Eagles fine Jackson for anti-Semitic posts
The Eagles fined DeSean Jackson Friday for his anti-Semitic posts on Instagram this week.
Jackson put himself and the Eagles in a bad light with a series of anti-Semitic posts over the Fourth of July weekend, including an alarming quote attributed to Adolf Hitler.
Jackson made multiple apologies, though the Eagles castigated him, calling the posts “appalling” in their initial response. Late Friday, the club tweeted a statement.
“We have penalized DeSean for conduct detrimental to the team,” the statement read. “He accepted these consequences and apologized. In our many conversations with him, it has also been made clear that this is only the beginning. We have discussed a concrete plan for how we and he can heal moving forward. He understands that in order to remain on the team, he must also commit to supporting his words with actions. We have been encouraged by his desire to educate himself but we all understand that there is still a lot of work to be done. We will continue to assist DeSean in this process, and we also know that all of us in our organization
need to listen and learn more about things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable to us.”
Jackson’s social media posts, with passages attributed to Hitler and Louis Farrakhan, drew swift condemnation from the AntiDefamation League of Philadelphia, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation and the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is Jewish.
Jackson was defended by critics who compared his actions to Riley Cooper’s utterance of the N-word during a Kenny Chesney concert before the 2013 season. Like Jackson, Cooper was fined and ordered to undergo sensitivity treatment but kept on the roster. Jackson was on that team with Cooper.
The controversy over Jackson’s posts is still simmering. Former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins called it “a distraction.” New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, offered to take Jackson to the United States Holocaust Museum.
The 33-year-old Jackson, who has 31 touchdown catches of 50-or more yards trailing only the great Jerry Rice (36) on the all-time NFL list, now could be remembered more for what he did off the field than on it.
“The Philadelphia Eagles do not tolerate hate towards any individual or group,” the club statement read. “We believe in respect and equality for all races, ethnicities, and faiths. We as an organization want to help be an instrument for positive change. This can only occur through strong, deliberate actions and a commitment to learn and grow.
“We have had a number of constructive conversations over the last few days, not only with DeSean Jackson, but also with many other players, members of the organization, and leaders in the community. That has led us to the point where we and he are ready to take the next steps.”