The NFL got a lot of backlash on Sunday after airing an "Inspire Change" video touting their work on "racial justice" and "policing." For most of the season, the league has run versions of the ad that chronicles their work with local communities and police interactions.
The ad that aired on Super Bowl Sunday was a bit longer and fleshed out more of what the league was doing as part of its commitment to donate $250 million "to combat systemic racism and support the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African Americans."
While our season is ending, our fight for equity is not.
It takes all of us to create change and advance social justice.
Learn more at https://t.co/1n7GSdNDx6. #InspireChange
pic.twitter.com/NdKd8JkW1W— Inspire Change (@InspireChange) February 8, 2021
Online, there was a significant backlash to the ad because it left out the one person responsible for the league committing so much money to the cause: Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick was trending on Twitter after the ad as many people noted that he is still being left out of the league despite some historically terrible quarterbacks getting chances this season.
Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
spoke openly about Kaepernick in interviews before the Super Bowl.
When asked about the league's social justice work, he noted that Kaepernick's protest "obviously brought a great deal of attention to this, and, for that, he deserves our recognition for that and appreciation.”
“I said very clearly back in June that we wish we had listened to our players earlier, and we had a lot of players that were coming and bringing these issues to us. It didn’t start last summer; it started over two years ago and we’ve been working with the Players Coalition over that period of time,” Goodell told reporters on Feb. 4 according to The Mercury News.
Yet no mention of Kaepernick was made during the ad, enraging many.
Happy Colin Kaepernick Appreciation Day!
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) February 8, 2021
While some derisively called Super Bowl Sunday "Colin Kaepernick Appreciation Day!" like legend Mariah Carey, others had more pointed criticisms of the ad.
NFL Black Lives Matter commercial showing players kneeling without acknowledging Kaepernick is revisionist posturing happing in real time.
— Nana Kwame (@NK_Adjei) February 8, 2021
The NFL would rather donate $250,000,000 to end systemic racism than hire Colin Kaepernick
— gianmarco (@GianmarcoSoresi) February 8, 2021
These NFL commercials capitalizing on the very thing Kaepernick kneeled for ain’t doing it for me.
— AGD. (@TheLexGabrielle) February 8, 2021
The NFL just aired a commercial about fighting against systemic racism.
And yet, the NFL still has Kaepernick blackballed for taking a knee in the name of racial justice.
This is textbook gaslighting.
— Simran Jeet Singh (@simran) February 8, 2021
nfl says it’s giving 250 million to combat systemic rascism –
Hmm- how about letting Colin Kaepernick back into the league ?— John Cusack (@johncusack) February 8, 2021
It's very weird for the NFL to do all of these things that have the vibe of posthumously trying to make amends to Colin Kaepernick, only he's still alive.
— Schooley (@Rschooley) February 8, 2021
NFL runs a #SuperBowl ad saying it has committed $250 million to fighting systemic racism. But as long as Kaepernick remains blackballed, efforts like this will ring hollow.
— Eric Deggans at NPR (@Deggans) February 8, 2021
looking for the NFL’s soul while they patted themselves on the back all day for “diversity” after what they did to colin kaepernick pic.twitter.com/JPoZt9MVC7
— Kathleen Newman-Bremang (@KathleenNB) February 8, 2021
Until Roger Goodell do right by Colin Kaepernick every halftime show is going to be chaotic and disappointing. pic.twitter.com/jp40XhLS7k
— Jade the Honey Dripper ???? (@JadeBurnam) February 8, 2021
Some also called out the NFL for treating Kaepernick's protest the way they did, considering their responses to other more notable players who took specific political stances in support of divisive former President Donald Trump.
Never Forget. #SuperBowl
pic.twitter.com/nUinJreNmM— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) February 8, 2021
The NFL still pretending they didn’t blackball Colin Kaepernick out of the league for trying to spotlight racial inequality issues?
— luis (@arellanes) February 8, 2021
Kaepernick last played in the league in 2016 and has been kept out since, despite his stated desire to play. Trump and the owners of most NFL teams spent years criticizing Kaepernick and making clear moves to prohibit players from protesting.
"We can't have the inmates running the prison," Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said in a meeting about allowing players to kneel during the national anthem like Kaepernick.
Kaepernick eventually received a settlement from the NFL for their decision to keep him out of the league, and he hoped to be signed after a workout in November 2019. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said there were teams interested in him but none agreed to sign him.
Goodell later acknowledged during the protests in 2020 after George Floyd's killing that the NFL was wrong for their treatment of Kaepernick.
“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to N.F.L. players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” Goodell said in a short video released last June.
“We, the National Football League, believe Black lives matter. I personally protest with you and want to be a part of the much-needed change in this country. Without black players, there would be no National Football League,” he added.
