Before yesterday’s gut-wrenching loss to the Colts, Browns cornerback Johnson Bademosi was seen sporting the message “I Can’t Breathe” on his warmup T-shirt. The message, of course, calls back and protests the death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo. Protesters on Friday in Cleveland held signs bearing those words as they marched through the city.

In Detroit, running back Reggie Bush wore the same message pre-game.

Here’s more, as reported by Newsday:

Guard Davin Joseph wrote the words on the cleats he wore during pregame warmups before the Rams beat the Washington Redskins 24-0. Tight end Jared Cook had it written on his wrist tape during the game, and he said receiver Kenny Britt and two or three other offensive players did the same.

“I feel like we should support what we feel is right,” said Joseph, who intended to wear the cleats during the game but had to change because of the condition of the slick turf at the Redskins’ stadium. “We should always have an opinion of sticking up for people who don’t have a voice.”

This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2014.

Eric Sandy is an award-winning Cleveland-based journalist. For a while, he was the managing editor of Scene. He now contributes jam band features every now and then.

One reply on “Browns Cornerback Johnson Bademosi Warms Up in T-Shirt Reading: ‘I Can’t Breathe’”

  1. no offense, but this is a professional athlete with money we’re talking about here. You couldn’t get an actual “i can’t breathe” shirt that donates the proceeds from sales to one of the affected families? we really had to go the free sharpie shirt route?

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