<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1654887702699,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017a-bf0a-d0ae-abff-bf4b55780000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1654887702699,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017a-bf0a-d0ae-abff-bf4b55780000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_54572986", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1026860"} }); ","_id":"00000181-4efe-d405-a3e7-dffe50d00000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedWashington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was hit with a $100,000 fine Friday for calling the Jan. 6 Capitol riot a “dust-up.”
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera made the announcement in a statement posted to social media.
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“This morning I met with Coach Del Rio to express how disappointed I am in his comments on Wednesday,” the statement said. “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.”
Rivera continued: “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.”
For Del Rio, that consequence is a fine of $100,000.
“After reflection non the situation and circumstances, I have decided to fine Coach Del Rio $100,000, which the team will donate to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund,” Rivera said.
Del Rio called the Jan. 6 Capitol riot a “dust-up” Wednesday during a media conference with reporters while referencing a tweet in which he compared the events of Jan. 6 to “the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property.”
He questioned why the latter doesn’t get as much attention and asked to hear the “whole story” about the discrepancy.
“Would love to understand ‘the whole story’ about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is ??? #CommonSense,” he tweeted Monday.
He was asking a “simple question,” Del Rio told reporters at a Wednesday conference.
“Why are we not looking into those things? If we’re going to talk about it, why are we not looking into those things?” Del Rio said. “I see the images on TV. People’s livelihoods are being destroyed. Businesses are being burned down — no problem. And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal.”
Del Rio has since apologized for his remarks.
“I made comments earlier today in referencing the attack that took place on the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Referencing that situation as a dust-up was irresponsible and negligent, and I am sorry.” Del Rio said in a statement posted to Twitter late Wednesday.
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In the statement announcing the fine for Del Rio, Rivera was blatant about the position of him and the Commanders regarding equating the events following the death of George Floyd and those of Jan. 6.
“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,” he wrote.
