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NO PINK, STILL PISSED

So. It’s October. Pumpkin spice is everywhere, your fantasy league is either flourishing or flopping, and the NFL is in full chest-thumping mode. But wait — something’s missing…

Where’s the pink?

No pink cleats. No pink gloves. No pink towels flapping dramatically in the wind as a running back dives into the end zone. Just… regular old uniforms and a whole lot of silence.

Let me break it to you gently: the NFL quit Pink October a while ago. In 2017, the league shifted away from its hot-pink breast cancer campaign to a broader, vaguer “Crucial Catch” initiative aimed at “all cancers.” Teams can now pick their own causes. And apparently, some picked nothing at all — because I’ve seen more pink in a cosmetic aisle than on any sideline this month.

"Awareness Fatigue" or Just Fatigue in Caring?

Expanding the conversation is great, cancer in every form is horrific. But can we talk about how 1 in 8 women will still be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime? Or how early detection is the literal difference between life and death?

Scaling back pink because it was “just for show” is like throwing out your smoke detector because it only makes noise. If the NFL didn’t want to be performative, cool — but they didn’t replace pink with substance. They replaced it with silence. And silence helps no one.

Let’s Be Clear: Breast Cancer Doesn’t Take a Bye Week

Breast cancer isn’t seasonal. It doesn’t show up in October and politely disappear in November. It doesn’t care if your team is 5-0 or tanking into oblivion. And it sure as hell doesn’t care if the NFL stopped wearing pink.

So while the league is out here tackling each other, the rest of us better start tackling something that actually matters. That means:

  • Donate to orgs funding research — not just selling ribbon keychains.

  • Schedule your screening or nag someone you love until they do.

  • Talk about it — yes, even in a football bar. Especially in a football bar.

  • Ask questions about where your money is going when someone says "for the cure."

Game Day Looks Different — So Should We

No, you won’t see pink armbands on the field. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rock yours in the stands. Or at work. Or at brunch. Or literally anywhere.

Because this isn’t about cute gear — it’s about lives. Real people. Real pain. Real warriors. And if the NFL isn’t going to shout it from the rooftops anymore?

Then it’s on us to be louder.

So go ahead, scream at the ref for that missed call. But while you’re at it, scream a little louder for your mom, your sister, your best friend, your neighbor — or yourself. Breast cancer doesn’t need a spotlight to matter.


The NFL dropped pink. We’re picking it back up — with purpose, with action, and with absolutely zero chill. Now pass the nachos and the mammogram reminder. We’ve got work to do.

💪🎀🏈

 
 
 

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