For the sixth straight season, the NFL continues its end zone message initiative, a practice that began in the fall of 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement. Each team has the option to choose from messages such as ‘End Racism,’ ‘Stop Hate,’ ‘Choose Love,’ or ‘Inspire Change’ for one end zone, while the other features ‘It Takes All of Us.’ These messages, while intended to promote social justice, have been widely criticized as cliché and outdated, particularly by fans who argue that the NFL should refocus on its primary purpose—football.
At the heart of this controversy is the league’s ongoing engagement with political messaging, which originated in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. This act sparked a nationwide debate and led to the NFL’s embrace of social justice initiatives, including the end zone messages. However, as the article points out, the political undertones of these messages have become increasingly polarizing. Many fans feel that the league is straying from its core mission and should prioritize the game over activism.
The article suggests that if the NFL is going to continue with end zone messages, it should give teams the option to include ‘Back the Blue,’ a message that would directly support law enforcement. This proposal is framed as a way to repair the league’s relationship with the police, which has been strained due to the NFL’s past endorsements of Kaepernick and his activism. The author argues that the NFL’s support for Kaepernick, who has been criticized for his statements about police, has contributed to a broader cultural shift that has, in some cases, led to increased crime and violence.
One of the central arguments in the article is that the NFL’s alignment with Black Lives Matter and its encouragement of protests have had real-world consequences. The author highlights that from 2020 to 2021, when the NFL was actively promoting its messages, murder rates saw a dramatic increase, far surpassing historical averages. The author attributes this to the diminishing support for law enforcement, arguing that the NFL’s endorsements of Kaepernick’s activism may have unintentionally emboldened individuals to commit violence. The article concludes by calling for the NFL to acknowledge the role of law enforcement in public safety and to support policies that protect communities, while also recognizing the value of police work in keeping society secure.