Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio apologized on Wednesday for saying he did not “see racism at all in the NFL” in comments he made Tuesday to reporters.
“After reflecting on my comments yesterday and listening to the players this morning I realized what I said about racism and discrimination in the NFL was wrong,” 61-year-old Fangio said in a statement. statement released on the team’s Twitter account. “Although I have never personally experienced these horrible things directly during my 33 years in the NFL, I understand that many players, coaches and staff have different perspectives.
“I should be clearer and I’m sorry.”
Fangio said on Tuesday’s call that he was “shocked, sad and angry” about the death of George Floyd, calling it a “social problem that we all must join to fix it.”
But the next comment Fangio made on Tuesday was what he wanted to explain.
Vic FangioGetty Images
“I think our problems in the NFL along those lines are minimal,” said Fangio, who has been ranked in the NFL coaching since 1986, except for 2010 when he was Stanford’s defense coordinator. “We are a meritocracy league, you get what you get, you get what you get. I don’t see racism in the NFL at all, I don’t see discrimination in the NFL. “
Fangio said that the comment was too shortsighted.
“I want to emphasize that yesterday there was no color in the dressing room that I passed or on the playing field I had trained,” Fangio said in a statement Wednesday. “Unfortunately, we don’t live or work only within these limits. Beyond these lines – both in the NFL and in society – there is a lot of work to be done in the area of diversity and providing opportunities for minorities.
“As a head coach, I hope to listen to the players – both individually and collectively – to support them and work hand in hand to create meaningful change.”
Floyd, 46, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin, 44, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes after Floyd allegedly spent fake $ 20 bills.
Charges against Chauvin were raised on Wednesday. He now faces more serious second-degree murder charges, in addition to initial charges of third-degree murder and second-degree murder with negligence to blame.
Other officers at the scene of Thomas Lane, 37, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Tou Thao, 34, are now accused of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and helping and abetting second-degree murder.
