LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 20: A billboard featuring the words "THE RAIDERS ARE COMING" and an image of Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is seen on the construction site of the Raiders USD 1.8 billion, glass-domed stadium on December 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stadium is scheduled to be open for the Raiders and the UNLV Rebels football teams in 2020. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
As people celebrate today’s historic guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial, the Las Vegas Raiders tried to participate in the conversation and fumbled the ball.
The football team is getting dragged for the tweet it made after Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.
The message “I CAN BREATHE” was posted to the team’s official Twitter account along with the date and the team’s logo.
Regardless of the organization’s intentions, people felt the tweet was very insensitive and poorly worded considering some of George Floyd’s last words were “I can’t breathe” as he was forcefully detained by Chauvin, who knelt on George’s neck for nearly 10 minutes.
People were also upset with the Raiders because even though the verdict is a victory, there’s a lot of work to be done in the name of social justice and Chauvin still has to be sentenced for his crimes. Sentencing won’t happen for at least another eight weeks.
The Raiders trended on social media as thousands of people responded to the tweet.
“Excuse me, what the f**k?” one person tweeted.
“The Raiders. Good lord,” read another tweet.
Others noted how this change wouldn’t have happened if the team was still based in Oakland, California.
“The Oakland raiders would not have tweeted this for the record.”
People also called out the organization for attempting to commercialize the movement.
“That Raiders tweet is what happens when you try to commercialize social justice. Brands want to be the first to put out a slogan instead of working with us to create a solution. Stop tweeting and tell me why Kap is still blackballed,” read one tweet.
Despite the backlash, the tweet was actually pinned by the account and still up as of 6 p.m. PT, but that could change. We’ll keep you posted.
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