NFL releases controversial logo for Latino Heritage Month

The NFL released a special edition logo on Thursday to coincide with the start of Latino Heritage Month. The logo added a squiggle of yellow on top of the N of the NFL's shield to make it look like an Ñ.

"The league is proud to celebrate Latino Heritage Month by highlighting NFL players, coaches, and staff while partnering with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement," the NFL said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing collaborations with Latino creators, (artists), and writers.

"We are here to AMPLIFY THE VOICES of the Latino Community (on) and off the FOOTBALL FIELD."

The logo is part of a broader campaign called "Por La Cultura," which translates to "For the Culture" and features a list of Latino players, coaches and employees on the league's website, an interview with Reggaeton star J Balvin and an announcement that a collaboration with Mexican streetwear company Chito is coming soon.

As for its explanation of the logo, the league said: "This shield integrates an unmistakable Latin flavor, is fundamental to our always-on, 365 day initiative. The electric brush stroke of the 'eñe' is filled with an infectious personality that is carried out through the rest of the look and feel."

The shield logo received backlash on Twitter as several asked what type of flavor the league meant? Adobo or jalepeño, perhaps?

A gif circulated referencing "The Office" where Ryan Howard writes a squiggle on the n of a bottle of lemonade and sets it next to a placard that says "Mexican Lemonade."

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Author Julissa Natzely Arce Raya expressed frustration at how the ñ isn't even the correct spelling for "National Football League" translated to Spanish.

"This is embarrassing," she said on Twitter. "There is no eñe in the world nacional. We don’t say Eñe F L we say NFL."

Last year, the league commemorated Latinx Heritage Month by doing activations with music superstar Ozuna and honoring youth who were making an impact in their communities. In 2015, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations included field designs and signage saying "Fútbol Americano," banners that read "Feel the Orgullo," folklórico dancers at pregame festivities and a giant golden football piñata.

The NFL has recently put emphasis on initiatives to raise awareness for diversity and social justice, especially in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the global reckoning in 2020 of the need to combat racial injustices.

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That year, the league painted "End Racism" and "It Takes All Of Us" in the end zones, invited players to wear helmet decals honoring victims of racial violence and played the Black national anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before every Week 1 game.

Research has shown that the NFL's Latin fanbase has been increasing. In 2019, a SSRS/Luker on Trends Sports Poll reported that there were 30.2 million fans of the league in the United States, a 5% growth from the previous year and an all-time high.

Despite this, there has been a decrease of representation among players. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport reported in 2019 that of the 1,657 players surveyed, only eight identified as Hispanic or Latino, making up 0.5% of the league. Three years earlier, the numbers found 18 players out of 2,257, making up 0.8%.

In 2021, Tom Flores, the league's first Latino head coach and quarterback, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won four Super Bowls between his time as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He was nominated and rejected by the voting committee twice before finally receiving a bust in Canton.

“I’m usually not at a loss for words, but I have been in pro football for over 60 years,” Flores told the Los Angeles Times of receiving the honor. “It’s just an honor to be in that room, knowing that you’re going to be there forever.”

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Although his quiet demeanor earned him the nickname "Iceman," Flores' impact was larger than words.

“I do think about my influences and what I can do for the next wave, because for me, Tom Flores was that influence," Washington Football Team coach and former Chicago Bears linebacker Ron Rivera told USA TODAY Sports. "With him, I finally had somebody representing my ethnicity.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL's Latino Heritage Month logo receives backlash