The NFL held a moment of silence for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was slain while giving a speech.
The gesture drew criticism for honoring a figure known for divisive and controversial rhetoric.
An NFL spokesperson stated Kirk was honored as a national figure, similar to how the league acknowledges other national tragedies.
It was more like damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
The NFL asked fans at Lambeau Field and viewers of its national showcase on Thursday night to reflect on the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On one level, it was an admirable gesture. A day earlier, Kirk was gunned down while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University, a fate that – regardless of where you stand on his political views – no one deserves in a nation that pledges freedom of speech.
Sure, the moment of silence was well-intended.
On another level, though, the NFL fumbled big time. Especially when it comes to the lack of sensitivity for the many Black players (who make up roughly two-thirds of the player population), coaches and staffs with NFL teams and at league headquarters – in addition to others from any race or creed in the NFL universe with values that run polar opposite to what Kirk preached.
Kirk’s platform routinely carried undertones of racism. Or homophobia. Or sexism.
Or outright examples of all the above. And then some.
For the NFL to use its stage to incorporate a moment of silence for a man – not an elected official, mind you – who used divisiveness and stereotypes as fuel for his agenda runs so counter to messages the league often promotes in the name of unity.
Talk about a mixed message. Remember the slogans teams must choose from to be stenciled in the back of the end zones at every NFL stadium: End Racism. Stop Hate. Choose Love. Inspire Change. It Takes All of Us.
What a slippery slope, Roger.
NFL moment of silence: An ‘expression of sympathy,’ or approval of divisive ideology?
“Though I could not have disagreed more adamantly with everything that Charlie Kirk said and proposed, I unequivocally and absolutely agreed with and defended his right to say it and to take the political positions he took based on it!” Dr. Harry Edwards told USA TODAY Sports in an e-mail exchange on Friday. “This is the America we must strive to create, perpetuate and defend – or NOBODY IS SAFE!”
Edwards, the renowned sociologist and San Francisco 49ers consultant, was watching Amazon Prime when the Packers-Commanders pre-game coverage pivoted to the moment of silence that quickly blew up into controversy with instant Internet reaction. His perspective is rich, dating to his intense activism during the 1960s, which included organizing the Olympic Project for Human Rights, which culminated with the iconic black-gloved salutes by track stars John Carlos and Tommie Smith on the medal stand at the 1968 Summer Games in Mexico City.
Mindful of several assassinations and violent crimes that defined an era during the ‘60s and early ‘70s, Edwards bowed his head and reflected on Thursday.
“I would hope that the Charlie Kirk ‘moment of silence’ is an expression of empathy and sympathy for his family and a poignant pause in punctuation for what MUST become a transformative event for this society, for this nation and for us as a people,” Edwards said. “If we are not both attentive and determined to change paths, we could find ourselves repeating this sorrowful history.”
Green Bay Packers hold moment of silence for Charlie Kirk
Memo to those who need to know it: Such optimism is sorely needed amid the vitriol that has become routine these days in the political realm and beyond. Yet in reflecting on Kirk, it is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore the rhetoric that defined his rise. That’s why, against a backdrop that includes debate of whether the founder of Turning Point USA is the martyr that supporters portend, it’s not a stretch to think that some may interpret the league’s decision to use its national stage to mourn his death as tacit approval of his ideology.
It was a good thing the moment for Kirk wasn’t connected to the tribute that paid homage to 9/11 victims, which came 20 minutes later. It’s striking, though, to assess the extremes. The 9/11 tragedy unified this nation like nothing else in my lifetime. The politics that Kirk espoused as a close ally to Donald Trump sowed division.
Still, the NFL expressed the proper, apolitical sentiment in honoring Kirk. The PA announcer stated: “The NFL condemns violence in our communities. It will take all of us to stop hate.”
Bourbon Street attack, New York HQ shooting and Charlie Kirk among NFL remembrances
The NFL has traditionally been responsive in honoring victims, including those affected by mass shootings, hurricanes and wildfires, with moments of silence. This calendar year began with the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and the league paid homage to victims in the immediate aftermath and weeks later at Super Bowl 59. There were also tributes to victims from aviation crashes in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia in January. And as the preseason kicked off, there was a moment of silence before the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in August for victims of the mass shootings at 345 Park Avenue, the Manhattan skyscraper that houses NFL headquarters and other companies.
Why the moment for Kirk? This was the same man who once declared himself through with the NFL several years ago, over the Colin Kaepernick-inspired national anthem protests.
“He was a national figure,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports. “The murder took place about 24 hours before the game.
“There have been a variety of moments of silence and tributes in-stadium and on-air in all games or a game immediately following events that rise to a national level. Clubs also often hold moments following a tragic event that affects their community.”
McCarthy was also certain to point out that “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black National Anthem, has been performed at NFL events since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020.
The call to hold the moment of silence on Thursday, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in attendance at Lambeau Field, was a league decision. It seemed to flow with its perceived capitulation to Trump, as it theoretically tries to reduce the chances of becoming the type of target it became during the President’s first term. McCarthy was unsure what will transpire for the 13 games on Sunday. He said the decisions will be left to the teams.
In other words, stay tuned. There’s potential for more controversy for the league that means so much to so many. To Blacks and Whites. Democrats and Republicans. Liberals and Conservatives. Immigrants and Native Americans. Women and Men. Fantasy Football Aficionados and Football Purists.
It takes all of us? That’s a message easier said than done. In more ways than one.
On Bluesky: jarrettbell.bsky.social