Vikings condmen racial slurs sent to CB Isaiah Rodgers

The Minnesota Vikings released a statement on Monday condemning the racism directed at cornerback Isaiah Rodgers following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

On his Instagram Stories, Rodgers shared screenshots of hateful messages sent to him by a fan after the 28-22 defeat. Rodgers, who won the Super Bowl with the Eagles last season, logged two total tackles in the game. He also took to X (formerly Twitter) to plead for an end to racism in football.

“Racism is real. Keep football, football. That’s not even the worst I’ve seen. Stay solid or stay silent,” the 27-year-old Rodgers wrote. He added, “Some of the most racist comments I have seen or read since I entered the league.”

The Vikings did not take the issue lightly, describing the racial slurs directed at Rodgers as “disgusting.”

“As we have said previously, there simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society. We support Isaiah and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior far too often, and we ask our fans to continue to fight racism,” the team stated.

In the game, Rodgers allowed two significant catches that contributed to the Vikings’ loss: a 79-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the third quarter, and a 45-yard reception to wide receiver AJ Brown with only 1:45 left in the game. The latter catch ended the Vikings’ last-ditch effort to rally.

Taking accountability, Rodgers said, “I put it on me. I came here for a reason, and those type of plays I know I can make. So, I put it on me,” as reported by ESPN’s Kevin Siefert.

Rodgers signed a two-year, $15 million deal with Minnesota during the offseason.

As of now, the NFL has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/vikings-news-minnesota-condemns-racial-slurs-sent-isaiah-rodgers

Graham Platner dismisses old Reddit posts as ‘stupid joke comments’

U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner is disavowing a series of now-deleted social media posts in which he criticized police and said that white rural Americans “actually are” racist and stupid.

Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer from Hancock County, is running to challenge Sen. Susan Collins. His Reddit posts from 2020 and 2021 were resurfaced this week by CNN, which reported that they were deleted prior to Platner’s campaign launch in August.

In an interview with the Press Herald Thursday, Platner said the posts came from a time when he was disillusioned and angry, and expressed those sentiments online. He said the comments don’t reflect who he is today.

“A lot of it isn’t even things I believed then,” Platner said. “A lot of them are just stupid joke comments. I look back now and I don’t mean to be flippant, but it was just dumb stuff on the internet and when I stopped being lonely and isolated I didn’t use that as an outlet anymore.”

In one since-removed post from 2020, Platner responded to a thread titled “White people aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks” by writing, “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are.”

In another comment from 2021, Platner responded in a thread about a Black army lieutenant who was held at gunpoint and pepper-sprayed by police during a traffic stop. One Reddit user wrote, “Bastards. Cops are bastards,” to which Platner replied, “All of them, in fact.”

Other posts addressed Platner’s political views and how his military service reshaped his perspective. Platner served three deployments to Iraq with the Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard before settling in Sullivan, where he grew up.

In one post, he reflected on his life after the military, saying he was “a vegetable growing, psychedelics taking socialist these days. After the war, I’ve pretty much stopped believing in any of the patriotic nonsense that got me there in the first place, and am a firm believer that the best thing a person can do is help their neighbors and live a loving life.”

Platner is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins. Governor Janet Mills, who is finishing up her second term, announced Tuesday that she is also running.

This story will be updated.
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/10/16/graham-platner-dismisses-old-reddit-posts-as-stupid-joke-comments/

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