Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell posted a graphic illustration to his Instagram account last week depicting a police officer having his throat slashed by a figure in a hood. The image, posted prior to the devastating attacks on Dallas police officers, was an emotional reaction to the latest headlines involving a police officer shooting two black men in two separate horrifying incidents in Louisiana and Minnesota, and it is one Crowell addressed and apologized for on Monday.
“I posted an image to Instagram in the midst of that emotion that I shouldn’t have and immediately removed it,” Crowell said in a released statement, via his Instagram account. “It was an extremely poor decision and I apologize for that mistake and for offending people. My values and beliefs do not match that image.”
What remains unknown is whether or not Crowell made the decision to remove the image himself or if somebody from the Browns reached out to him and asked or strongly suggested taking it down and then issue an apology.
Crowell should have no reason to apologize for his emotions, nor should anyone regarding such a sensitive subject. It is just another reminder we have so very far to still go in this country. Crowell’s emotions may have gotten the best of him, but promoting violence in response to violence is not the message to be sending and Crowell seems to come to grips with that.
At this time there is no indication there will be any reaction from the NFL for Crowell’s Instagram posting, and it may be best to just leave it alone at this point. The image posted by Crowell was certainly not the kind of image the NFL would like to be associated with, but given the sensitive nature of the raw emotion many African-Americans are feeling in this country, the last thing the NFL should want to do is weigh in with a suspension over one’s freedom of speech on this subject.
