Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has fined his own defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $100,000 for his comments on the Capitol riots.
Del Rio was criticised and later apologised after comparing the 2020 protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January, 2021.
The team confirmed on Friday that Rivera levied the fine on Del Rio and that it will be donated to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.
“This morning I met with Coach Del Rio to express how disappointed I am in his comments on Wednesday,” Rivera said in a statement posted on Twitter. “His comments do not reflect the organization’s views and are extremely hurtful to our great community here in the DMV.
“As we saw last night in the hearings, what happened on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was an act of domestic terrorism. A group of citizens attempted to overturn the results of a free and fair election, and as a result, lives were lost and the Capitol building was damaged. Coach Del Rio did apologize for his comments on Wednesday and he understands the distinction between the events of that dark day and peaceful protests, which are a hallmark of our democracy.
“He does have the right to voice his opinion as a citizen of the United States and it most certainly is his constitutional right to do so. However, words have consequences and his words hurt a lot of people in our community. I want to make it clear that our organization will not tolerate any equivalency between those who demanded justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the actions of those on January 6 who sought to topple our government.
“After reflecting on the situation and circumstances, I have decided to fine Coach Del Rio $100,000, which the team will donate to the United State Capitol Police Memorial Fund. I feel strongly that after our conversation this morning, he will have a greater understanding for the impact of his language and the values that our team stands for.”
Del Rio defended his opinion during a press conference and downplayed the insurrection, labelling it a “dust-up.”
“People’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem,” Del Rio said at the time. “And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal. I just think it’s kind of two standards.”
Del Rio would subsequently apologise, claiming his terminology was “irresponsible and negligent.”
Del Rio was criticised by his own players, while the NAACP called for Del Rio to resign or be fired for his comments.
Defensive captain Jonathan Allen told NBC Sports Washington: “I don’t care about his opinion. As long as he shows up every day and he works hard, that’s what I want from my defensive coordinator.”
