Raiders owner Mark Davis took responsibility Tuesday night for a tweet that appeared on the team’s official account of George Floyd’s guilty verdict.
The tweet read, “I can breathe 4-20-21.”
– Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 20, 2021
Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Floyd, was found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree murder.
An hour after the tweet went public, Davis’ tweet had already received nearly 20,000 comments and over 15,000 retweets.
Most were extremely critical in nature.
Floyd, 46, was heard saying “I can’t breathe” 20 times while Chauvin pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck on May 25 last year.
“It simply came to our notice then. It was me, “Davis told Review-Journal. “I do not want anyone in the organization to take heat. I take full responsibility for this.
“I was driving home from a meeting (Tuesday) when the verdict came. Before long, we were listening to George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, speak. And he said, “Today we are able to breathe again.” I took the lead from him. In my mind, that was all I had to say – “I can breathe.”
“I think it has a lot of context. (Chauvin) was on his neck for more than nine minutes and was found guilty in all respects. And now his knee is on his neck. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late. ”
Davis does not have an official Twitter account, but said he passed these words on to the team’s staff so that they can be shared on the team’s social platform.
“I think justice has been done,” Davis said. “It’s rare that I make statements about something, and if I thought he offended my family (Floyd), I would feel very bad and apologize. Other than that, I don’t apologize. I honestly think, after listening to Philonise, it’s a day we can all breathe.
“We have a lot of work to do. It’s not the end. But this is definitely a step in the right direction. ”
The late Al Davis, Mark’s father, supported diversity and racial unity, as did few sports owners.
He hired the first Latin head coach (Tom Flores) and the first black head coach (Art Shell) of the modern era. The Raiders also hired the first female NFL executive (Amy Trask).
The raiders practiced the Rooney Rule, which requires interviewing minority candidates long before it is established.
“It’s all part of our DNA as a franchise,” Davis said. “I am sorry if what I wrote was misinterpreted. But I listened to what the family said and how it felt, not some talking heads. I hope people understand that.
Ed Graney is a winner of the Sigma Delta Chi Award for writing sports columns and can be contacted at [email protected] or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box”, ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7:00 to 10:00 Monday to Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.