Carolina Panthers fire employee for showing his true colors after Charlie Kirk's death



The Carolina Panthers football team has fired a public relations employee over his comments about Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday during a campus tour stop in Utah. Videos showed Kirk was shot in the neck in front of a large crowd of college students and attendees.

Despite an outpouring of positive support after the horrific killing, many people have taken the opportunity to criticize or insult Kirk online, including a Panthers employee.

'We do not condone violence of any kind.'

As reported by the Athletic, a communications coordinator named Charlie Rock was fired by the Panthers for his online commentary about the deceased conservative activist.

Rock apparently joined the organization as an intern in 2024 and was promoted to his now-former position.

Social media posts circulating online showed screenshots from Rock's Instagram account (which is now inactive), on which he posted a video of Kirk at a speaking event with the caption, "Why are yall sad? Your man said it was worth it …" referring to Kirk's death.

Rock's next post was the song "Protect Ya Neck" by Wu-Tang Clan, which could easily be interpreted as referring to Kirk being shot in the neck.

RELATED: DC Comics immediately cancels new series after author mocks Charlie Kirk's murder

— (@)

The Athletic was able to confirm that the employee is no longer with the Panthers, but Rock did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.

The Panthers organization, on the other hand, released a general statement on Thursday morning without naming Rock.

"The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers," the team's X post read. "We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual."

RELATED: New York Yankees waste no time before honoring Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk at Politicon 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon

"Pro Football Talk's" Mike Florio shared the story and wrote, "In a civil society, we have disagreements. Those disagreements, however sharp and strong they might be, should never devolve into violence."

Florio added, "There is no room in the American experiment for political violence. For any type of violence. Violence should be condemned in all forms, by everyone."

The Panthers' next game is against the Arizona Cardinals. The teams play Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

5 Ways Travis And Taylor Can Make Peace With All The Football Fans They’ve Been Irking

Travis and Taylor moving the ball down the field in all five categories might help football fans endure one more NFL season of Tayvis.

Tim Tebow took the hits — now Christianity is winning big



In 2011, a Detroit Lions linebacker sacked Tim Tebow and chose to celebrate by mocking Tebow’s famed kneeling prayer pose. Later in the game, another Lions player did the same, using his touchdown celebration to make fun of Tebow's prayer pose.

At the time, the media didn’t scold the Lions. Instead, they chided Christians for being "too easily offended." The Lions players pretended that they weren’t making fun of God, despite the fact that they were making jokes intended to humiliate Christians.

Sports have always been about excellence and virtue, values that don't align with DEI and leftist ideologies.

That season was a difficult year for Tebow.

While he scored the coveted role of starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, he also became one of the most ridiculed professional athletes. Jake Plummer, a former Broncos quarterback, said that he would “rather not have to hear” about Tebow’s faith. Broncos chief of football operations John Elway was also icy and unwelcoming toward the young, new quarterback.

At the time, many sports commentators and football fans went out of their way to make fun of Tebow’s faith. It was constantly used against him through memes and disingenuous critiques of his athletic abilities. Even "Saturday Night Live" aired a skit in which Jesus appeared in the Broncos' locker room, making fun of the saying that “Jesus was helping Tebow win games.”

Major media outlets were silent, and any defense of Tebow typically was met with an eye-rolling allegation of "not being able to take a joke."

Tebow effect

In the years after Tebow, there was a quiet uncertainty as to how Christian athletes would be received for openly expressing their faith.

But nearly 15 years after he became ESPN’s favorite joke, it's now clear that Tebow blazed a trail for a new generation of expressive Christian athletes.

Earlier this month, for example, Justin Fields, the new quarterback for the New York Jets, said that he is “low-key addicted to getting into [his] Bible.” New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson said that “God calls me to work as heartily as for Him, not to please men.” And several players for the Arizona State Sun Devils football team were recently baptized and started attending a team Bible study together, openly expressing their faith in interviews.

These are just a few of the countless examples of football players following in Tebow's footsteps, publicly embracing their Christian faith. Call it the "Tebow effect."

RELATED: Paint fades, prayer endures in the NFL

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

This "Tebow effect" comes despite the NFL's decision to embrace wokeism.

The NFL has heavily promoted LGBTQ Pride nights, celebrated transgender cheerleaders, and, infamously, painted "End Racism" in field end zones when the BLM movement swept the nation.

The NFL’s woke agenda felt particularly suspicious in the years following the Tebow controversy. In fact, it felt as if Christian fans were intentionally being alienated from the sport. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the NFL experienced significant ratings hits when players kneeled during the national anthem and when the league virtue-signaled during the pandemic and at the height of the BLM mania.

Woke reversal

But seeing professional athletes openly express their Christian faith helps mend the wounds of wokeism. It allows viewers to build relationships with players through the joy of shared faith. Even better, to see athletes profess their Christian faith makes them feel more authentic, proving they're not just cogs in a corporate conglomerate.

Fortunately, football players aren't the only athletes to publicly embrace their Christian faith.

Sports are a reflection of God’s gifts, built through the dedication and reverence encouraged through the Bible.

The Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team, have become a cultural phenomenon as they continuously sell out MLB ballparks across the country. And as the team’s popularity rapidly expands, players have never shied away from their Christian faith.

Players paint crosses on their cheeks and write Bible verses on their bats and helmets, and many members are actively involved in a team-wide Bible study. Their Christian faith has encouraged them to create a family-friendly experience, where children aren’t exposed to unsavory content for mature audiences.

This year, the Texas Rangers stood up to MLB when they decided to be the only team not hosting a Pride night. Although they are only one team among dozens, this bold act represents a shift away from liberal, anti-Christian messaging.

Christian vindication

Sports have always been about excellence and virtue, values that don't align with DEI and leftist ideologies. Sports are a reflection of God’s gifts, built through the dedication and reverence encouraged through the Bible.

It makes sense, then, that many athletes have turned to a life of Christ instead of a life of "co-exist" and "tolerance" bumper stickers.

Tebow helped blaze the trail that made this possible, and fortunately, he has found quiet vindication.

After he and his wife welcomed their first daughter, he posted a video of her lying across his chest while he worked on his laptop. It was a humbling moment, one familiar to new dads. It also showed that, despite having endured so much ridicule for his faith, Tebow gets to rejoice in the joys of family and grace.

As it turns out, the joke wasn't on Tebow — it was on those who thought Christian faith could be mocked into silence.

NFL superstar just broke liberals with four words about Jesus — and it’ll cost them



“It’s all about Jesus.”

That simple message is a central truth of the Christian faith, yet this powerful proclamation recently ignited a bizarre flurry of angst and a wild brouhaha on social media.

For too long we’ve tolerated and fostered a blatant cancel culture that seeks to punish anyone with whom we disagree.

Of course, it wasn’t so much the Christ-centric message that ruffled feathers as it was the messenger. See, an absurd online drama kicked off after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson shared an X post from conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

The message, which simply read, “It’s all about Jesus,” wasn’t political or caustic. It was merely a biblical assertion that Jackson likely saw and, in turn, chose to repost to inspire his followers in their faith, as he regularly publishes Christian messages. But some people were so incensed that Jackson would dare post any sentiment from the likes of Kirk that they took to social media platforms to air their grievances.

The reactions ranged from obnoxious to unhinged, but all of them had one thing in common: They each, to some degree, illustrated why President Donald Trump defied all odds to win a second term.

Americans are tired of the cancel culture, word-policing nonsense that became all too routine in recent years. And they’re finally voting, behaving, and speaking in ways that show just how much they’d like to return to a world where political diversity isn’t treated like a deadly toxin.

These citizens want to be free to speak up against bizarre social trends without the fear of cancellation — a tool too many progressives have used to effectively shut down free speech. Or, like Jackson, these Americans simply want the freedom to speak the truth without retribution.

Trump, a boisterous businessman-turned-politician, has somehow become the unlikely hero paving the way for such sanity.

Of course, not everyone is on board with common sense, as evidenced by some of the reactions to Jackson’s social media post. Certain people, it seems, simply can’t help themselves, believing their feelings and emotions trump all else.

RELATED: How the liberal media's crusade against Christianity just backfired

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“[I’m] very aware that lamar jackson [sic] probably has zero idea who charlie kirk [sic] is and is solely [retweeting because it] talks about his faith,” one frustrated social media user wrote. “But it still [sic] wild to see your favorite players [sic] name right above the second spawn of satan himself.”

Other posts across X were similar, with people clutching their pearls over the idea that a popular football star would have the nerve to share a faithful message from one of their cultural and political opponents. The response was big enough to spark some media headlines.

One outlet alleged Jackson was “sacked online,” and Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, openly called the response a “liberal meltdown.” Chaos aside, Kirk also used the opportunity to praise the NFL star for what he called “courage and conviction” — a purported refusal to apologize even amid intense anger from some fans.

After all, Jackson could have cowered, apologized, or even removed the post. But he chose to leave it up and left the festering debate to simmer on its own.

As for Kirk, he not only praised Jackson, but he affirmed during a “Fox & Friends” interview his belief that Christ is the most essential element in life.

"I just want to say to Lamar ... you are more than welcome in this big movement that we are building,” Kirk said. "You could be a Democrat; you could be on the left. I don't care. Jesus is honestly the most important thing."

Ultimately, this is the right posture. We can spend all day fighting about politics, culture, and the toughest issues of the day — and sometimes that’s warranted, appropriate, and even a bit fun to do. But the most pressing and essential issue is Christ and where each human heart stands on the Almighty.

The inability to tolerate diverse ideas has come to infect — and ruin — almost every facet of our society.

Whether Jackson knew who Kirk is or whether he agrees with Kirk’s politics aren’t the primary issues. At its core, the message that “it’s all about Jesus” is timeless and worthy of sharing. The NFL player just wanted to drive it home, yet critics found themselves needlessly looking for a fight.

“Who cares what the naysayers say?” Kirk continued in his “Fox & Friends” interview. “[Jackson’s] standing firm for what matters most, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

That’s a wonderful, valid point, and one that shouldn’t be overlooked amid the silliness spewing from keyboard warriors who have paper-thin skin and an inability to look beyond their own political proclivities.

Tragically, the inability to tolerate diverse ideas has come to infect — and ruin — almost every facet of our society. At some point, we collectively became so emotionally unhinged that we found ourselves essentially allergic to anyone with opposing ideals.

Some people have become so deeply entrenched in this derangement that they’re unwilling or even emotionally unable to spend time with friends and family members due to differing political views. We now live in an insane, upside-down world in which media outlets churn out articles with headlines like “How to survive political talk at Thanksgiving dinner” and “10 ways to de-escalate political discussions with friends.”

It’s absolute nonsense.

Here’s how we survive political talk: We approach it like rational adults who live in a society that values free speech and expression. This isn’t complicated. Yet for too long we’ve tolerated and fostered a blatant cancel culture that seeks to punish anyone with whom we disagree.

Along the way, we’ve allowed people to become so coddled and protected in their bubbles that they can’t even handle someone like Jackson sharing a pertinent message from a figure they dislike.

If progressives can’t figure out how to coexist with conservatives and people of differing views — and if they insist on canceling or fleeing from their ideological opponents — they’re only going to continue to alienate voters and lose big. People are tired of being silenced and shamed, and the Jackson debacle is only the latest example of progressives’ child-like demeanor.

Paint fades, prayer endures in the NFL



Last Tuesday evening, my wife and I settled in for our annual fall ritual: the premiere of “Hard Knocks.” Some couples watch sitcoms. We bond over football. When Liev Schreiber’s voice kicks in, summer is slipping away, and the beer fridge is filling up.

We’ve watched for years, but this season felt different. The cameras didn’t linger on helmets crashing or coaches barking. Instead, they caught quieter moments: a player brushing off sweat, another flipping open a devotional. The message wasn’t painted in the end zone. It was lived out on the field.

End-zone paint doesn’t move people. Faith lived out in the open does.

That stands in sharp contrast to the NFL’s other big announcement: the return of slogans painted in end zones — “End Racism,” “It Takes All of Us,” and other socially conscious slogans. The league insists they matter. The results? Unclear. A stenciled phrase doesn’t change lives. A lived-out faith does.

Consider New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields. He recently admitted, “I’m low-key addicted to getting in my Bible.” He credits that daily habit for keeping him grounded when the noise grows loud.

In Houston, Coach DeMeco Ryans has helped make Bible studies a regular feature for the Texans. Nearly 40 players, coaches, and staff now attend. Quarterback C.J. Stroud thanks “my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” during interviews. NBC cut that phrase from a broadcast last season, but it hasn’t stopped him from saying it again.

“Hard Knocks” has become the best proof yet. In the first episode, backup cornerback Christian Benford prayed over an injured rookie, his words audible as trainers worked: “Heavenly Father, please give him strength. ... As we’re weak, bless everything we do. ... In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

HBO aired the prayer uncut. No sound bite, no irony — just a moment of faith in full view of teammates and millions of fans.

Episode two showed Damar Hamlin praying, thanking God for “focus, fellowship, brotherhood.” His devotional book sat in his hands, battered and beloved. Its frayed edges testified louder than any press release.

It’s impossible not to recall Tim Tebow. A decade ago, he was mocked for praying on the field. “Tebowing” became a late-night punchline. But Tebow’s courage made public faith in football possible. Today, players pray without irony — and with far less ridicule.

RELATED: The culture war isn’t a distraction — it’s the main front

The league points to its Inspire Change program, which has directed more than $460 million to nonprofits. Good. But the slogans? They’re background noise. As the Babylon Bee joked, “NFL Hoping 3rd Year of ‘End Racism’ Painted in End Zone Will Do the Trick.” The gag works because it highlights the gulf between gestures and genuine transformation.

The real transformation is happening elsewhere: in chapels, prayer huddles, and well-worn Bibles. These acts don’t just polish the league’s image. They shape the men who play the game — building character, humility, and unity in a way a slogan never could.

Sitting on the couch with my wife, I felt the difference. End-zone paint doesn’t move people. Faith lived out in the open does.

Painted slogans fade. Prayer changes hearts. If the NFL wants to inspire change, it should keep showing the moments that can’t be scripted — players living out their faith with quiet acts of devotion, one prayer at a time, and far more enduring than any PR campaign.

If You Don’t Get Why Men Cringe At Flamboyant Gays, You Don’t Understand The Sexes

Ladies, don’t think men are immature or hateful when we don’t want men frolicking on a football field with the women during timeouts.

Amid Endless Streaming Silos, Live Sports Still Attract Millions Of Eyeballs

Two recent deals demonstrate the immense power of live sports.

The Minnesota Vikings’ male cheerleaders go viral — and not everyone’s cheering



The Minnesota Vikings and 11 other NFL teams have come under fire for their new male cheerleaders — but the Vikings' new additions have undoubtedly been the loudest and received the most social media backlash.

The two new male Vikings — Blaze Shiek and Louie Conn — have been dancing all over social media, their feminine style being what’s rubbing NFL fans the wrong way, to the point that they’re getting rid of their season tickets.

Blaze media co-founder Glenn Beck is among those displeased by the progressive move.

“The Minnesota Vikings — the Vikings — now have two male cheerleaders,” Glenn says on “The Glenn Beck Program,” noting that his wife and daughter, who were both cheerleaders, brought the controversy up to him initially.


“I said, ‘Well, now, let’s not be hasty.’ I said, ‘There’s lots of sports teams that have male cheerleaders,'" Glenn said, recalling that he then asked his wife if she had male cheerleaders that held the girls up and threw them into the air during cheer routines.

“And my wife went, ‘That’s not this,’” he adds.

“So the Vikings having male cheerleaders like that [does] not exactly make a lot of sense,” Glenn says.

“It’s not a surprise, though, right?” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere asks.

“I would say most NFL teams,” he adds, “you would not be stunned to see it.”

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

NFL MVP Lamar Jackson shares Charlie Kirk message, faces relentless liberal attacks



NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson seemed to cut out all the noise after sharing a message from conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Jackson — a two-time NFL MVP, four-time Pro Bowl player, and leader of the Baltimore Ravens — had heaps of criticism piled onto him after going on a sharing spree on his X page.

'It's all about Jesus.'

Jackson shared a plethora of images and videos about baptisms, trusting in God, and even Bible verses and prayers, but it was not until he shared a message from Kirk that the haters came out of the woodwork.

"It's all about Jesus."

Those were the simple words from Kirk that Jackson shared to his page that encouraged many fans to post messages ranging from simple heartbreak all the way to referring to Kirk as the "spawn of Satan himself."

While many X users thought they were giving Jackson the benefit of the doubt in thinking he did not even know who Kirk was, the anger toward Jackson escalated and got far worse.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk spoofed by 'South Park' as America's 'master debater' who totally owns liberals

— (@)

One sports fan shared a screenshot of Jackson's post and said he hoped the quarterback "continues to choke in the playoffs."

Despite a lot of pushback from other fans, an account named Zion said that Jackson had put a "stain" on his "legacy" by sharing Kirk's Christian message.

Not to be outdone, another X commenter shared a story about Jackson echoing Kirk and said, "I don't think Lamar Jackson know Charlie kirk hate n*****s."

Lamar Jackson out here retweeting Charlie Kirk. Hope he continues to choke in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/T0SQ79NdR2
— Ya Boy Big Nel (@TheeNelDog) August 18, 2025

Jackson ignored the heat, though, and continued pushing biblical messages like, "Give your worries to the Lord, and he will care for you. He will never let those who are good be defeated."

This went on for hours, culminating in another Bible verse as Jackson's final share for the weekend — Acts 4:12, which reads: "Jesus Christ is the only One that can bring you salvation."

This is not the only time Jackson has put himself in hot water for comments on X. In 2020, he wrote a message about trusting the president when President Donald Trump shared a video of Jackson's friend reacting to his selection in the NFL Draft.

"Really nice to see this and, what a great pick!" Trump wrote.

"Truzz Trump," Jackson replied, meaning trust.

The simple message caused mixed reactions, which were also largely ignored by Jackson.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk crushes Oxford’s liberal elite in epic Trump debate

— (@)

The 28-year-old has not made any other public comments (or X posts) since his Sunday sharing spree, but Kirk did share an image about Jackson receiving heavy criticism and offered a simple message in response.

"Jesus is the way, truth, and life," Kirk said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!