Why did Adrian Peterson critcize Damar Hamlin for the jacket he wore to Super Bowl LVII?
In his first major public appearance since his terrible ordeal, Damar Hamlin apparently offended many at the Super Bowl.
Though you might think, that everybody would have been pleased to see the Bills safety making an appearance at the Super Bowl, you’d be wrong. Indeed, following Hamlin’s terrible near-death experience on the field of play, how could you not be. To be fair to those who weren’t happy it was more about his choice of dress, rather than the man himself.
Adrian Peterson criticizes Damar Hamlin for jacket featuring Jesus
While many of us were happy to see Damar Hamlin in attendance for Super Bowl LVII, some most definitely were not. Perhaps, the most notable of those was former NFL running back, Adrian Peterson, who seems to have taken real issue with Hamlin’s jacket. Hamlin was of course at the big game to pay tribute to the emergency personnel that saved his life on the field in Cincinnati. Wearing a Takashi Murakami jacket, which featured a stylized depiction of Jesus on the cross, Hamlin appears to have incurred the wrath of Peterson. Indeed, the former RB made his feelings known with a social media post which included a photo of Hamlin in the jacket and a caption that read “Blasphemy! You should be thanking God son!” Peterson wrote. “This is Blasphemy!! We all fall short but cmon man! I find this disrespectful!! #grateful #goddid””
Interestingly, another Former NFL running back, Fred Taylor, immediately stepped into the fray saying that Peterson should have contacted Hamlin privately, rather than making a public scene of the situation. “You should DM him bro...I’m sure he’d listen to your opinion,” Taylor wrote in the comments. “Posting it doesn’t help anyone. He’s young, young ppl don’t always think before they wear things just like people who wear skulls and other things that doesn’t align with Christian beliefs. Try to reach him.”
How did Adrian Peterson respond?
To his credit, Peterson did in fact reach out to Hamlin following the online back and forth. In an Instagram post, Peterson explained that he spoke to Hamlin about the jacket. Peterson still maintained that the jacket was “disrespectful” and even added that he still felt “offended” by the depiction of Jesus, however, he did concede that Hamlin had no “ill intent” in his choice of attire.
What did Damar Hamlin have to say about the jacket?
Interestingly enough, the backlash about Hamlin’s jacket actually started after he posted a video in which he could be seen speaking with Philadelphia Eagles running back, Miles Sanders, before the game. As comments started to pour in online, one user actually defended Hamlin’s choice of dress, to which the safety himself responded.
“Someone who gets it!!” Hamlin wrote. “I’d never disrespect my lord & savior. Art is expressed in many ways. I wore the jacket because it’s a popular brand that aligns more with God then not. this is a tribute in an artistic way not disrespect. But for those who don’t understand that & think otherwise then I apologize.” Ultimately, we’re just happy to see Damar Hamlin back on his feet and seemingly healthy, regardless of what he wears.