‘We were wrong,’ NFL commish says, after Black Lives Matter video with Mahomes, others
A day after Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Tyrann Mathieu joined NFL stars in a Black Lives Matter video, the league responded.
Message received.
And one it says should have been received much earlier.
In an 81-second video, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledges the need to recognize what some of the league’s biggest stars insisted he acknowledge — racial inequality. Mahomes, Mathieu and several other players asked the NFL to clearly state its condemnation of racism and its support for peaceful protest — peaceful protest that kept former San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick from employment.
“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people,” Goodell says in the video. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.”
In their video posted to social media outlets on Thursday, a collection of NFL players asked, “What if I was George Floyd?”
Floyd died after a white police offer in Minneapolis pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes. His death has sparked protests across the country, including in Kansas City.
“I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much needed change in this country,” Goodell said. “Without black players, there would be no National Football League. And the protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff.”
Seventy percent of NFL players are black, but the league employs only four black head coaches and only two black general managers, the latter representing the lowest totals in 17 years.
In 2016, Kaepernick famously took a knee during national anthems to protest racial injustices and police brutality. He has been out of the league since, despite expressing his desire and readiness to play.
Several other players have spoken out on his behalf or with a similar message, with Thursday’s video providing yet another example.
“We are listening. I am listening,” Goodell said. “And I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve and go forward for a better and more united NFL family.”