J.C. Tretter Encourages NFL Players To Speak Out Against Racism, For Everyone To Listen
As players such as Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow and any number of prominent NFL players have found ways to make their voices heard in regards to systematic racism in the United States as they watch what has gone on in Minneapolis this week, NFLPA President and Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter released his own statement.
While others were largely speaking for themselves, Tretter spoke as an individual as well as from a broader perspective as the chief executive of the players association in the NFL.
In short, Tretter notes that any reluctance players have to speak out because of how it may be portrayed is dwarfed by what minorities in this country, including many of their teammates, have experienced in their lives and continue to face.
The death of George Floyd was a crystallization of everything that minorities have been trying to get across to people, while so many either ignored them or criticized them when they spoke. What Tretter is doing is encouraging players to speak out loudly enough and in large enough numbers that the NFL as a league and the country as a whole will not be able to ignore them.
Tretter's statement also comes at the same time the NFL has released a statement from Roger Goodell, which has been meant with a significant amount of cynicism given the events of his tenure as commissioner.
The most notable example is the league's handling of Colin Kaepernick, who was effectively blackballed when he was quietly protesting this very issue by taking a knee during the national anthem.
Tretter is trying to encourage more dialoque. More speaking out from those who feel they have something to say, but maybe just as importantly, the Browns center is encouraging people to do more listening. Maybe then people will have a better understanding and then be more inclined to encourage change for the sake of a more just society.
