A Sean Taylor statue reveal on the 15th anniversary of the former NFL star’s tragic and senseless death is drawing major criticism from the Washington Commanders’ fan base and others.
Who Was Sean Taylor?
Taylor, the former Washington star, was killed in 2007 after intruders entered his home while he and his family slept. Since then, the team has honored Taylor posthumously on different occasions, but the last two efforts were unorganized and looked to have been thrown together, to say the least.
Fans took to Twitter to blast the franchise.
The Commanders thought a store mannequin with a Sean Taylor jersey on it was a nice tribute. This may be the most tone deaf franchise in sports. https://t.co/LOUG2FwrAJ
— Peter Panagos (@PeteTheGreek13) November 27, 2022
Another fan tweeted ….
It’s tough to even put into words how disrespectful and tone deaf this Sean Taylor “Statue” is…even for the Commanders this is a new low. pic.twitter.com/OppJJf3d9L
— Benjamin Garcia (@GarciaTalks) November 27, 2022
Another fan tweeted this ….
This is the Sean Taylor “Statue” that they are unveiling today in Washington.
This is simply a mannequin with a ST jersey on.
This is beyond embarrassing
…seriously. SMH 🤦🏻♂️ @Commanders #NFL #Fail #SellTheTeam #Washington #Command #httc pic.twitter.com/ZlVINSY0TG
— Cody Bennett (@SouthBeachCody) November 27, 2022
The unfortunate part of this is the reaction by the fans who many were calling the statue an “Under Armour” mannequin for its wiry storefront look.
This is another failed attempt by the Commanders organization to do something right. The lack of leadership is evident even when the franchise tried to do something honorable. It’s embarrassing and appalling that they continue to screw up important moments over and over again.
Team Dropped The Ball With Taylor Again:
After giving a three-day notice of the intent to retire Taylor’s jersey during a game last season, this time the team gave a five-day notice about the statue unveiling ceremony. Just eight days total given for fans as the team attempted to honor a fallen player.
Former team quarterback and 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III tweeted this:
“Sean Taylor deserved a statue.”
As the time of last season’s announcement, it came on the heels of a huge email scandal and leak with former team president Bruce Allen and then-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden exchanging racist and homophobic messages. This one comes at a time where team owner Daniel Snyder has reportedly gotten Bank of America involved about a possible sale as he faces accusations of sexual harassment, a toxic work environment and is now being sued by the D.C. government for “colluding to deceive District residents.”
This among many other black eyes on the franchise under his regime.
Taylor’s Family Seemed OK With The Gesture:
While most fans were confused or in an uproar about the unveiling, Taylor’s family seemed OK that he was honored. His 16-year old daughter Jackie, who was 1 when he was killed, talked about it with reporters.
I know fans are not happy with the Sean Taylor Memorial.
His family is happy though, that's all that matters.
This is Sean's daughter, Jackie.
Listen to her words, watch the emotion…this was a tough day for the entire Taylor family. pic.twitter.com/8aJdUCJdwv
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) November 27, 2022
The family is what matters, and if they’re OK with it that is all that really matters. But when it comes to this franchise that continuously misses the mark on important things this is the response you get. A tired and worn-out fan base who’s had it with the current owner and his ways.
It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and on many fronts it was; the issue when you say statue reveal or unveiling is you don’t expect to see what resembles a store mannequin as the actual statue. That’s the problem with this franchise, and, no matter what, fans have become used to failure and disappointment, and Sunday night’s reveal seems to have trended that way.
