Shannon Sharpe isn't shy to speak out when something bothers him and recently, he was given a perfect reason to voice his frustrations. Of course, with the death of George Floyd in mind, many are currently speaking out on racial injustice and how the system is working against black and brown people. Sharpe has been vocal about his feelings when it comes to this topic and with the latest news regarding Buffalo Bills QB Jake Fromm, he had extra reasons to be rightfully upset.
For those who don't know, leaked text messages showed Fromm speaking to his friend about guns and how only "elite white people" should have them. Fromm has since issued an apology but that didn't stop Sharpe from speaking his mind. As he explains in the video below, Fromm's comments are textbook racism and display a white person who believes he is owed something because of the color of his skin.
Sharpe went on to say that he never felt as though he was better than anybody based on race and that he always preferred to show how good he was based on his talent on the field. As for Fromm, Sharpe isn't sure what will happen to him and he certainly isn't sure whether or not he will get the trust of his teammates back.
Jake Fromm Apologizes After "Elite White People" Texts Surface
Jake Fromm had claimed only "elite white people" should be able to get guns.
Racial tensions are fairly high in the United States right now when you considering the recent murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police. People of color and white folks all across the country are currently advocating for an end to police brutality and a society that is a lot more equitable than what we have been used to. With this in mind, there is a much larger sensitivity to racialized language. Buffalo Bills rookie Jake Fromm recently found this out the hard way.
Some of Fromm's personal text messages were leaked in which he advocated for more expensive weapons so that only "elite white people" could own them. Based on the tone of the texts it seemed as though Fromm was trying to make himself out as one of those "elite white people." Fromm immediately caught on to the backlash and issued a lengthy apology.
“I am extremely sorry that i chose to use the words “elite white people” in a text message conversation. Although I never meant to imply that I am an “elite white person,” as stated later in the conversation, there’s no excuse for that word choice and sentiment," Fromm wrote. “I promise to commit myself to being a part of the solution in this country. I addressed my teammates and coaches in a team meeting today and I hope they see this incident is not representative of the person I am."
It remains to be seen what the Bills will do with Fromm but it's clear his NFL career is already off to a shaky start.
