NAACP Wants Washington Commanders Coach Fired For Jan. 6 Remarks
NAACP President Derrick Johnson on Thursday (June 9) called for the termination of Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio if he doesn’t voluntarily resign from his job with the NFL franchise.
Johnson’s strong language was prompted by Del Rio's controversial Twitter post asking why the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd by a now-convicted ex-Minneapolis police officer were not invested like the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.
The NFL coach referred to the attempted overthrow of the government by Donald Trump supporters as a “dust-up” compared to the racial justice demonstrations.
"It is time for Jack Del Rio to resign or be terminated. His comments could not have been more offensive and ignorant. The January 6th insurrection —an attempted coup—was far from a 'dust-up'. Each day we learn more and more on just how close our democracy came to autocracy,” Johnson said in a statement.
“Downplaying the insurrection by comparing it to nationwide protests, which were in response to a public lynching, is twisted. You can’t coach a majority Black team while turning your back on the Black community. It's time for you to pack up and step off the field."
The Washington Post reported that Del Rio, 59, often uses Twitter to comment on conservative politics. He courted controversy Monday (June 6) in his response to the Washington think tank Brookings Institution’s report that the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection would soon begin holding public hearings.
“Would love to understand ‘the whole story’ about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is ??? #CommonSense,” Del Rio wrote.
On Wednesday (June 8), reporters asked the football coach to explain his tweet.
“I can look at images on the TV [of the Floyd protests] — people’s livelihoods are being destroyed. Businesses are being burned down. No problem,” The Post quoted Del Rio’s response.
“And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal. I just think it’s kind of two standards, and if we apply the same standard and we’re going to be reasonable with each other, let’s have a discussion.”
As criticism of his remarks mounted, Del Rio walked back some of his comments in a Twitter post, saying that “referencing that situation as a dust-up was irresponsible and negligent and I am sorry.”
He added, “I stand by my comments condemning violence in communities across the country. I say that while also expressing my support as an American citizen for peaceful protest in our country.
Del Rio’s words sparked racial tension at a time when the NFL faces a lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores accusing the league and three of its franchises of racial discrimination in its hiring practices.
Meanwhile, the league has been trying to clean up its image when it comes to how it treats Black players. At the height of protests over Floyd’s murder, the NFL officially apologized for silencing peaceful protest during the national anthem prior to games over the past few years, admitting "we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."
