Donald Trump is gonna hate the “new” NFL.
Washington’s NFL team abandoned its racist-ass name, NFL players are now encouraged to peacefully protest during the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”—yes, that “Lift Every Voice and Sing”—will be played during Week 1 games for some inexplicable reason.
But one thing that’s really gonna piss off our resident fearmonger-in-chief is this report, courtesy of the Associated Press:
The NFL is planning to allow players to have decals on the back of their helmets bearing names or initials of victims of systemic racism and police violence.
The league has been in talks with individual players and their union since June about somehow honoring such victims. The initiative will be done leaguewide, with each team deciding who it will honor and how to display the names or initials.
Those names are expected to include George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and other victims of police violence.
“You might have one team with 15 different decals,” Steve Wyche, senior correspondent for the NFL Network said. “They’re still in discussions. But this sounds like it’s going to happen.”
This would be the second time the NBA was upstaged in addressing this very issue, as WNBA players will reportedly wear the names of women who were killed at the hands of police officers on their jerseys this season. NBA players, however, will wear phrases such as “Listen” or “Peace.”
While helmet decals aren’t anything new in the NFL—players have worn patches or helmet decals in the past to pay tribute to members of the armed forces, as well as former players, owners and team personnel—this is definitely the first time that the league has gone to such great lengths to recognize social justice (though the Dallas Cowboys “tried” and failed in 2016).
Trump’s about to be big mad.
But he’ll probably be off playing golf somewhere anyway, so he’ll deal.