Thread by @RzstProgramming

@tylereifert used the NFL’s helmet decal provision to list David Dorn’s name which has been used by white nationalists online as anti-Black whataboutism to dismiss police brutality protests and victims.

https://twitter.com/tylereifert/status/1305300918762647557

NFL exec Anna Isaacson said the decals “amplify its social justice initiatives” and players can “select a *victim of systematic racism* who is not represented” on an NFL provided list.

@tylereifert & @AIfromBK, please explain how David Dorn is a victim of systemic racism.

While David Dorn’s name has been co-opted by Trump and white nationalists to dismiss victims and protesters of police brutality, his daughters say Dorn wouldn’t want to be politicized, and disagreed with Trump’s attacks on Colin Kaepernick.

Tyler and the NFL need to explain.

“David Dorn’s daughters oppose father’s widow speaking at RNC
‘She should not politicize our father’s death for Trump’s agenda’”
stlamerican.com/news/national_…

“David Dorn” has sadly become a meme to dismiss peaceful protesters as “looters.” Here’s a fan of Tyler Eifert’s helmet decal in his own words...

https://twitter.com/BGSjagswings/status/1305914259457613824

Tyler Eifert is big Trump supporter.

The helmet decal wasn’t Tyler Eifert’s first stint of whataboutism. In 2017, he used Pat Tillman’s name to counter Black athletes kneeling during the anthem to protest systemic racism.

Later, the Tillman family stated they didn’t want Pat’s name used in anti-Kaepernick stunts.

Tyler felt the need to write, “I respect my fellow players right to kneel during the national anthem.”

Tyler’s explanation posted to Medium shows he link standing with respect for the flag.

📲: medium.com/@tylereifert/w…

Yesterday, in a conversation about Tyler Eifert’s David Dorn helmet decal, Eifert liked a tweet calling other NFL players “activists for criminals.” So Eifert believes the other names the NFL supplied for helmets are criminals?

Jaguars TE Tyler Eifert also liked tweets showing people with disabilities standing for the national anthem. These kind of anti-Black tweets are meant as a rebuke of Black athletes kneeling to protest systemic racism.

Tyler Eifert liked Eric Trump’s tweet praising NHL players for standing.

Tyler Eifert liked Ted Cruz’s tweet praising Sam Coonrod’s “bravery” for speaking out against Black Lives Matter and standing during the national anthem.

On Instagram, Tyler Eifert follows an account that frequently posts anti-kneeling and anti-Kaepernick content.

Tyler Eifert follows an account which claims Black people are not oppressed and “white privilege is a racist lie.”

Tyler Eifert’s football helmet decal is is a gimmick rooted in anti-Blackness.

Where did Tyler Eifert get the idea that the name David Dorn was now anti-Black Lives Matter rhetoric?

Perhaps from a private Instagram account he follows which showed Dorn’s dead body with the caption “does this Black Life Matter?”

Tyler Eifert follows accounts that post anti-Black Lives Matter memes like this which are rooted in anti-Blackness.

Tyler Eifert’s was praised on Fox and Friends as a foil to those NFL athletes honoring police brutality victims. (1/2)

Fox and Friends host: Tyler Eifert “is a very brave voice, because he is speaking out against the majority.” (2/2)

Far Right Red State phrased it like this:

On Twitter, reaction to Tyler Eifert’s helmet decal was seen as support for #AllLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter and a denouncement of kneeling and the “felons” honored by other NFL players on their helmets.

Tyler Eifert has been this way for a long time. In 2013, Eifert posted he believes teachers should force kids to say the pledge of allegiance.

Tyler Eifert liked Greg Abbott’s transphobic criticism of the NFL.

Tyler Eifert liked Donald Trump Jr. criticism of Roger Goodell for not shutting down the kneeling protests.

UPDATE: After being exposed, Trumper @tylereifert has now unliked this tweet calling victims of police brutality “criminals” and his fellow @NFL players and @Jaguars teammates “activists for criminals” for wearing names such as #AhmaudArbery, #JacobBlake, and #GeorgeFloyd.

⤴️ TE @tylereifert’s antics were a counter protest to other Jaguars players like:

@DJChark82 who recognized #AltonSterling
Jaguars LB @OgBoobie_Shaq who recognized @lucymcbath’s son #JordanDavis
@S4CKGURU who recognized BLM
@TheSchoGoesOn53 who drew attention to systemic racism.

Not going to link to conspiracy & anti-Black lives matter group InfoWars, but they positively favored the Tyler Eifert helmet label and even recognized it as a “stunt.”

Tyler Eifert also got positive coverage by Alt-Right news outlet Breitbart.

Here is David Crowder, a commentator who has been censored for past bigotry, wearing a David Dorn shirt that he sells on his website while stating “Black Lives Matter is a domestic terrorist organization.”

This is the anti-Blackness echoed in @tylereifert‘s helmet decal.

Shortly after his death, David Dorn’s name was used and continues to be used by white nationalists to communicate anti-Black tropes. Tyler Eifert’s helmet decal choice aligns with this effort.