The Cincinnati Bengals’ decision against holding a moment of silence for murdered podcaster Charlie Kirk led to an angry letter to the editor in the local paper.
Calling Kirk’s murder ‘potentially more transformative than the death (sic) of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. combined,’ Cincinnati man Brian Frank accused the team ownership of worshipping ‘money and power’ over ‘god.’
‘I am ashamed and appalled that billionaire Mike Brown and his family chose not to recognize the recent death of Charlie Kirk at the Bengals home opener on Sept. 14,’ Frank wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer after the Bengals’ 31-27 win over the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.
‘I have learned through other channels that the Bengals won that game but I personally did not watch, as I turned the TV off when I saw the Bengals were not going to recognize the nationwide hurt, sadness and trauma that so many Christians like myself felt, especially on the Sabbath,’ he continued.
Daily Mail has reached out to Bengals spokespeople for a response.
Brown is the son of legendary Cleveland Browns coach and late Bengals founder Paul Brown. The 90-year-old former Dartmouth quarterback has served as the team’s principal owner since 1991.
The Cardinals were one of several NFL teams to honor Charlie Kirk with a moment of silence
Brown did not decide to honor Kirk with a moment of silence, angering at least one fan
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals all held moments of silence for Kirk after he was shot and killed during a speech at Utah Valley University last week.
Meanwhile the Bengals, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Baltimore Ravens opted against holding a moment for the controversial podcaster.
In a statement provided to PFT earlier, the NFL explained the Packers were instructed to observe the moment silence on Thursday night, but other teams were given the option of doing so on Sunday.
‘Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games,’ read Friday’s statement.
The league’s statement went on to cite other tragedies that were marked by moments of silence before league games.
‘There have been a variety of moments of silence and tributes in-stadium and on-air in all games or a game immediately following events that rise to a national level,’ the statement continued. ‘Clubs also often hold moments following a tragic event that affects their community.
‘There have been moments following school shootings or an attack on a house of worship such as the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. There also have been moments following major international incidents such as Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and weather-related incidents such as major hurricanes and fires.
‘This is in addition to honoring those in the NFL family from tributes to recently passed players or personnel, or a player such as Damar Hamlin in 2023.
‘The NFL also honored before Super Bowl LIV NBA star Kobe Bryant and the other victims of the helicopter crash (Gianna Bryant, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan) and also Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Doleman who passed that week.
‘In just this calendar year: Lift Every Voice and Sing has been performed at league events since 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the events of the summer of 2020, including last Thursday during the Kickoff game in Philadelphia. It is also performed before the Super Bowl.
‘This summer before the Hall of Fame game in Canton, the league honored the victims and those impacted by the attack at 345 Park Avenue. During Week 18 games last season, the NFL honored the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack.
‘Also, that season the NFL held a moment to recognize those lost in the deadly crashes near Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia and also prior to the Vikings-Rams Wild Card game that was moved from LA to Arizona due to the wildfires.’
Robinson, 22, was arrested Friday after a 33-hour manhunt following Kirk’s killing
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested Friday after a 33-hour manhunt following Kirk’s killing during a speech at Utah Valley University.
Kirk’s alleged assassin made chilling remarks about the conservative commentator during a family dinner in the lead-up to his murder, Daily Mail reported earlier on Friday. Robinson also brought up Kirk’s visit to Utah Valley University on September 10 and spoke of his dislike for the 31-year-old MAGA influencer, family members told investigators.
‘They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,’ Utah governor Spencer Cox revealed in a press conference on Saturday.
The family members also told police Robinson described Kirk as ‘full of hate and spreading hate.’
Robinson’s comments raised a red flag among his family – so much so that they told police about the conversation following his arrest for Kirk’s murder. It was Robinson’s father who ultimately turned his son into law enforcement.
The suspect now faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.
