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Roger Goodell responds to NFL stars’ Black Lives Matter plea: ‘We were wrong’
By Ryan DunleavyJune 5, 2020 | 7:46pm | Updated
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell condemned racism, admitted a mistake in judgement and ultimately showed he is willing to listen to the players.
One day after the NFL Players Association united some of its biggest stars for a wish list of things they wanted to hear from the league amidst nationwide protests of George Floyd’s murder and other police-involved deaths, Goodell delivered nearly word-for-word on the request in a video released Friday night to social media.
“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people,” Goodell said from his home. “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.”
It might not be perfect — the players asked for an admission of wrong in “silencing our players from peacefully protesting” — but it is a big step from the years of the league not giving an inch after Colin Kaepernick and others began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest social injustice.
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We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange
The NFL’s first attempt at a response — a written statement last weekend — was deemed by players to fall far short of the mark. For starters, it referred to “tragic events” and “current events” but not the root of the issue.
This time, Goodell struck a more specific chord.
“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.”
Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin was fired and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he kneeled on Floyd’s neck and ignored pleas to stop.
The Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes were two of the most prominently displayed voices in the powerful video scripted by the NFLPA. Neither Barkley nor Mahomes was in the NFL when Kaepernick protested and all players essentially faced a weekly decision of whether to join or sit out the protest. Same goes for many other rising stars.
About 70 percent of NFL players are black, according to a 2018 study by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.
“We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter,” Goodell said. “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.
