NFL followers divided as Packers pay tribute to Charlie Kirk earlier than Commanders sport
The Green Bay Packers‘ decision to hold a moment of silence to honor Charlie Kirk after his assassination on Wednesday has divided NFL fans.
The stadium announcer asked fans to observe the tribute in the moments before their game against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field, which NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended.
‘The NFL condemns all violence in our communities. It will take all of us to stop hate,’ the stadium announcer said.
But fans took to social media to share their differing opinions.
‘hard to believe based on what he stood for and what he capitalized on,’ one fan said on X.
‘God bless the Packers,’ a second said.
The Packers’ decision to hold a moment of silence to honor Charlie Kirk has divided NFL fans
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday when he was shot dead
Fans were divided about Kirk getting a moment of silence at Thursday’s Packers game
A third fan also seemed happy about the gesture, writing: ‘My Green Bay packers just had a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk I was praying they would do that.’
But a fourth opined: ‘packers /nfl doing a moment of silence for charlie kirk ON 9/11 IS OUTRAGEOUS BUSINESS.’
Other fans pointed out that the gesture was held after warmups – without the stands being filled up.
Another fan said: ‘moment of silence for Charlie Kirk at the game tonight is ridiculous. He’s no hero!’
A different fan called the Packers a ‘loser franchise’ for honoring Kirk.
But Free Beacon editor Peter J. Hasson was pleased with the move, writing: ‘Good to see the Packers and Thursday Night Football observe a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk. Exactly what we need to reset the incentives around these kinds of things. It’s morally necessary for a hit man to see their work backfire, each and every time.
The Yankees also held a moment of silence for Kirk before their game on Wednesday.
Free Beacon editor Peter J. Hasson was pleased to see Kirk honored – though others were not
The 31-year-old conservative commentator and activist was fatally shot at an event at Utah Valley University earlier that day.
Two suspects were initially detained after the shooting, though they were later released and it was later revealed that the shooter has not yet been found.
A manhunt conducted by the FBI and Utah police is continuing more than 24 hours later.
The FBI has also released images of a person of interest in the assassination in an appeal for help, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest.
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
Several high-profile NFL stars expressed their anger at the assassination of Kirk afterwards, including Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The Yankees also held a moment of silence for Kirk prior to their game on Wednesday
The passer, who was born in the Utah city of Kaysville, called the shooting ‘sickening’ and championed Kirk as someone who ‘did great things for our country’.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did not reference the incident directly but reposted a poignant message on his X account.
It read: ‘Celebrating the death of someone you don’t share the same beliefs as is wild. Seeing it play out in real time is disgusting.’
And Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker also spoke out on Kirk’s murder, posting: ‘Thank you for your strong witness for Christ @charliekirk11.
‘Thank you for pursuing truth and leading your family as a husband and father. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.’
