The NFL is catching heat over its modified logo for National Hispanic Heritage Month—an annual celebration of Hispanic culture, history, and achievements.
The special edition graphic was unveiled Thursday as part of the league’s “Por La Cultura” campaign. The logo features the NFL’s iconic shield with a scribbled yellow tilde over the N.
“This shield integrates an unmistakable Latin flavor and is fundamental to our always-on, 365 day initiative,” the NFL wrote. “The electric brush stroke of the ‘EÑE’ is filled with an infectious personality that is carried out through the rest of the look and feel.”
Social media users immediately slammed the league over the reworked logo, calling it confusing, lazy, and downright cringe. Some critics compared the move to a popular scene from The Office in which B.J. Novak’s Ryan Howard apathetically draws an accent mark on a bottle of lemonade to make it a “Mexican” beverage.
Activist/best-selling author Julissa Arce called the logo “embarrassing,” and pointed out that the spelling was incorrect.
“There is no eñe in the world nacional,” she tweeted. “We don’t say Eñe F L we say NFL. 🤦🏽♀️. Apologize.”
National Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off Thursday and will conclude Oct. 15. The NFL is celebrating the month by highlighting is Latino athletes, coaches, and staff, as well as releasing interviews with stars like J Balvin and dropping exclusive merch with Chito.
“The League is proud to celebrate Latino heritage month by highlighting NFL players, coaches and staff while partnering with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement,” the league wrote. “We look forward to continuing collaborations with Latino creators, artists and writers.”
The NFL has yet to respond to the criticism over its modified logo and accompanying statement. Check out more reactions below.
