Brett Favre thinks Derek Chauvin didn’t intend to kill George Floyd

Brett Favre doesn’t want politics with his sports. Except when he does.

The man who has a platform because of sports uses that platform when he wants (and he has the right to do that) to address non-sports issues. In the latest episode of his podcast with former FOX News personality Eric Bolling (who apparently has something in common with Favre beyond the podcast), Favre had some things to say about the jury verdict that found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd.

“I find it hard to believe, and I’m not defending Derek Chauvin in any way, I find it hard to believe, first of all, that he intentionally meant to kill George Floyd,” Favre said in his opening remarks on the verdict in the latest episode of the podcast, via USA Today. “That being said, his actions were uncalled for. I don’t care what color the person is on the street. I don’t know what led to that video that we saw where his knee is on his neck, but the man had thrown in the towel. And it was just uncalled for. . . . Fair or not, you know, he deserved something. What I don’t know. But he was absolutely wrong.”

Favre is being widely criticized for his comments. And at the risk of defending Favre, he may have meant that Chauvin didn’t commit premeditated murder. (Chauvin wasn’t prosecuted for premeditated murder.) At some point during the act of kneeling on Floyd’s neck, however, Chauvin surely knew that he could or would end the man’s life. But Chauvin nonchalantly continued to bury his knee into George Floyd’s neck. So even if there wasn’t premeditation to kill, at some point Chauvin was aware of the likely consequences of not getting off George Floyd’s neck.

Favre has the right to say what he wants. In response to the things he says, others have the right to react with their own views. Some may agree with him, some may disagree. But if Favre is going to keep sharing his opinions publicly, he needs to be ready for potential blowback — just like anyone else who regularly shares opinions publicly.