Dallas Cowboys Facing Criticism After Partnering With Patriotic Coffee Brand

The Dallas Cowboys football team is facing backlash online after announcing a business partnership with Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC), which is owned by a military veteran.

“We are celebrating America’s birthday all week long by giving away tickets to a #DallasCowboys home game & a one-year subscription to @blckriflecoffee!” the Dallas Cowboys said in a July 5 tweet. Primarily due to the company’s association with guns, the partnership quickly became a subject of vitriol online.

Black Rifle Coffee Company was founded in 2014 by Evan Hafer, a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets. Hafer has made support of veterans a major tenet at his company.

The company began trading publicly in February 2022. BRCC has been outspoken about its support for the military and police, posting images featuring people wearing camouflage and American flags on social media.

The company sells coffee roasts with names like “Silencer Smooth Roast,” “AK-47 Espresso Blend,” and “Murdered Out Coffee Roast.”

Critics of the partnership took offense to the fact that the announcement followed so closely behind the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. The Dallas Cowboys donated money and pledged support for the community following the shooting.

“Impeccable timing. Truly. Guys. This was literally 6 weeks ago IN YOUR STATE, and there was a mass shooting YESTERDAY,” Jon Helmkamp, a sports gambling editor and producer at The New York Post, said in reply to the Cowboys’ tweet, posting a link to the team’s statement mourning the loss of lives in Uvalde.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Dallas Cowboys for comment.

Other Black Rifle Coffee Partnerships

“BRCC is proud to partner with the Dallas Cowboys, who are strongly committed to our mission of supporting veterans, first responders, and America’s men and women in uniform,” a Black Rifle spokesman told The Associated Press. “The long-planned announcement was timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday—America’s Team. America’s Coffee. America’s Birthday.”

BRCC has partnered with the UFC and sponsors NASCAR driver Ty Dillon. The company also has a partnership with Amazon Prime Video to feature its products in “The Terminal List,” an Amazon original series about a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs.

In an email to The Associated Press, T. Bettina Cornwell, academic director of the University of Oregon’s Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, pointed out that people’s reaction to the partnership indicates a “split identification” among fans.

“The business question is, ‘Have the Cowboys made a misstep in terms of their relationship with their more moderate fans?’” Cornwell said.

Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys, is known for supporting patriotic causes. He has spoken out against the practice of players kneeling during the national anthem to protest against alleged police brutality and racial injustice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.