Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has fined defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and called the events of Jan. 6 “domestic terrorism.”
Del Rio caused the Commanders heartburn when he called the events of Jan. 6 a “dust-up.” The coach later apologized for his comments, but that wasn’t enough for head coach Rivera.
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 10, 2022
Rivera has fined Del Rio $100,000 for referring to the January 6 riot as a “dust-up.”
“This morning I met with Coach Del Rio to express how disappointed I am in his comments on Wednesday,” Rivera said in a statement released on Friday.
Rivera went on disgorging the left-wing narrative on the events of that controversial day.
“His comments do not reflect the organization’s views and are extremely hurtful to our great community here in the DMV. As we saw last night in the hearings, what happened on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was an act of domestic terrorism,” Rivera exclaimed.
Rivera went on to attempt to describe what he thinks happened that day and noted that Del Rio apologized.
“A group of citizens attempted to overturn the results of a few and fair election, and as a result, lives were lost and the Capitol was damaged. Coach Del Rio did apologize for his comments on Wednesday and he understands the distinction between the events of that dark day and peaceful protests, which are a hallmark of our democracy,” Rivera wrote.
But that apology wasn’t enough for Rivera.
“He does have the right to voice his opinion as a citizen of the United States and it most certainly is his constitutional right to do so,” he wrote. “However, words have consequences and his words hurt a lot of people in our community. I want to make it clear that our organization will not tolerate any equivalency between those who demanded justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the actions of those on January 6 who sought to topple our government.”
Rivera concluded that Del Rio needs punishment.
“After reflecting on the situation and circumstances, I have decided to fine Coach Del Rio $100,000, which the team will donate to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund. I feel strongly that after our conversation this morning, he will have a greater understanding for the impact of his language and the values that our team stands for.”
It is notable that Del Rio was referring to those rioting and burning buildings when he made his comments, not “peaceful protests.” A not-so-subtle distinction that would lead one to question whether Rivera was referring to the rioters when he mentioned those “demanding justice?”
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