Brandon Marshall has a friend in Russell Simmons. The music mogul is stepping to the plate after Marshall lost two endorsements for taking a knee during the national anthem.
According to ESPN, Marshall’s act of solidarity towards Colin Kaepernick resulted in the loss of endorsements from The Air Academy Federal Credit Union and CentruryLink, a cable/communications company. The player took a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner” before taking on the Carolina Panthers last Thursday (Sept. 8.) In a statement on Monday (Sept. 12,) CenturyLink pulled a passive aggressive move while bidding the player adieu.
“We completely respect Brandon Marshall’s personal decision and right to take an action to support something in which he strongly believes,” the statement reads. “America is anchored in the right of individuals to express their beliefs. While we acknowledge Brandon’s right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation. In our view, the national anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him.”
Shortly after news spread of the player’s losses, Russell Simmons made a business move via Instagram that seems hard to refuse. “Rushcard is in,” Simmons captioned the post. “We will find Brandon, make him an offer and make him a deal.” Simmons has stood behind the Black Lives Matter movement and rallied for new regulations against violent police practices.
Like Kaepernick, Marshall has stated his cause is bigger than his career. “I just lost another endorsement,” Marshall said on Twitter. “But it’s not going to make me lose any sleep. … I understand there will be things that come up, criticism and support. I just have to do what I think is right.” His movement is also moving beyond Twitter and the football field. Marshall plans to meet with Denver police chief Robert White today to discuss police reform and community relations.