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Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison revealed he received over 60 "disgustingly disrespectful messages" that included the N-word and other slurs after his team's loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday (September 14).
On Friday (September 15), Mattison, who rushed for 28 yards on eight carries and lost a fumble, took to his Instagram story to share two of the messages. which called for him to commit suicide, per ESPN.
"Y'all can come at me all you want about fantasy and 'you suck' blah blah blah," Mattison wrote on Instagram. "I really could care less. But this s--- is unacceptable."
Mattison said he hopes people will think about how what they say "could truly affect someone."
"Under my helmet, I am a human, a father, a son. This is sick," Mattison said.
The Vikings and the NFL condemned the racist messages in separate statements on Friday.
"We are sickened by the hatred and racial slurs directed toward Alexander Mattison following last night's game," the Vikings said in the statement. "There simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society. The Vikings will continue to fight to eliminate hate, to educate and to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that respects and values our unique backgrounds. We stand with Alexander and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior, and we ask our fans to continue to fight to eliminate racism."
"We stand firmly with Alexander and remind fans to remember the humanity of all players and celebrate their contributions to the game we all love," the league said.
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