Substitute while the actions of the article are loading
Commander’s coach Ron Rivera fined his defense coordinator Jack Del Rio $ 100,000 on Friday for comments in which the coach minimized the January 6 uprising in the US Capitol as “dust” and compared it to the racial protests that followed the assassination of George Floyd in 2020
In a statement issued by the team, Rivera said he met with Del Rio on Friday morning to discuss his comments two days earlier, and Del Rio apologized.
“Coach Del Rio apologized for his comments on Wednesday and understands the difference between the events of this dark day and the peaceful protests, which are the hallmark of our democracy,” Rivera said in a statement. “He has the right to express his opinion as a citizen of the United States, and it is certainly his constitutional right to do so. However, his words have consequences and his words hurt many people in our community. I want to make it clear that our organization will not tolerate any equivalence between those who demanded justice after the assassination of George Floyd and the actions of those on January 6 who tried to overthrow our government. “
Rogue: Jack Del Rio can choose his words. Commanders can choose their coaches.
The fine will be donated to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund, which helps the families of officers injured or killed in the line of duty.
Del Rio, who has often spoken out about his political beliefs and ideologies on social media, responded to a tweet on Monday in which he questioned “the whole story” of why “a summer of riots, looting, burning and destruction of personal property is never discussed ”, but the attack on January 6 is.
When asked about a tweet from reporters on Wednesday after the team’s training session, he doubled his words, saying: “Why don’t we look at these things? Because it’s a little hard for me to say – I can watch it realistically, I see the images on TV, people’s livelihoods are destroyed, businesses are burned. No problem. And then we have dust in the Capitol. Nothing has burned and we will not talk about it – we will make it a big deal. “
Speaking to reporters earlier Wednesday, Rivera initially declined to discuss Del Rio’s tweets, but said it was “not necessary” to worry that they would affect the locker room. The team did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday or Thursday.
The consequences of his remarks were swift and strong, with current and former players speaking in horror. A current NFL player who previously played for Del Rio and wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, told The Post that the comments were annoying, but did not surprise him, “because I heard them in the last two or three years . He was consistent. … People died and he wants to call it “raising dust”. ”
The player added that he would have trouble playing for Del Rio again, “because he doesn’t support me as a person” and said that the coach would never have made those comments “if he didn’t feel there were a bunch of people who agreed with him . “
Del Rio apologized on Twitter late Wednesday, saying he referred to the January 6 attack as “questioning” as “irresponsible and careless.” But his previous comments continued to excite throughout the week.
Two Virginia senators said Wednesday that after comments from Del Rio, they could no longer support legislation designed to lure commanders to build a new stadium in the state. The bill was withdrawn in full a day later, and Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslow (D-Fairfax) cited Del Rio’s remarks as one of the deciding factors.
NAACP calls for work of Jack Del Rio after comment on January 6
On Thursday, NAACP President Derrick Johnson issued a statement calling for Del Rio to resign or be fired. And Rod Graves, the alliance’s chief executive Fritz Pollard, a diversity group that works closely with the NFL to hire minorities, said Del Rio’s comments contradicted the alliance’s and the NFL’s “values.”
“His comments do not reflect the views of the organization and are extremely hurtful for our large community here at DMV,” Rivera said in a statement. “It simply came to our notice then [Thursday] night c [Jan. 6 Committee] the hearings that took place in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, were an act of internal terrorism. A group of citizens tried to annul the results of free and fair elections and as a result lives were lost and the Capitol building was damaged …
“I feel strongly that after our conversation this morning, he will have a better understanding of the impact of his language and the values our team stands for.”
Add Comment