injustices before as he has seen a lot of it in his life, unfortunately. He had some mixed feelings after hearing of the guilty verdict.

“My reaction is a little mixed,” Rivers stated. “The fact that we are celebrating a man who committed murder that he was going to jail, I thought about that, and I’m not so sure if we’ve come a long way, or if we have a long way to go. You can think of that either way, but the right thing happened, obviously, and so I was excited about that.”

It is rare to see a police officer convicted in this manner so the world still has a long way to go, but it is a step in the right direction.

“It’s a move in the right direction, we know we have a lot more to go and a lot of ways to improve on, on our country, but it’s a win,” Green added. “We’ll take it, and it’s a good start since it’s going in the right direction and get in progress, but it just goes to show you how much more we have to go to improve to be better, but it’s a good change.”

“Blacks have been dehumanized for a long time,” Rivers finished. “To see a man go to jail for killing a Black man should not be significant, but it is. I guess in that way, we’re coming a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Panthers legend Steve Smith blasts Brett Favre for Derek Chauvin remarks

89 took to Instagram on Wednesday night to express his thoughts on Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre’s recent comments regarding the killing of George Floyd.

Carolina Panthers franchise-great Steve Smith has never been the timid type. When he deemed an opponent or even a teammate (sup, Ken Lucas) to be out of line, he let them know about it.

Glad to see things haven’t changed!

89 took to Instagram on Wednesday night to express his thoughts on Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre’s recent comments regarding the killing of George Floyd. Smith blasted the former Packers quarterback, who seems to be on a crusade to have his mouth produce as much cretinous trash as his right arm did lousy interceptions.

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This is quite the sanctimonious move for Favre, now a self-proclaimed disenfranchised football fan that doesn’t like politics in his sports. Unless, that is, they’re his politics.

Well, at least it’s good to know Smith still respects what Favre did on the field. Perhaps that tiny pittance is enough to keep him from icing up after that verbal backhand.

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Patriots release statement after Derek Chauvin is found guilty of George Floyd’s murder

The Patriots and Celtics released team statements on Tuesday following the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.

The New England Patriots and Boston Celtics released team statements on Tuesday following the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.

Patriots players and coaches have addressed social injustice issues in this country and pledged $1 million for these causes back in June 2020. Here’s what the Patriots’ statement said on Tuesday night.

“Today’s verdict is one step toward accountability and justice,” the Patriots wrote. “We recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done and we are committed to being part of that progress.”

The Celtics also have been extremely vocal and active on social issues — here’s the statement they released.

“We are grateful for the verdict in the George Floyd murder case, however, we know that today’s justice served is not to be taken for granted, and the Celtics remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating for racial equity and social justice,” the Celtics wrote.

The Patriots released a powerful video in June to discuss the actions they will take.

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NFL releases statement after Derek Chauvin verdict

Here is the NFL’s statement after the Chauvin verdict.

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On Tuesday, a jury found former Minneapolis police office Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges in the death of George Floyd. The NFL released the above statement in response to the verdict. This was in addition to countless social media posts by NFL players and other professional athletes after the verdict was handed down.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the May 2020 killing of Floyd. The jury spent 10 hours in deliberation before returning with the guilty verdicts.

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Vikings release statement after Derek Chauvin found guilty in murder of George Floyd

The Minnesota Vikings released a strong statement after the conviction of Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.

On Tuesday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

That same day, the Vikings released a statement regarding the conviction:

“The past year following George Floyd’s death has been extremely painful for the Minnesota community, particularly for the State’s Black residents,” the team said in a statement. “While today’s decision does not minimize the anguish or solve the intolerable issues of racism and hate, we hope it can mark the beginning of community healing.”

The team went on to say in the statement that it wants to continue to be agents for positive, transformational and sustainable change. The NFL has also released a statement. You can read that statement here.

Vikings DT Michael Pierce had this to say:

Minnesota Vikings release statement after Derek Chauvin verdict

The Minnesota Vikings released a strong statement following the verdict announcement in the Derek Chauvin murder case on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was  convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd last Memorial Day. Chauvin was taken into custody, and will be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Just after the verdict was announced, the Minnesota Vikings released the following statement.

“The past year following George Floyd’s death has been extremely painful for the Minnesota community, particularly for the state’s Black residents. While today’s decision does not minimize the anguish or solve the intolerable issues of racism and hate, we hope it can mark the beginning of community healing.

“Now, more than ever, it is crucial to respectfully listen, communicate, and engage in order for us to move toward an equitable society. We must address the unacceptable continued violence and hate toward People of Color and commit to using our individual and collective voices to end the divisiveness and racial injustice.

“Our work is just beginning. Our commitment is unwavering. As an organization, we will build upon the foundation we have already established in the following critical areas: reducing socioeconomic disparities, implementing educational curriculum on Racism and Black history, and advocating for law enforcement and criminal justice reform. We will continue to be agents for positive, transformational, and sustainable change.”

In 2018, the Vikings organization established a Social Justice Committee, and expended those efforts after Floyd’s death. Last June, the team announced that Meredith “Mimi” Kol-Balfour was the first recipient of the George Floyd Legacy Scholarship. The Wilf family, owners of the team, have committed $5 million to organizations that work for social justice.

Eagles WR DeSean Jackson honors George Floyd with custom cleats

DeSean Jackson honors George Floyd with custom cleats

DeSean Jackson has always been a social justice warrior and after honoring Nipsey Hussle in 2019, the Eagles star is stepping up for George Floyd.

The Eagles star once again teamed with SolesBySir to create a custom cleat featuring Floyd’s image, 8 minutes and 46 seconds (symbolizing the amount of time officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck) and the phrase “I Can’t Breathe Again.”

Jackson dropped the pictures on his Instagram.

While explaining his cause and the cleats Jackson wrote these comments: “I’m making my mark, Regardless of the feedback.” “I’m taking a stance on justice & using my platform to stand for what’s right !!”

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Timothy Bradley reveals during broadcast harrowing encounter with police

Timothy Bradley recounted during the Shakur Stevenson-Felix Caraballo broadcast a harrowing encounter with police.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on SportingNews.com.

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Timothy Bradley is a two-division world champion who defeated Manny Pacquiao and has successfully transitioned into commentary as part of ESPN’s boxing broadcast team.

But despite his success in and out of the squared circle, the 36-year-old isn’t immune to racism. He revealed a recent encounter with police during ESPN’s broadcast of boxing’s return to the network for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

ESPN dedicated much of the early part of their Shakur Stevenson vs. Felix Caraballo broadcast to the global protests surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. And when it was Bradley’s time to discuss the current racial climate, the former champion delivered an emotionally taxing encounter he had with police just a year ago with his four-year-old son by his side.

“We were getting ready for school early in the morning. I went outside and asked my son which car you want to drive in today,” Bradley recalled of what was originally an innocent day. “It was a car that I had been fixing for a little while and I haven’t driven in about three years. And I knew he was going to say that car, but I was a little skeptical to get in that car because I knew the type of attention it would get. But I got in anyway because I want[ed] to see the smile on my son’s face.”

Bradley said that he was halfway to his son’s school when he heard sirens behind him by “not one, not two, but four police cars.” With his son in the passenger seat, Bradley knew that he had to inform the child of the unfortunate truth that was unfolding.

“I looked at my son, my heart was pumping 100 miles an hour,” Bradley said. “I told my son: ‘Look at me. Do exactly what I tell you to do right now. Don’t say anything at all. Keep your hands up high.'”

Bradley was overcome with emotion while explaining the encounter on the broadcast. Although the officers eventually let him go because, as he explained, they figured out who he was, he was tasked with explaining to his son what had happened.

“My son asked me why did they pull us over? And I said, son, they pulled us over because of the color of our skin and the type of car that we’re driving,” Bradley said. “And I told my son at 4 years old. I said, you might not get it now, but you will get it later. My father shared this same story with me 30 years ago, and I just shared that with my son a year ago.”