The term “Football Matters” has suddenly become a hot-button topic in our ever-changing world.
Earlier Saturday, a photo was making the rounds across Twitter that showed Dabo Swinney wearing a “Football Matters” t-shirt. The coach was criticized -- and supported by one of his star players -- for the timing of the attire, with some seeing it as a not-so-subtle shot at the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
It appears the tweet was deleted. Here you go. pic.twitter.com/wwcuEWZ8dh
— Elika Sadeghi (@elikasadeghi) June 6, 2020
Now, for the back story.
“Football Matters” is an initiative undertaken by the National Football Foundation in which parents and coaches “can get information and resources about participating in the game of football.” The NFF further states that the movement “was created to promote sportsmanship, academic achievement, and character-building aspects of the game.”
Sunday evening, however, the NFF announced that the name of the initiative will undergo a change.
“The National Football Foundation fully supports the peaceful protests and their mission to end racism, social injustice, and social inequality,” a statement from the foundation began. “When Football Matters was founded in 2014, it was not the intention to imply that football is more important than a black life or any life.
“Therefore, we will change the name of the campaign. This work is underway and we will have a new name for the 2020-21 season and beyond.”
