Nfl Replaces “end Racism” With “choose Love”

The end zone will look a little different this Super Bowl Sunday, and we’re not talking about a riff on the Griddy. The NFL is switching out its on-field slogan “End Racism” for “Choose Love,” league officials confirmed yesterday.

Why the change? NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said it’s based on recent tragedies, referencing events including the New Year’s terrorist attack in New Orleans (where Super Bowl LIX is being played), wildfires in Los Angeles, and the plane collision in Washington, DC, last week.

This will be the first time that “End Racism” is not stenciled on the field for the big game since 2021. The league started using the field slogans in 2020, two years after introducing the Inspire Change social justice program to promote DEI, per The Athletic.

At the same time…NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reaffirmed the league’s commitment to DEI in his annual Super Bowl address this week, expressing support for diversity initiatives, including the oft-debated Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for coaching and executive positions.

Zoom out: The NFL stands in sharp contrast to other quintessentially American institutions, including McDonald’s, Target, and Walmart, that have dropped DEI recently, a move that lines up with President Trump’s executive orders banning the practice in the federal government.—CC