The NFL Tries To Show Support For George Floyd And Gets Blasted

Source: Fayesvision / WENN / WENN

The murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has set off protests in cities across the US as well as statements of support from non-black people and corporate entities seeking to stand as allies to the Black Lives Matters movement. Well, ya already know the NFL has been trying to clean up their cruddy image ever since blackballing Colin Kaepernick over his silent protests and they too released a statement this weekend amid the outcry over Floyd’s murder.

“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,” the statement begins. “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 Abrery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions.”

The statement continues, “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 with our players, clubs and partners.”

Nice try, but the people responded with a collective GTFOHWTBS.

Acclaimed journalist Jemele Hill was one of the most vocal about the NFL’s hypocrisy, she took to Twitter to respond:

You gotta be fucking kidding me

The NFL tweeting about what happened with George Floyd is the equivalent of when the CIA recognizes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. Loved him so much y’all helped to kill him. Get outta here with the bullshit.

Jemele’s response was applauded by Ava DuVernay

The accuracy. The precision.

DuVernay also posted her own response to the NFL’s comments:

Shame on you. This is beyond hollow + disingenuous. This is a lie. Your actions show who you are. You’ve done nothing but the exact opposite of what you describe here. Keep Mr. Floyd’s name out of your mouth. Shame on you + the “consultants” of this travesty of an organization.

Of course they are absolutely right. The NFL, Roger Goodell and many of the team owners were in cahoots with Trump as he mocked Kaepernick from the Oval Office. They’ve always been intolerant to displays of protest by players. So why should we accept their condolences? Should we have any faith at all that they will do the work they are now acknowledging needs to be done?

Hit the flip for more responses to the NFL’s statement