I’ve said it multiple times over the last year and I now have a perfect opportunity to say it again. Among all professional sports, no organization has more prostrated itself before the Black Lives Matter altar and all things super-woke than the National Football League.
The NBA might be close, but it ain’t got nothin’ on Commissioner Roger Goodell’s NFL.
“We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier … We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.”
Roger Goodell responds to the message from the players. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/2vmbmGYDuA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 5, 2020
And of all 32 teams in the NFL, none of them have done a better job of being there every step of the way than the erstwhile Washington Redskins, now ignominiously reduced to simply “The Washington Football Team” — which might become the team’s official name.
Anyway, if you’re among fans who were disgusted by the national anthem protests, became even more disgusted last year every time Goodell threw himself at the feet of former San Francisco 49er turned activist Colin Kaepernick and black America as a whole, profusely apologized — on multiple occasions — for his unforgivable sins as commissioner, as well as those of the league, and promised to “continue to learn” and “do better,” but you haven’t quite said “enough is enough,” but want to? I might have your ticket.
As reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday, The Washington Football Team is replacing its cheerleaders with a coed dance ensemble. Dubbed “The First Ladies of Football,” the Washington cheerleading squad first took the field in 1962.
Washington Football Team replacing cheerleaders with coed dance team https://t.co/nX0PiIgz2B pic.twitter.com/OY7gUTKrNl
— New York Post (@nypost) March 3, 2021
Former Los Angeles Laker Girl — what’s the over/under on how long before that name bites the dust? — Petra Pope was hired as an adviser for the dance team. She told the AP:
“I’ve been asked to create a more modern entertainment team that is inclusive and diverse. We just want to follow that mode of being more modern and a more modern franchise. Change is difficult, but I do feel that the fans will love what we bring to the table.”
Wanna bet? Poor Petra obviously doesn’t know diehard ‘Skins fans.
“My focus is really just reinventing this team,” Pope said. “My goal is to create this team, reinvent this team, and make it more modern.” Good luck with that.
And hey — what beer-drinking, diehard football fan isn’t going to be fired up by looking down at the field during an exciting game, and seeing a coed dance ensemble “firing up” the crowd even more? Nonetheless, Pope said she’s “bringing the NBA flavor to the NFL.”
Oh, good. Nothing like tossing in a bit of “NBA flavor.” How can she miss?
New WFT dance team coordinator: “I’m bringing the NBA flavor to the NFL.”https://t.co/MyQB2LyimB pic.twitter.com/ToYSw2Tn94
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) March 3, 2021
Not the Bee took a shot at the pathetic, pandering announcement, including an image from the 1993 movie, “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.”
“Washington Football Team” announces that it’s ditching cheerleaders for a “co-ed dance squad” to be more “inclusive, modern, and diverse” https://t.co/2wjyK8AA0f
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) March 3, 2021
Team president Jason Wright said “the off-season gives us a chance to rethink the status quo,” suggesting “the time is right to re-imagine our gameday experience.”
“[Over] the last year, we’ve created an enhanced online fan experience, and we’ve seen how effective our new media properties and modern approaches have been in engaging fans even when they can’t be at the games.
“The time is right to re-imagine our entire gameday experience to reinvent it in a way that reflects our modern identity and aligns with what today’s fan seeks.
“Coach [Ron] Rivera has done an incredible job on the field. We will elevate our off-the-field product to match.”
Sure about that, Jason? “What today’s fan seeks”? From what?
While the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots both have men on their cheerleading squads, the combination of a coed dance ensemble and NFL football just doesn’t work for me. Then again, neither did “Washington Football Team” nor Roger Goodell groveling and begging for forgiveness before the altar of Black Lives Matter.
Particularly, given the NFL hadn’t done anything about which to grovel. Ah, the old days.
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