The NFL made it very clear this week, that they will ban any fan who uses a racial slur at one of their stadiums. That’s if they ever find any actual proof of fans using racial slurs at one of their stadium’s.
The Kansas City Chiefs are investigating the claims of Washington Redskins wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, that a fan called him the n-word multiple times during Monday night’s game. Prompting him to turn around and yell, “F**K you!” at the fan.
So far, the Kansas City’s investigation has turned up no evidence that anyone directed a racial slur towards Pryor.
Chiefs Spokesman Ted Crews told the Kansas City Star, “Washington didn’t make our people aware of an incident, the people we have on the sideline didn’t see one before or after the game and as far as we know, no one from the league office was called to his aid during or after the game. There was no incident or report from the stands.”
After the video of Pryor screaming obscenities and giving a fan the middle finger surfaced on Wednesday, the Redskins receiver wrote a lengthy post on Instagram linking his alleged incident, with the national anthem protests:
Being called a (n-word) several times to the point where an NFL employee had to step to me and stand by me the whole game from 2nd quarter on is the exact reason why guys are kneeling during anthem. I choose not to kneel because as a team we decided to be the one and stand … but as I walked in tunnel hearing someone call me a (n-word) and say F you to me … me flicking the person off is more deserving. I do apologize to my teammates and the organization. But at some point you keep calling us The N word … we going to start acting up.
That’s weird, most people seem to be under the impression that the anthem protests, at least initially, were about police brutality. Though, with original anthem-protester Colin Kaepernick out of the league and none of the current protesters seeming to have any clue about why they’re doing it, players like Pryor are free to say it means whatever they want it to mean.
Chiefs linebacker and 13-year veteran Derrick Johnson, says he’s never heard the n-word from a fan in Kansas City: “I pray that didn’t happen, but if it did, shame on them. I have a lot of respect for our fans, so I would hope that didn’t go on because that’s a bad reflection of what we are at Arrowhead.”
Of course, the lack of evidence in the case didn’t stop the NFL from threatening its fans with banishment from the sport, should they be proven to have used a racial slur. A lightning quick reaction from the league, which seem to be absent when fans complain about terrible rule changes, mingling with groups that support Planned Parenthood, or disgraceful displays of disrespect to our country.
Pryor’s allegation poses another danger to fans, and anyone who values free speech. It is extremely unlikely that the NFL will punish Pryor for his obscene gesturing at fans, after he makes the accusation of racism. Regardless of whether any facts or evidence emerge to backup Pryor’s claim, politically, the league will not want to to be seen punishing a black player who claimed to be racially persecuted.
Therefore, what could happen here is that players will start freely cursing and gesturing at fans. Knowing full well that if they say the fan called them the n-word, something very hard to prove or disprove, then they can basically do what they want and escape punishment.
There is no place for the use of racial slurs at a sporting event, or anywhere else. However, there’s also no place for unfounded allegations of racism to justify grotesque behavior. But good luck telling that to Roger Goodell.
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