American football safety, Damar Hamlin has explained why he chose to attend Super Bowl 57 wearing a contentious jacket. After facing backlash for wearing apparel with religious imagery, the Buffalo Bills safety came to Twitter on Wednesday to explain his side of the incident.
Hamlin was at Super Bowl 57 after a miraculous recovery from a cardiac arrest in Week 17. He was saluted at NFL Honors when he gave a surprise speech to honor the healthcare workers who saved his life.
The jacket was criticized by seven-time Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson, who said it was blasphemous and “disrespectful.”
Hamlin wore a varsity jacket created by musician Travis Scott and artist Takashi Murakami for the company Saint Michael. The phrase “Without end or beginning, there is no day and there is no night” is written on one side of the front.
The visage of a Christ-like figure wearing a thorny crown can be seen on the opposite side. Murakami created a chain for Scott and used the same pattern for the face.
In addition to creating cover art for rapper Kanye West and collaborating on clothes with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton in October, Japanese artist Murakami is well-known for his use of vivid colors and abstract characters. The back of Hamlin’s jacket reads “Eternal” and has a paper doll figure being crucified.
Because it had religious themes, Hamlin’s jacket caused some controversy and the former Minnesota Vikings running back, Peterson spoke out a lot about the plan.
In an Instagram post, Peterson described Hamlin’s choice of fashion as blasphemy and a form of disrespect to the Supreme Being. “You should be thanking God son! This is Blasphemy!! We all fall short but cmon man! I find this disrespectful!!”
In a comment on the page, former Jacksonville Jaguars great Fred Taylor advised Peterson to talk to Hamlin face-to-face rather than criticizing him online.
Peterson seems to have followed the suggestions. Later, he changed his caption, deleting the initial comment and adding that he had spoken with Hamlin and gained some insight into the circumstances.
“We were able to discuss our thoughts as men. I want to be clear, I’m the last person to judge anyone, and that was never my intention. However, I do feel as if the jacket was disrespectful and it was something that I needed to share. I do realize everyone makes mistakes and falls short at times, so again, my intention was never to judge, just to share my opinion”.
“… I feel like there are a lot people, young and old, looking up to you and with power and influence comes great responsibility. I apologize for offending you, I just felt offended in that moment as a man who loves and respects our Lord and Savior, Yeshua. After speaking with Damar, I have an understanding that it didn’t come from a place of ill intent!”
In a tweet, Hamlin stated that “After talking with my parents I understand how my coat could have offended some people. It was never my intentions to hurt or disrespect anyone, the coat is abstract art to me. It says Eternal which I am Eternally thankful to my Savior!”
Hamlin expanded on his explanation of wearing the controversial jacket, “My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images,” he noted in another tweet. “I will learn from this and continue to walk in Love as I ALWAYS have.”
He also made reference to Jesus Christ’s teaching on not passing judgment on other people in Matthew 7:1–5. The Bible verse reads; “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images. I will learn from this and continue to walk in Love as I ALWAYS have. Matthew 7:1-5 🫶🏾💕
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) February 15, 2023ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLTGqKqsoaBjsLC5jrCfsmWUlrqivoyhmKakmaPAbq%2FOp6urp6aav7S1wKVkrK2gmr9urs6wo2aikZi4psCO