J.J. Watt, a defensive end for the Houston Texans, is arguably the best player in the National Football League. Andy Dalton is the red-headed star quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. Some call him “The Red Rifle.”
Last night, after Houston upset previously undefeated Cincinnati and held the Bengals to six points, Watt said this:
Our goal was to come out here and make the Red Rifle look like a Red Ryder BB Gun, and I think we did that. He is a great player, and they are a great team, but our coaches put together a great game plan, we executed the game plan, everybody did their job.
It wasn’t pretty. I mean, it was 10-6. That is a great football team over there, but we were able to do some great things on defense to help stop them to only two field goals.
Dalton took offense. He responded:
I’m disappointed in him because of the integrity of this game. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a really good player. There are a lot of kids and people who look up to him, and for him to make comments like that, he’s just showing that’s acceptable to say that kind of stuff.
It’s disappointing for one of the best players in this league to come out and say something like that, so that’s all I’m going to say about that. He’s a good player, but for him to be one of the best in this league and to show that integrity, it shows what he’s about, and that’s disappointing.
Dalton is right. Watt clearly committed a microagression. Dalton shouldn’t be subjected to such abuse. RedLivesMatter.
Guns are no joking matter, either. And Watt implied that BB Guns aren’t dangerous. That’s unacceptable.
To make matters worse, last year Watt bought lunch for the entire Houston police force (and the fire department). If that isn’t triggering, I don’t know what is. Find me a safe space.
Moreover, Watt’s team, the Houston Texans, constitutes a microaggression in itself. It’s named after a slave owner and a slave state.
There’s only one thing left for Watt to do. He must confess his blond privilege and undergo sensitivity training.
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