By Perry Green, AFRO Sports Editor
The New York Jets recently attempted to partner up with Blue Lives Matter NYC but was turned down by the pro-police organization, according to reports.
Per Yahoo Sports, a representative of the Jets’ upper management emailed the Blue Lives Matter NYC group to inquire about a potential partnership, but received a nasty email back from the group’s founder, Joe Imperatrice, who criticized the NFL’s players for what he deemed as disrespect towards the U.S. military and first responder services around the country.
Joseph Imperatrice (Courtesy Screenshot/@BlueLivesNYC Twitter.com)
Imperatrice shared his email exchange with the New York Post.
“Although I’d love to work with an NFL team right now I feel it is not the right time,” Imperatrice said in initial email reply to the Jets, according to the Post. “All over the United States players feel entitled to disrespect our first responders, our military members both past and present and our flag.”
Imperatrice went onto explain how he feels NFL players make too much money to protest concerns that are either “made up” or “exaggerated.”
“These players make more money in a season than some people make in a lifetime and their ‘Issues’ are made up, exaggerated, and more times than not false,” said Imperatrice, labeling NFL players that choose to protest as ignorant. “Once again I do appreciate the offer but revenue we have could better be spent on the families of officers killed in the line of duty protecting the ignorance of these individuals rather than contributing to their paycheck.”
According to the Post, Jets partnership manager Anthony Bulak replied to Imperatrice’s email, telling him the Jets have always supported first responders and how none of their players participate in the protests during the National Anthem.
“I appreciate you sharing your opinion and although I can’t comment too much on it what I will say is the Jets have never had a player protest our anthem. The Jets have always been supportive of our police, firefighters, EMTs, etc. and will continue to do so,” Bulak wrote, per the Post.
But Imperatrice then replied, pointing out how Jets running back Isaiah Crowell had posted a graphic illustration image of a cop having his throat slit by the Grim Reaper on Instagram back in 2016.
“If I am correct the JETS may have signed an individual who depicted a Grim Reaper slicing the throat of a police officer,” Imperatrice emailed.
Crowell had eventually deleted his post and apologized, while also donating money to the Dallas Police.
