Nfl Football

Did the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers refuse a congratulatory invitation to the White House because the team believes the election victory was "stolen" by the current administration? No, that's not true: This is a false claim made by a known satire website. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Buccaneers are invited to the White House when…

Did the Denver Broncos sign Colin Kaepernick to play quarterback on Sunday, November 29, 2020, after all of the team's quarterbacks were ordered into quarantine for COVID-19 exposure? No, that's not true: The same NFL COVID-19 protocols that benched all four of Denver's quarterbacks would also prevent Kaepernick from suiting up on short notice to play in the Bronco's game…

Did the NFL's Dallas Cowboys sign free agent quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick? No, that's not true: This is a baseless but possibly wishful-thinking claim. The claim appeared in an Instagram meme (archived here) where it was published by the account "@funnynfl.ig" on October 20, 2020, with the text, "BREAKING COWBOYS SIGNING COLIN KAEPERNICK." The meme read: BREAKING: The Dallas…

Did the NFL (National Football League) honor an organization that yelled "hope they die" outside of a hospital where two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were being treated after they were shot in an ambush? No, that's not true: The approximately five protesters who confronted deputies outside of a Los Angeles hospital identified themselves as part of the Africa Town…

Is the National Football League (NFL) tax-exempt? No, that's not true: A search of the IRS database for nonprofits shows the NFL is not included in that listing. The league was tax-exempt until 2015 when it voluntarily relinquished its 501(c)(6) nonprofit status, according to a report from TIME magazine published at the time. The tax exemptions only applied to the…

Did protesters block the entrance to Saint Francis Medical Center before the arrival of ambulances transporting the two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies who had been shot in Compton on the evening of September 12, 2020? No, that's not true: Several protesters, including one who reportedly yelled "We hope they die," arrived at the hospital several hours after the ambulances…

Is a blonde woman pictured in a meme about the Los Angeles sheriff's deputies who were shot in their squad car the actual female officer who was wounded? No, that's not true. The photograph of a woman with long blonde hair in posts that have gone viral about the shooting of the deputies is not the real victim of the…

Did President Trump post a combative tweet about Colin Kaepernick ? No, that's not true: This is a fake tweet created by a sports satire site, @SavageSportsMMZ. The site's watermark is clearly visible in two places on the screenshot of the made-up tweet. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) where it was reposted by another sports satire…

Did Walmart pledge $100 million to Black Lives Matter (BLM)? No, that's not true: Walmart CEO Doug McMillon announced on June 5, 2020, that "Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committing $100 million to create a new center on racial equity" that will "support philanthropic initiatives that align with four key areas: the nation's financial, healthcare, education, and criminal justice…

Did the NFL agree to give $250 million to Black Lives Matter (BLM)? No, that's not true: Although the football league recently announced that it would commit $250 million over 10 years to "combat systematic racism and support the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African-Americans," it made no mention of BLM. The claim appeared as a…