Even the National Football League, long perceived as a bastion of political correctness and DEI, is adapting to the changing political climate. The league announced that it will remove the cliché “End Racism” from its endzones for Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, the NFL will display the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us.”
“The Super Bowl is often a snapshot in time, and the NFL is in a unique position to capture and lift the imagination of the country,” spokesman Brian McCarthy said, according to “The Epoch Times.” “‘Choose Love’ is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in Southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation’s capital and the plane crash in Philadelphia.”
“It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” have been displayed on NFL endzones since 2020, when there was racial upheaval in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died in police custody. However, the news comes as Commissioner Roger Goodell said there are no plans for the league to end its controversial policies on diversity, equity and inclusion.
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“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” he said without supporting facts.
“We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of. Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League, both on and off the field.”
An example of DEI in the NFL is the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to conduct in-person interviews with two minority candidates for head coaching, general manager and executive openings. DEI practices have come under fire from President Donald Trump and others, who say it is discriminatory and not based on merit.
Critics have pointed out that the rule may be more for show than results. Despite the its implementation the percentage of minority head coaches in the NFL has been stagnant. The Washington Post said it was part of a failed DEI initiative that only corporate execs loved.
–Alan Goforth