Roger Goodell, NFL Admit ‘We Were Wrong for Not Listening to NFL Players Earlier’
Four years after a movement of peaceful protests in the NFL began and spread throughout the entire league, commissioner Roger Goodell and the league have, at last, admitted fault in its mishandling of the players' right to protest.
“It has been a difficult time for our country, in particular, black people in our country,” Goodell said. “First, my condolences to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all the families who have endured police brutality. We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. 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.
“I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much needed change in this country. 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. We are listening. I am listening. 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.”
Goodell's statement comes nearly four years after former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick first began kneeling during the U.S. national anthem in the 2016 preseason to protest racial inequality and police brutality. In large part due to Kaepernick's stance, which wasn't supported by the league or the majority of its owners, the quarterback has not taken a snap since the 2016 season.
Kneeling as a form of protest has continued in the league since, though Friday night's statement is the first significant sign of support from the league. Goodell's statement comes on the heels of a statement from the NFL last Saturday which was torn to shreds by players throughout the NFL due to the league's handling of the kneeling issue over the years.
The reinforced statement is the result of a string of recent racial injustices and deaths of African Americans such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery.
Floyd died last Monday in the custody of Minneapolis police after police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him down with his knee on the back of his neck. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, showing Floyd repeating stating that he couldn't breathe.
Chauvin, who was one of four police officers detaining Floyd at the time, was arrested last Friday and is now charged with second-degree murder. The other officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, have been arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
On Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars joined members of their roster, coaching staff, front office, administration, and more to unite for a march in Jacksonville to advocate against racism and for the Black Lives Matter movement. Following the demonstration, wide receiver Chris Conley was asked about the league's stance on protests dating back to 2016.
"You know the longer that I’ve been in the league, back in 2016, I had just gotten into the league, I had a lot of fears about what the people in the city would think, about the effects of unrest and protests and fortunately over time I have gotten to a place where I don’t care about those things," Conley said.
"That is the reason guys push me towards the front because they know I will say what they are thinking, and that shouldn’t be the case in this league. You shouldn’t be afraid of speaking up and standing for what you believe in. LeBron James stepping out and saying, ‘No, I won’t shut up and dribble,’ is a huge deal. Because that emboldens other people to say, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ So, this time around, you know, people won’t fall for that again.
"I think there will be backlash. I think people will try and hijack the narrative and take it back to the military. You know, everybody wants to say, ‘Well, my grandfather fought in this war.’ Well, my grandfather fought, too. My dad gave twenty years of his life to this country, plenty of people did. You can’t change the narrative to something because it is convenient to you to stay on top of it. That is how I think we will respond.”
Head coach Doug Marrone, who took part in the march, was also direct in how his team would handle the right of its players to protest moving forward in 2020 and beyond.
"From ownership to Dave Caldwell to myself, we’ve told them how we feel and that no player will be punished in our organizations by expressing their rights," Marrone said
