The Dallas Cowboys got blasted on social media for announcing a new marketing deal with a gun-themed coffee company — just two days after a mass shooter killed seven and wounded three dozen in suburban Chicago on the Fourth of July.
The NFL franchise known as “America’s Team” posted a notice on Twitter touting a new partnership with Black Rifle Coffee, a Salt Lake City-based company which sells “AK-47 Espresso Blend,” “Silencer Smooth Roast,” and “Murdered Out Extra Dark Roast.”
“Cowboys Nation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team,” the team tweeted on Tuesday.
The Cowboys are offering fans ticket giveaways and a year subscription to Black Rifle Coffee.
The announcement did not sit well with commenters on Twitter, one of whom said: “just 18 hours after multiple mass shootings on Independence Day, and just weeks after a bunch of kids were shot to death at a school in your state, you’re partnering with this?”
Another commenter wrote: “The Dallas Cowboys just lost one of their biggest fans. Integrity matters.”
“Impeccable timing. Truly,” wrote another Twitter user who noted that the Cowboys tweeted out a mournful message after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas on May 24 that claimed the lives of 22 people.
“Guys. This was literally 6 weeks ago IN YOUR STATE, and there was a mass shooting YESTERDAY.”
“Thoughts and prayers to Uvalde. So sad. Also, buy this black rifle coffee.”
Others on Twitter wrote that some were misinterpreting the coffee company’s mission.
One Twitter user wrote: “I feel a bunch of you people just read the name of the coffee and got mad over the name of it and don’t even know anything about the brand! It’s a veteran owned company.”
The Post has sought comment from the team as well as the coffee company.
Black Rifle Coffee Company, which is popular among gun enthusiasts and conservatives, bills itself as a “veteran-founded business operated by principled men and women” that “serves coffee and culture to people who love America.”
“We develop our explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus we learned as military members serving this great country and are committed to supporting veterans, law enforcement, and first responders,” the company writes on its web site.
“With every purchase you make, we give back.”
A spokesperson for the company told the Associated Press: “BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mission of supporting veterans, first responders, and America’s men and women in uniform.”
“The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday — America’s Team. America’s Coffee. America’s Birthday.”
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
