Cowboys agree to partnership with Black Rifle Coffee Company, met with mixed reviews
The Cowboys announced the deal on Tuesday
The Dallas Cowboys inked a partnership with Black Rifle Coffee Co. on Tuesday, but the agreement with the military veteran-backed company came with some mixed reactions on social media.
The coffee company has blends that include "AK-47 Espresso," "Silencer Smooth" and "Murdered Out." Fans of the Cowboys did not feel like it was appropriate to announce the deal a day after the gunman killed several people at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is seen on the field prior to a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at AT& Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"#CowboysNation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team," the Cowboys’ tweet read.
The Cowboys were panned as "tone deaf" for the deal and the timing of it.
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Some other fans cheered on the partnership.
The organization did not comment on the criticism.
A Dallas Cowboys helmet during the game against the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 13, 2020, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The team played a part in a $400,000 donation to the victims and survivors of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
Black Rifle was founded by U.S. Army veteran Evan Hafer, who has made support of veterans one of the tenets of the company.
"BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mission of supporting veterans, first responders, and America’s men and women in uniform," a Black Rifle spokesman said. "The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday — America’s Team. America’s Coffee. America’s Birthday."
T. Bettina Cornwell, academic director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, told the Associated Press the reaction to the deal suggested a "split identification among fans."
A detail view of a Dallas Cowboys helmet is seen during the NFC Wild Card game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys on January 16, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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"For those opposed to gun violence, there is no good timing," Cornwell added. "The business question is, ‘Have the Cowboys made a misstep in terms of their relationship with their more moderate fans?’"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.