Dallas Cowboys Seriously Just Partnered With a Gun-Loving Coffee Company
WHAT TIMING
One day after a mass shooting in Illinois killed seven people, the Dallas Cowboys announced a partnership with Black Rifle Coffee, a company with gun-focused marketing that sells roasts entitled “AK-47 Espresso Blend” and “Murdered Out.” The veteran-owned business has a philanthropic focus—team owner Jerry Jones told the Dallas Morning News that all sales will benefit veterans and first-responders—but the decision drew criticism nonetheless, with some social media users calling it “tone deaf.” Jones, a prominent supporter of the military, said that the team intends to sell Black Rifle at its stadium this year. Black Rifle, which is not America’s only veteran-owned coffee company, says it serves those who “love America” on its website. In a promotional video, the Cowboys invited fans to “welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team.” Given that guns killed more than 220 people over the July 4 weekend, the slogan, for all of its clumsiness, seems somewhat accurate.