Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley and Michael Thomas are among more than a dozen NFL stars who united to send a passionate video message to the league about racial inequality.
The 70-second video was released on social media platforms Thursday night and includes Odell Beckham Jr., Deshaun Watson, Ezekiel Elliott, Jamal Adams, Jarvis Landry, Stephon Gilmore and DeAndre Hopkins, among others.
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— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) June 5, 2020
Thomas, the New Orleans Saints wide receiver who has led the league in receptions the past two seasons, was a key organizer of the video effort, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Thomas, who appeared to take a shot a teammate Drew Brees in a tweet after the quarterback’s comments on disrespecting the flag, later tweeted that he had accepted Brees’ apology, adding “Now back to the movement!”
Thomas opens the video with the statement: “It’s been 10 days since George Floyd was brutally murdered.” The players then take turns asking the question, “What if I was George Floyd?”
The players then name several of the black men and women who have recently been killed, including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Eric Garner.
“I AM George Floyd,” Hopkins says.
Juventus and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has the distinction of becoming the first footballer – and the first athlete in a team sport – to earn over $1 billion in his career, according to Forbes.
Ronaldo is ranked at No. 4 in the magazine’s list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities in 2020, beating out Barcelona’s Lionel Messi by one spot.
Only Kylie Jenner, Kanye West, and Roger Federer earned more than Ronaldo over the past year, with Forbes suggesting the 35-year-old made $105 million before taxes.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar ($95.5 million) and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James ($88.2 million) were the other athletes to feature in the top 10. The only other footballer on the list was Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, whose $35.1 million in earnings placed him 100th.
Ronaldo becomes just the third active athlete to eclipse $1 billion in career earnings, joining Floyd Mayweather and Tiger Woods, according to Forbes.
A recent study determined that Ronaldo pocketed over $2.3 million for four sponsored Instagram posts while on hiatus in his native Madeira, Portugal. Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram, boasting in excess of 221 million followers.
Ronaldo has profited from his CR7 lifestyle brand and a hotel name, and he also owns other properties, including a museum in Madeira.