The commissioner of the NFL on Friday shared a strong statement regarding the protests against racial inequality and police brutality that have been taking place all week.
In the video, Roger Goodell vowed to continue to speak out and lead for change, and even admitted the league was wrong for how it handled players peacefully protesting for the same reason in the past, like during Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protests in 2016.
The question now is how genuine the statement was, considering it may have been forced by a league employee who went rogue and conspired with a few NFL players to create a powerful video.
In it, prominent black players like New England Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley and New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas demanding the league respond to these racial injustices. And apparently, it all started when Bryndon Minter was upset with his employer’s vanilla response about what’s going on in the world and emailed Thomas with an idea.
More NFL: Saints’ Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara Willing To Move Past Drew Brees’ Comments
“Hey Mike, want to help you create content to be heard around the league,” Minter, a creative producer wrote, as reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Henry Bushnell. “I’m a NFL social employee and am embarrassed by how the league has been silent this week. The NFL hasn’t condemned racism. The NFL hasn’t said that Black Lives Matter.
“I want (to) help you put the pressure on. And arm you with a video that expresses YOUR voice and (what) you want from the League. Give me a holler if you’re interested in working together, thanks bro!”
The Saints wideout responded within 15 minutes, and they turned a video around in less than 24 hours to put more pressure on the league. Minter knew it could cost him his job, but he didn’t care.
“I was at peace the whole time,” he told The Athletic. “I think if I wasn’t at peace to lose my job, I wouldn’t have wanted to go out on a limb like that…I was at peace, I still am at peace.”
Been extraordinarily proud of my NFL social colleagues this week.
If you want to see change… Speak up. Your voice is powerful.
— Bryndon Minter (@Bryndon) June 6, 2020
Minter’s plan worked, and fortunately, it seems he hasn’t lost his job.
