The NFL keeps having to put out fires.
The irritating National Anthem protests have alienated viewers, and the rise of CTE into national consciousness has hurt the brand.
Now the NFL foolishly created a PR debacle for no reason at all.
The NFL’s official Mexican Twitter account tweeted an insensitive comment about a recent earthquake that killed dozens of people.
From The Washington Post:
NFL Mexico apologized Friday for a suggestion made the night before on its Twitter account that the Chiefs’ upset of the Patriots resulted in an earthquake. At least 58 people were killed when an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico, and it caused major damage in the country’s southern states.
The earthquake was also felt further north in Mexico City, where the NFL has staged two regular season games, including one last year, and where the Patriots are set to take on the Raiders in November. Following Kansas City’s 42-27 win Thursday at New England, which marked the first time in 82 games the Pats lost at home after leading at halftime, NFL Mexico tweeted out this message in Spanish, accompanied by three laughing emoji:
“Those times Mexico City shakes with an earthquake because it can’t believe the Chiefs have won the #Kickoff2017 game.”
The tweet was subsequently deleted, and on Friday, NFL Mexico’s Twitter account posted the following message in Spanish: “NFL Mexico apologizes for yesterday’s unacceptable tweet, which does not represent the values of the league. We reiterate our solidarity with Mexico.”
The NFL is popular in Mexico, with the Raiders having a particularly devoted following. Oakland was involved in the 2016 game, defeating the Houston Texans, 27-20, at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.
According to The Post’s Joshua Partlow, the earthquake was felt by approximately 50 million people in Mexico, and its magnitude made it that country’s largest in the past 100 years. Mexico City and other major urban areas emerged mostly unscathed, although more than 1 million people lost power, at least temporarily.
To make matters worse, the NFL is attempting to establish a permanent presence south of the border.
From Pro Football Talk:
The NFL is attempting to grow in popularity in Mexico, with the Raiders playing home games there this year and last year. The next game in Mexico features the Patriots and Raiders in Mexico City on November 19.
Joking about natural disasters in the midst of their destruction is never a good idea, not even for comedians.
Gilbert Gottfried lost his lucrative Aflac Insurance Duck gig after joking about the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Even leftist national hero Colin Kaepernick was guilty of such a faux pas two years ago (pre-radicalization) when he made light of a flood that killed 40 people in Houston.