NFL players want month dedicated to activism
A group of four players sent the NFL a memo in August requesting league support and asking for a month to be dedicated to social activism, not long after commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly had talked to several players regarding their game-day activism efforts.
According to Yahoo! Sports, defensive end Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and receiver Torrey Smith, and former Arizona Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin co-authored the 2,740-word document intended to push the NFL into efforts “similarly to what the league already implements for breast cancer awareness, honoring military, etc.”
The letter was obtained by Yahoo! Sports and originally published on Wednesday night.
A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension is “getting done” and previous issues surrounding the deal have been resolved.
The head of the union representing Las Vegas police alleged Michael Bennett made false accusations and asked the NFL to investigate. The league won’t, saying there are no grounds to do so.
Justin Britt, who is white, put his arm on Michael Bennett’s shoulder as Bennett sat during the national anthem on Friday night. Bennett had called for a white player to join the protest that seeks to call attention to social injustice.
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“We would like November to serve as a month of Unity for individual teams to engage and impact the community in their market,” the memo states.
The letter followed closely after Goodell spoke directly with several players who had protested on game day before the regular season kicked off, the Yahoo! report stated, citing two sources.
“For us, support means: bear all or part of the weight of; hold up; give assistance to, especially financially; enable to function or act. We need support, collaboration and partnerships to achieve our goal of strengthening the community,” the letter stated.
The league declined to comment when asked about the memo, Yahoo! Sports reported. Bennett, Jenkins, Smith and Boldin either didn’t return requests for comment to Yahoo! or declined to discuss it, citing an agreement to keep talks private, according to the website.
Boldin retired in late August, two weeks after signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. He said in a statement he felt “drawn to make the larger fight for human rights a priority. My life’s purpose is bigger than football.”
Earlier this month, the NFL affirmed it had no plans to investigate Bennett’s behavior during an August incident in which he was detained and handcuffed by police in Las Vegas.
The league was responding to a letter Goodell had received from the president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union that represents the police in that city. In the letter, the union alleged that Bennett made false accusations against Las Vegas police and asked the league to “conduct an investigation, and take appropriate action.”
Bennett, who accused the Las Vegas police of unfairly targeting him and pointing a gun at his head, sat on the bench during the national anthem for a Seahawks preseason game on Aug. 13 and said at the time, “I can’t stand right now. I’m not going to be standing until I see the equality and freedom.”
