Roger Goodell attempts to show the NFL gets it. Unfortunately, there has been a long battle in the Sports industry, in regards to how to react to the Pledge Of Allegiance. In 2017, the NFL that sent the message nationwide that kneeling was illegitimate, and by extension, criticism of police. Three years later, the NFL carries the greatest burden of any sports league to rectify the damage it now admits it has done.
Roger Goodell, NFL sports commissioner finally broke out of silence, saying the NFL was wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier. “We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,” he said. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all players to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe that black lives matter.” Sadly, he never mentioned Kaepernick during his speech. Kaepernick is the symbol of the Black Lives Matter peaceful protest when it comes to the NFL, as he was ridiculed for his symbolic taking a knee during the Pledge of Allegiance. The movement was signifying the failure that America embraced for injustice to fair treatment by race.
Many are fighting for Kaepernick to receive back pay and the respect that he deserves for standing up for Black American justice.
ESPN, notes it’s because it took white NFL players to push the message. Not to mention, Goodell still tiptoes around the main issue of police brutality. Instead of mentioning the word, Goodell sent condolences to families of victims who died by the hands of Police officials. If the term “police brutality” is so incendiary that it cannot be said, how can anyone be taken seriously when they say they want to fight it?
Although, it doesn’t seem like Roger Goodell get’s it, his small attempt still infuriated President Orange. Twitter fingers took to twitter bible to say, “Could it be even remotely possible that in Roger Goodell’s rather interesting statement of peace and reconciliation, he was intimating that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?”
Trump continued to be more ridiculous by saying, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired,'” Trump said at the time.
Trump, insists on continuing the trend of “OLD GLORY” as he referred to it, as opposed to Goodell who says he will be reaching out to players to see what can be done to make a change. Although it unfortunately took white players to push the reform of justice in the NFL, and Goodell as well as others still have not admitted that the main source of segregation within police brutality, reluctantly there is an attempt, and an acceptance of knowing that a change needs to be made. Sadly, Trump will not even make effort towards seeing past a piece of cloth with stripes and stars. As Brees mentioned, “We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial and prison reform.”
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