In the rush to make one scandal disappear, the Washington Football Team disrespected Sean Taylor and created a new scandal.
On Thursday, the Washington Football Team announced that they would be retiring Sean Taylor’s jersey before their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Taylor, who had been drafted by Washington in 2004, tragically died during an attempted burglary at the young age of 24. Despite his short tenure in the NFL, he was a fan favorite and fans continue to mourn the loss.
However, it has been made abundantly clear over the last few days that this sentiment does not carry over to management in Washington.
Firstly, the timing of this ceremony was obviously being used by Bruce Allen and the upper management of the Washington Football Team to distract from a scandal they found themselves in.
The ceremony for Sean Taylor’s jersey retirement came just hours after all of this information started to become public, thanks to the New York Times. It was beyond clear that it was an attempt to cover up this story.
The way the ceremony was held and treated made that even more clear.
Sean Taylor and his family deserved better, more from the Washington Football Team
Firstly, several members of Sean Taylor’s family were not informed about the ceremony until the public announcement. If the plan was to have his family there, asking them to be there seems like the first step in that process.
Just in case Taylor’s family did not feel properly and fully disrespected, during the pre-game meeting with Taylor’s family, Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Football Team, took press photos and met with the family while wearing a hoodie and loafers. Even the mere illusion of caring is not that difficult, but Snyder did not even try.
In case the photos inside the stadium did not feel disrespectful enough, the ceremony’s next stop was in front of a row of porta-potties. Dedicating the street that those porta-potties sit on, while the porta-potties are sitting there no less, to Sean Taylor, which feels gross because it is.
Then, just to prove definitely that the Football Team had put no effort or planning into this event, there was the official jersey retirement at halftime. The family was pulled out to about the near hash mark, given a fairly small plaque with his jersey displayed inside of it. Then they were taken off the field. No speeches, no real introductions, no demonstrations. Just stand on the field for about a minute, a PA announcement that this is Sean Taylor’s family, and then rushed off the field.
Taylor, his family, and even the fans deserve better.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
