A few days ago the NFL – a league that just a couple years ago told players that if they wanted to peacefully kneel for the national anthem they should stay in the locker room until kickoff – released a vapid statement about the death of George Floyd and the “systemic issues” that American citizens are dealing with on an every day basis.
The statement was classic NFL under the rule of commissioner Roger Goodell – a perfect combination of vagueness and emptiness that left many wondering how a league that buckled under ridiculous pressures from president Trump a few years ago could really do anything to help rid the world of racism.
Two Minnesota Vikings linebackers – Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr – were not fans of the statement and they sounded off on Tuesday, as they both Tweeted:
“What actual steps are you taking to support the fight for justice and system reform? Your statement said nothing. Your league is built on black athletes. Vague answers do nothing. Let the players know what you’re ACTUALLY doing. And we know what silence means.”
.@NFL what actual steps are you taking to support the fight for justice and system reform?
Your statement said nothing. Your league is built on black athletes. Vague answers do nothing. Let the players know what you’re ACTUALLY doing.
And we know what silence means. pic.twitter.com/EOqzDjW1an
— Eric Kendricks (@EricKendricks54) June 2, 2020
They also added, via ESPN:
“The Vikings have opened dialogue with players and we’re all working towards solutions with the team,” they said. “… If anyone has suggestions for how to support the city, we’d love to hear them. Our team doesn’t just want to donate — we want to work with local organizations and get out there to help facilitate change. … But we want answers at the league level. That’s where change can happen, and we’ve seen none. Because right now, it seems like nothing. And nothing is unacceptable.”
That came after free-agent safety Eric Reid and Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills ripped the NFL over its statement, too.
Goodell closed the statement with this, which consists of a lot of words but nothing specific about what the NFL is working on:
“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.”
Right now it’s easy for leagues and teams (well, not the Knicks) to release what might seem to them as heartfelt statements about Floyd’s death and the protests that have followed and the work that needs to get done to make things better. But if there are no actions behind those statements or no plans behind those statements then they are absolutely, 100 percent worthless.
It’s great to see players voicing their concerns and challenging the NFL to lay out exactly what the league is doing to help. That type of pressure needs to be put on everyone in a position of power in all walks of life who can create ways to make real change happen. Because it’s quite obvious that our country needs a whole hell of a lot of change – and fast.
The NFL has long been afraid of bad PR and has long been the king of tone-deaf stances on all sorts of issues.
Now’s the time for more players to stand up to Goodell and the league to be better, to lead, and to actually do things that we can all see that will help communities come together.
Keep pushing, players. Don’t let Goodell and the NFL rest easy thinking a tweet is all that’s necessary to make things seem like they care.
Quick hits: Sean Payton speaks out… Anthony Lynn’s passionate remarks on protests and Kaepernick… NHL player’s strong words on how white players can help.
– Saints coach Sean Payton did not mince words on George Floyd’s death and what America needs to do next.
– You need to read what Chargers coach Anthony Lynn had to say about the protests and Colin Kaepernick.
– Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler had strong words on how white players can be better allies to black communities.