The Indianapolis Colts have explained why they did not have a tribute to Charlie Kirk before their game on Sunday.
“The Colts already had a moment of silence planned for Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil and namesake of our home at Lucas Oil Stadium,” a spokesperson for the team told Newsweek over email.
Why It Matters
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his “American Comeback Tour.” He was a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, played a key role in organizing young Republican voters and was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization.
Kirk’s assassination has sent shock waves through the country. It comes amid fears of increasing political violence and highlights divisions gripping the United States, with politics becoming increasingly polarized.
People across the world have paid tribute to Kirk, from politicians to Hollywood stars. President Donald Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-mast after he announced Kirk’s death on social media.
What To Know
The Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans all paid tribute to Kirk before their games following his death.
Not all teams chose to do so, though. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings, did not have a tribute to Kirk prior to their NFL games on September 14.
Newsweek has contacted the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings via email for comment.
In a statement shared to Newsweek via email, a spokesperson for the Colts explained that they did not have a moment of silence for Kirk because they already had a moment of silence planned for Forrest Lucas, who passed away in late August this year.
The failure of some teams to pay tribute to Kirk is something that sparked swift backlash online. Multiple posts on X, formerly Twitter, listing the teams that did not have a moment of silence for Kirk have received millions of views online.
The backlash was not universal, though, as some users saw no issue with the absence of a tribute and said that politics should be left out of football.
The NFL had previously said in a statement that they would leave it to individual teams to decide if they were going to pay tribute to Kirk.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the Indianapolis Colts told Newsweek by email: “For Week 2, the Colts already had a moment of silence planned for Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil and namesake of our home at Lucas Oil Stadium. He passed away in late August. A few days after his passing, we announced that we would honor him before and during our Week 2 game as he was a monumental business and community leader and a dear friend to our city, state, and country.”
@alhajiburtee in a post on X viewed over 30,000 times: “leeave politics out of football.”
@Michael73551901 in a post viewed over 79,000 times on X: “The Vikings didn’t either. They held a moment of silence for the shooting at the school.”
@JonnyRoot_, a media personality, in a post on X viewed 4.6 million times on X: “5 NFL teams chose not to honor Charlie Kirk with a moment of silence today.”
He then names them and says: “Every one of these teams honored George Floyd back in 2020.”
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