Words have power in different ways, shapes, and forms. Conveying messages can determine their meaning. Some choose to look at how words are said rather than content to assess their response. When speaking about controversial events made controversial by the masses, people may think they know all the facts and details about a situation, when often they do not understand the true meaning of actions. People have the right to say what they want under the First Amendment, but all words have consequences. When employed by a company, words can be used against them, specifically if what they say goes against company values and or policy.

Representing a team, whether official or unofficial, goes beyond the “field” and can be an extension of their lifestyle. People are people, some with conflicting or controversial beliefs. Teams or organizations may not like what is said, leading to an effort to curb behavior that does not reflect how the public perception of the business.

Washington Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera fined Jack Del Rio $100,000 for calling the January 6th overtaking of the United States Capitol building a “dustup”; footage of the events undersells the attempt to overthrow the government. Del Rio while apologizing for his statements later, still compared a potential overthrow of the government to violent protests handled by equal rights groups. These situations are not remotely comparable, and each event should be viewed in different categories rather than compared against each other.

A quick look at Jack Del Rio’s Twitter timeline before deleting his account, showed that Del Rio not only believed his comments about the Capitol events but was actively pushing false information and right-wing extremes. Coach Del Rio’s apology was not 100% sincere, and while he may have apologized, there is a high likelihood that his strong conservative viewpoints remain intact.

No matter what happens with Jack Del Rio and his remaining tenure with the Washington Commanders, connecting with players he will coach will be a massive challenge for everyone involved, and could lead to more disastrous conflict, hence the large dollar fine. Publicly team representatives may say the matter is over, but it is respectable to doubt anything the Washington Commanders say on behalf of the team. The Commanders did not need another distraction for an organization that continuously has been labeled dysfunctional. For an organization trying to start new with a rebrand, things have not changed for the football team in Washington in the short term, leading many to question their long-term outlook.

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