Josh Allen will probably still be a first-round draft pick and make millions of dollars tonight after being selected in the NFL Draft. But before old Tweets surfaced of Allen getting flagrant and bigoted with his expression, the Wyoming QB was ranked as the top quarterback in the draft, according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., and projected by many to be selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 overall pick.
NY Daily News Sports on Twitter
Josh Allen apologizes after old offensive and racially charged tweets resurfaced, but they could jeopardize his NFL draft standing, via @PLeonardNYDN https://t.co/NYOUTbmwVc
Granted, he made those tweets six years ago, that doesnt excuse the fact that at some point in his life he felt it was all good to spit hate and bigotry. Some folks are excusing this as things that kids do. Allen acknowledged the tweets to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith late Wednesday night and apologized, saying he was young and dumb.
The tweets no longer appear on Allen’s account. However, they contained racial slurs and other offensive language, according to reporting by Yahoo! Sports. The tweets cited by Yahoo! Sports were sent in 2012 and 2013, when Allen was in high school.
Marc Ryan on Twitter
In 2013, Josh Allen tweeted “If it ain’t white, it ain’t right.” That’s one of those character revealing tweets where age of person and date of tweet are irrelevant. Just. Awful. Among the myriad of reasons not to draft him (he sucks?), this may top the list.
A team with a top-five draft pick told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that it knew nothing about the tweets and that it had “never heard anything but positives” about Allen.
By all accounts, Josh Allen may be a real stand up guy. If he got caught shoplifting or blazing trees or something of that nature then he can get a he was in high school pass. But racism is not something that kids do because they are young and dumb. It’s a sickness in this country and exactly what Colin Kaepernick was kneeling against.
Adam Schefter on Twitter
Wyoming QB Josh Allen apologized for offensive tweets that surfaced just before tonight’s NFL Draft: https://t.co/OeXyUytW1l
Going forward, its disturbing that Allen will probably be welcomed into the NFL with open arms by a team who will excuse his past tweets because they are trying to win and are willing to perceive it as youthful ignorance. Meanwhile, Kaepernick is blackballed for refusing to tolerate such social injustices and the very racism Allen was spewing as a youngster.
It’s a double standard and once again the NFL is proving that it doesnt place much value on social issues concerning its predominately African-American players. At a time when emotions and tensions are high concerning race and the NFL’s been in the middle of a firestorm concerning the national anthem and how owners are blatantly blackballing Colin Kaepernick and his associates, its inconceivable that any team can safely bring Allen into the locker room and expect him to be able to lead a team of black veteran players without seriously addressing the elephant in the room.
mike freeman on Twitter
Some of the things I’m hearing from around the league on racist Josh Allen tweets: 1. He was kid, give him a break. 2. He was more than old enough to know better. 3. Black player texted me saying he thinks Allen will initially have problem in locker room.
Reasoning that he was young, dumb and broke at the time only explains half of it. The players would have to find out if such language and beliefs are part of his DNA or if he was seeking attention at a vulnerable time in his life?
Robert Littal on Twitter
Josh Allen Gives Explanation for His Old Tweets Using The Word N*gga & Saying If It Ain’t White, It Ain’t Right (Photos) https://t.co/JREamTAYNK
This isnt going away and it drops at the worst possible time for Allen. The less he says, the better at this point because he cant do anything to take the tweets back. Its what he does going forward that really matters, but taking him No. 1 in the draft after what surfaced and under the circumstances is another slap in the face by NFL owners against its players of color and could instigate more protests and further anger players who already feel disenfranchised, ignored and disrespected by the league. This could all just be a strategy by another team to get Allen to drop to them in the draft, but if so, that’s some real dirty ball.
At its core, the Josh Allen situation is a lesson for those white people who increasingly feel that using the N-word is Ok because rappers and artists use it. The bottom line is that its never appropriate for a nonperson of color to use that word or any other racial slurs that are derived from slavery and times in history where Black people were persecuted beyond imagination. The hot water Allen is in and the possible effect on his draft status standing should be a lesson. Its not a battle you can win in 2018 no matter how many times Chris Brown says the word in a song with Lil Dicky.
