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The NFL released a statement on Friday that dealt with a recent tribute to Charlie Kirk ahead of her latest game, and said teams will be left to make their own decisions about whether to follow this Sunday.
Thursday evening’s game between Green Bay Packers and the Washington commanders contained a moment of silence in honor of Kirk before kick-off.
“Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday matches,” reads the league’s statement per. More reports.
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Charlie Kirk attends a TPUSA event in Arizona in 2024. (Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images)
The statement further treated the tribute’s context and compared it to other moments of silence after tragedies.
“There have been moments after school shoots or an attack on a worship house such as Life Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. There have also been moments after major international events such as Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and weather-related incidents such as major hurricanes and fires,” the declaration continued.
“This is in addition to honoring them in the NFL family from tribute to recently passed players or staff, or a player like Damar Hamlin in 2023. NFL also honored before the Super Bowl Life NBA star Kobe Bryant and the other victims of the helicopter crash (Gianna Bryant, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan) Hall of Famer Famer, Famer Famer, Family went that week.
The league referred to sweeping changes to field and pre-game protocols after the death of George Floyd in 2020 and moments of silence after other tragedies in the past calendar year.
Timeline for Charlie Kirk Murder
“Lift each voice and Sing has been performed at League events since 2020 after the murder of George Floyd and the events of the summer of 2020, including last Thursday during the kickoff game in Philadelphia. It is also performed before the Super Bowl,” the statement continued.
“This summer before the Hall of Fame game in Canton, the league honored the victims and those influenced by the 345 Park Avenue attack. During the week 18 matches last season, the NFL honored the victims of the Bourbon Street terror attack. Philadelphia and also before the elections-Rams-Wild, which the Wild game was moved from the location from Locen from Locen Lohing from Loche Lohing from Loche Lohing from Loche Lo Whosted Loche from Loh Arizona due to the fire.
At least one NFL team has already made it a point to shoot an employee who made insensitive comments after Kirk’s assault.
Carolina Panthers fired Charlie Rock, a member of the team’s communications department, after social media posts attached to Rock seemed to show him to question why people were sad that Kirk had been shot and killed.
“The views that our employees express are their own and do not represent the views of Carolina Panthers,” the team said in a statement sent to social media. “We do not condon violence of any kind. We take this case very seriously and have consequently treated it with the individual.”
Elsewhere in American sports, New York Yankes and Chicago Cubs held every moment of silence ahead of the recent matches to honor Kirk after the murder on Wednesday. Meanwhile, MLB has instructed all teams to at least keep all US flags on half staff throughout the weekend in honor of Kirk.
“MLB asked all the clubs to follow the direction of the White House Presidential Proclamation and Fly Flags on half staff in their ballparks,” a MLB spokesman told Pakinomist Digital.
NHL, NBA and WNBA have not made any official statements relating to Kirk’s assault. Pakinomist Digital has reached all three leagues to ask if they would but have not received an answer.
