NFL Opts to Drop Pink Cancer Awareness Flags From Week 6

The National Football League has made the controversial decision to stop using pink flags on the field, beginning from Week 6.   Up until now, the NFL, in line with the policy of other sporting leagues, adopted the use of pink flags and other equipment on game day during the entire month of October in order to raise awareness for breast cancer.

However, this week it was announced that the NFL would not be continuing with the tradition of pink flags due to the potential confusion with penalty calls.

According to NFL.com, a spokesman for the league, Michael Signora “confirmed to NFL Media that the flags – used to promote the NFL’s breast cancer awareness initiative – will no longer be used after Week 5.”

“Other pink equipment will remain part of the NFL landscape through Week 7,” reads the announcement. “That includes: cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline hats, helmet decals, captains’ patches, chin cups, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals and quarterback towels.”

Reaction from sports fans on social networks such as Twitter seem to support to the idea of dropping the pink flags, not so much for the potential penalty calls confusion, but also because many believe that the appearance of so much pink across so many sports was an overkill of an important message.

While on the subject, the CNN sports blog Swagger questions just how much of the money raised by the NFL for breast cancer awareness actually reaches charity through the league’s regular October campaign, A Crucial Catch.

Ryan Basen from Sports on Earth writes: “While all proceeds from auctioned game-worn items go to breast cancer causes, the league declines to say what portion of the apparel sales do. Inquiring minds can estimate, however. Ticketmaster limited its 2012 A Crucial Catch contribution to 10 cents for every ticket sold last October (up to $40,000 total), and The New York Times reported that Old Navy donated only five percent of revenues to a foundation via a similar 2011 campaign featuring the Dallas Cowboys.”