LAST, 18:36 No less than 10 minutes after this story went live and speculated who in the Las Vegas Raiders would think it was a good idea to post “I can breathe” on Twitter, we have our answer. According to Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Ed Graney, he was the owner of the Raiders, Mark Davis.
“This is my tweet. It was me. I don’t want anyone in the organization to take over the heat. I take full responsibility for that,” Davis told Graney.
April 20, 6:21 p.m. Like many professional sports teams, the Las Vegas Raiders posted a tweet on Tuesday night alluding to Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction. But while most professional sports teams followed a short, simple message about the verdict, the Raiders opted for something much stranger.
“I can breathe” is the text superimposed on a black background, dated 4-20-21 – which has its own unrelated connotations – directly below. The Raiders logo is also displayed.
As of 18:00 PST, the tweet is still active on Twitter. In fact, it’s the tweet set by the Raiders.
A screenshot of the Las Vegas Raiders tweet from April 20, 2021.
Screenshot from TwitterThere are far too many criticisms of the Raiders tweet to be listed here. It is probably the most offended post on social media that a sports team has ever offered. Which begs the question: Who in the organization thought it was a good enough idea not only to tweet, but to create a fixed message?
Was it owner Mark Davis? He once asked his players not to protest while “in uniform”, which he later relaxed because, in his own words, “the streets warmed up and there was a lot of static in the air and recently added fuel for fire. “
Was it Jon Gruden? The team’s head coach has previously issued opaque statements about social justice, such as the following: “There is a lot of hatred there and it really worries me. I pray that everyone opens their heart and joins the same team. Politically, socially and always. .. Gather your thoughts. Do some research. Don’t make an emotional statement. Make an educational one. “
Or was it really the Raiders’ social team that created a deafening tone message from start to finish? The organization may delete and apologize for their tweet soon, but owes the public some details. If you work for Raiders and have more information on how this tweet grew, send me an email: [email protected] or DM me on Twitter (@AlexShultz).