KEY POINTS

  • Raiders owner is standing by social media post but apologizes to George Floyd's family
  • The Chauvin verdict draws mixed reactions from the sporting world
  • Osaka is among athletes who feel that there is more work needed to fix social injustice

The verdict on former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is out.

He was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of George Floyd.

Understandably, the development has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some heaved a sigh of relief, while others took pun out of it. One of them was the Las Vegas Raiders who put up a post on Twitter, “I Can Breathe.”

In a report from The Athletic, Las Vegas team owner Mark Davis said that they are taking full responsibility for the post.

However, he also mentioned that they are not taking down the post which has not sat well with others. Some called it insensitive, while others branded it extremely tone-deaf.

Davis, later on, explained that they got the phrase from Floyd’s brother, Philonise, on Tuesday.

It was at that time that Philonise said, “Today, we are able to breathe again.” The Raiders owner went on to apologize if the tweet offended the Floyd family.

"If I offended the family, then I'm deeply, deeply disappointed," Davis said.

But the post drew criticism from several personalities. That included NBA player Isaiah Thomas and NFL receiver Torrey Smith.

Thomas replied by saying “Y’all can’t be serious,” while Smith said, “Folks get paid to avoid stupid stuff like this. Delete this."

As of this writing, the tweet remained up on Twitter.

READ ALSO: MMA Champion Testifies Against Police Involved In George Floyd Case

A screen shows a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty wearing a face mask as people rally in Times Square in New York City after Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd
A screen shows a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty wearing a face mask as people rally in Times Square in New York City after Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Despite the verdict and some knowing it was a breakthrough, the issue is something that needs further addressing.

While multiple athletes gave their reactions, this one from four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is likely one of the best ways to look at the unfortunate incident that happened 11 months ago.

“I was going to make a celebratory tweet, but then I was hit with sadness because we are celebrating something that is clear as day,” Osaka wrote. “The fact that so many injustices occurred to make us hold our breath toward this outcome is really telling.”

RELATED STORIES