{"id":18808,"date":"2022-07-19T05:38:42","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T05:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/quarterback-known-as-ar-15-changes-nickname-citing-mass-shootings\/"},"modified":"2022-07-19T05:38:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T05:38:42","slug":"quarterback-known-as-ar-15-changes-nickname-citing-mass-shootings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/quarterback-known-as-ar-15-changes-nickname-citing-mass-shootings\/","title":{"rendered":"Quarterback Known as &#8216;AR-15&#8217; Changes Nickname, Citing Mass Shootings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Anthony Richardson, a University of Florida quarterback known as \u201cAR-15\u201d for his initials and his uniform number, has announced he is embracing a less violent image as he heads into a season in which he is projected to be one of the top players in college football.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Richardson, who also sells a line of apparel, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GVOaant\/status\/1548751660385697794\" title=\"\" target=\"_blank\">wrote<\/a> on Twitter on Sunday that he no longer wanted to be associated with an assault weapon used in mass shootings that have horrified the nation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not condone,\u201d he wrote on Twitter.  The message became the only content on the home page of his personal website.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He added that he was \u201ctransitioning\u201d to using \u201cAR\u201d or no nickname at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Another site of Richardson&#8217;s, www.shopar15apparel.com, which sold T-shirts and temporary tattoos with a scope reticle, carried a message on Monday night saying that it was \u201cno longer active.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In an interview posted yesterday by the sports media group High Top Sports, Mr.  Richardson attributed the decision to \u201ctalking to my team\u201d \u2014 \u201cyou know, my management team,\u201d he clarified \u2014 and added, \u201cThere&#8217;s a lot of stuff going on with AR-15s and shooting and stuff, and a lot of people hit me up just talking about it, asking me if I was supporting that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He continued, \u201cI don&#8217;t want people thinking I&#8217;m that type of person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">This summer alone has seen several mass shootings, including at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers, and at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, where a gunman killed 10 Black people in a racist attack.  Both gunmen used AR-15-style rifles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In Florida, a jury is now weighing whether to give the death penalty to Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to killing 17 people and injuring 17 more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  He, too, used a gun resembling an AR-15.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Representatives of Mr.  Richardson did not immediately reply to a request for a comment on Monday night about whether anything in particular had prompted his decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Oddsmakers consider Richardson among the top prospects for winning the Heisman Trophy this season, when he will be a sophomore.  With acrobatic dexterity and a 6-foot-4, 232-pound frame, he is capable of electrifying plays on the field, such as an 80-yard touchdown run against South Florida last season in which he barreled through a safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Richardson, who is from Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida Gators, appeared last October in a video for the Gainesville Police Department promoting a gun buy- back program.  But in addition to promoting gun-themed merchandise, Richardson also appeared in at least one promotional video striking a pose in which he aims a football like a gun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The fact that he has a brand and management team is a function, to a large extent, of the NCAA&#8217;s decision in June of last year to allow college athletes to make endorsements deals and find other opportunities to earn money from their names, images of them and their likenesses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In October, Outback Steakhouse announced a sponsorship deal with Richardson.  At around the same time, Richardson posted a website whose landing page emphasized his AR-15 nickname, according to the Wayback Machine, a website that hosts an archive of the internet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt&#8217;s a blessing for us to be able to make money,\u201d Richardson told Forbes last October.  \u201cIt teaches us how to manage money and understand the business aspect of things.  It also allows us to help our families in ways that we couldn&#8217;t before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Richardson&#8217;s site began directing visitors to gun-themed apparel around January.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Earlier this month, the Dallas Cowboys drew criticism on social media when they announced a partnership with Black Rifle Coffee, a coffee company whose merchandising has featured names and images of guns and gun paraphernalia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Sheelagh McNeill<!-- --> contributed research.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anthony Richardson, a University of Florida quarterback known as \u201cAR-15\u201d for his initials and his uniform number, has announced he is embracing a less violent image as he heads into a season in which he is projected to be one of the top players in college football. Richardson, who also sells a line of apparel, &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/quarterback-known-as-ar-15-changes-nickname-citing-mass-shootings\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Quarterback Known as &#8216;AR-15&#8217; Changes Nickname, Citing Mass Shootings<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18006,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/anthony-richardson-florida-gators-quarterback-will-no-longer-use-ar15-nickname-for-this-reason\/","url_meta":{"origin":18808,"position":0},"title":"Anthony Richardson: Florida Gators quarterback will no longer use &#8216;AR15&#8217; nickname for this reason","date":"July 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\"While a nickname is only a nickname and 'AR-15' was simply a representation of my initials combined with my jersey number, it is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18291,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/florida-quarterback-no-longer-wants-to-be-known-as-ar-15\/","url_meta":{"origin":18808,"position":1},"title":"Florida quarterback no longer wants to be known as &#8216;AR-15&#8217;","date":"July 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The quarterback of the University of Florida Gators will no longer use the nickname \u201cAR-15\u2033 because of its association with the semiautomatic rifle which has been used in several mass shootings, including the deaths of 19 children and two adults this spring in a Uvalde , Texas, elementary school.Anthony Richardson,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17510,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/florida-gators-qb-anthony-richardson-distancing-from-ar-15-nickname-branding\/","url_meta":{"origin":18808,"position":2},"title":"Florida Gators QB Anthony Richardson distancing from &#8216;AR-15&#8217; nickname, branding","date":"July 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson said in a statement Sunday that he will no longer use the nickname \"AR-15\" as part of his personal brand because he doesn't want to be associated with the semi-automatic rifle by the same name, which has been used in mass shootings.An AR-15 style rifle was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2022\/07\/18\/multimedia\/18xp-namechange-01\/18xp-namechange-01-facebookJumbo.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18808"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18808\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}