A common occurrence in NFL end zones over the last four-plus years, the “End Racism” message will not appear in the end zones during the Super Bowl.
A trend that began in the 2020 NFL opener amid racial tensions in the United States. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic on Tuesday that the league will go a different route.
Instead, the end zones at Super Bowl LIX will feature the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us.”
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Keith Olbermann arrives to “Late Show with David Letterman” at Ed Sullivan Theater on September 11, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage)
McCarthy cited the recent tragedies that have occurred in the U.S. since the start of 2025, including the terror attack in New Orleans, wildfires in the Los Angeles area and the deadly plane crash near a Washington, D.C., airport.
Well, the NFL’s decision was not taken kindly by former ESPN employee turned political commentator Keith Olbermann.
“Guess what @nfl? If you’re against “Stop Racism,” that means you’re FOR… Racism. F–k you and every one of your advertisers,” he posted to X on Tuesday.
“End Racism” was only seen during the Eagles’ NFC Championship win against the Washington Commanders. The AFC Championship, in which the Chiefs topped the Buffalo Bills, included the aforementioned phrases.
A close up view of the Kansas City Chiefs end zone before the NFL Super Bowl LVIII football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
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The league’s move to remove it for the Super Bowl came as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
“We got into diversity efforts because we felt like it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, we’ve proven ourselves, that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell said. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell poses with Vince Lombardi trophy and Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs helmets at a press conference ahead of Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome. Lee-Imagn Images (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
“Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent in the National Football League, both on and off the field, as I said previously. We see that. We see how it benefits the National Football League, and so I think we’ll continue those efforts.”
The “End Racism” phrase was featured in the Chiefs’ end zone in last year’s Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers had “It Takes All of Us.”
