THE CROSSROADS FACING

The crossroads facing the NFL and American society

Super Bowl winner and Sky Sports NFL pundit Shaun Gayle opens up on the anxiety, resentment and fear facing Black people in America

Before the 2020 NFL season ends, there is the real possibility we may see another horrendous act of social injustice and police brutality.

The accrued anguish and anger, which follows such awful acts, will translate into more protests. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL made a U-turn, choosing apologies over penalties for players kneeling during the national anthem in protest. Authored by former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, this peaceful pre-game protest against police brutality was hijacked, politicised, and rebranded as an offence against America, the military, and its flag.

Tragically, it took the NFL and all those who embraced the false narrative, a horrific eight minutes and 46 seconds to finally see what Kaepernick, his teammate Eric Reid, and other players already knew - that the anxiety, resentment, and fear Black people feel in the US is real, as the world witnessed a Black man, George Floyd, being killed by the Police as if his life did not matter.

Just recently, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford shared a story. He had prearranged permission to use a field to work out with a teammate in preparation for the season. A teammate who like Stafford, happens to be white. A week later, Stafford gets the same permission to workout at the same field, however this time his teammates with him are Black. Someone in authority shows up and tells them they are trespassing and demands that they leave. This was followed by a call to the Police, with inflammatory commentary that they are being “uncooperative” and “not leaving the property”.

For Black people in America this is not a new story, and to Stafford’s credit, sharing this experience will help educate those who want to be educated. But for the individuals who feel such an education is unnecessary because they themselves are unaffected, I have to refer them to a comment by comedian and author DL Hughley. “White privilege is like being asymptomatic during the pandemic. Your actions can perpetuate the disease without you experiencing any of the symptoms.”

It has been said that those who have never personally experienced racism tend to question it exists. This disconnect helps keep racism alive. Protests are invaluable to democracy. They are an expression of objection. It is a collective “we won’t take it anymore”. Unfortunately, simply protesting can be an imperfect instrument, namely the prolonged time a movement takes to achieve actual change.

The NFL and frankly the entire population are now at a crossroads and time is not on our side. How long before we witness another failure of humanity? How will the players react? More importantly, how will we as a people react?

There is no reasoning in waiting for more images of callous brutalities because of race. If there was ever a time for the proverbial team effort, that time is now. And the change we need will take all of us.

Shaun Gayle is part of the punditry team on the Sky Sports NFL channel (407) and is also an Emmy Award winner. As a former American football defensive back in the NFL. He played twelve seasons, eleven for the Chicago Bears, and one for the San Diego Chargers. He was a member of the Bears squad that won Super Bowl XX in 1985. He was also a member of the “Shuffling Crew” in the video The Super Bowl Shuffle. Gayle attended Ohio State University.