Dallas Cowboys arms critics with ill-judged gun-themed coffee partnership
American football team the Dallas Cowboys has been making headlines off the playing field for all the wrong reasons after an ill-timed announcement that it was partnering with weapon-themed Black Rifle Coffee.
The Dallas Cowboys announced their tie-up with Black Rifle Coffee on Twitter
Breaking the news just 24 hours after a mass shooting in Illinois, which left seven dead and dozens wounded, the announcement went down like a lead balloon on Twitter, where commentators queued up to chastise the organization for its inconsiderate timing.
The veteran-owned coffee house is notorious for its weaponized menus, which offer patrons a choice of ‘Silencer Smooth Coffee Rounds,’ ‘AK-47 Espresso Blend’ and ‘Murdered Out Coffee Roast.’
Welcoming the partnership with a tweet, the team wrote, ’Please welcome America’s coffee to America’s team,’ generating 290k views in the process.
#CowboysNation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team.
We are celebrating America’s birthday all week long by giving away ✌️ tickets to a #DallasCowboys home game & a ☝️-year subscription to @blckriflecoffee! Click here https://t.co/hUQTRllFe0 to learn more.☕️ ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/iFep5BKVZt
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 5, 2022
Aghast at the insensitivity displayed, many were quick to point to the ill-judged timing of the pairing.
Impeccable timing. Truly.
Guys. This was literally 6 weeks ago IN YOUR STATE, and there was a mass shooting YESTERDAY.
"T&Ps to Uvalde. So sad. Also, buy this black rifle coffee."https://t.co/rLtFxRHbW8
— Jon Helmkamp (@JonHelmkamp) July 5, 2022
Commenting on the timing, a spokesperson for Black Rifle Coffee said that the tie-up had been in the works for some time and was “timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday.”