NFL to Remove ‘End Racism’ End Zone Message for Super Bowl

The National Football League logo on the field at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Jan 2, 2022. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

The National Football League (NFL) announced on Feb. 4 that it will remove the message “End Racism” from its end zones for the Feb. 9 Super Bowl.

Instead, the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” will be etched on the end zones.

“The Super Bowl is often a snapshot in time and the NFL is in a unique position to capture and lift the imagination of the country,” said NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy in a statement.

McCarthy said one of the messages comes in light of recent tragedies in the United States.

“‘Choose Love’ is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in Southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation’s capital, and the plane crash in Philadelphia,” he said.

“It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” have been messages displayed on NFL end zones since 2020, when there was racial upheaval in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died in police custody.

Super Bowl LIX will played between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs look to become the first team to win the big game three consecutive times.

President Donald Trump will be the first president to attend the Super Bowl.

The news about the end zone messages comes as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there are no plans for the league to end its policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven to ourselves that it does make the NFL better,” he said.

“We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get into it or a trend to get out of it,” he added. “Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent into the National Football League both on and off the field.”

Additionally, Goodell said, “There are no quotas in our system. This is about opening that funnel and bringing the best talent into the NFL.”

An example of DEI in the NFL is the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to conduct in-person interviews with two minority candidates for head coaching, general manager, and executive openings.

DEI practices have come under fire from Trump and others who say it is discriminatory and not based on merit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.