Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has spoken out after Friday’s game in which he was seriously injured by Saskatchewan Roughriders defenseman Garrett Marino, accusing the league of ignoring racism.
In a statement released on social media, Masoli – who is expected to be out for 10 to 12 weeks – thanked everyone who came forward to offer support and then went straight to condemning the Roughriders organization and the CFL’s response.
“It is sad that hatred and racist attitudes and racist insults are punished with a slap in the face,” he said. “One game for racial slurs just isn’t enough in my opinion and hopefully we can use that to encourage growth and change for the better.”
Marino’s hit on Masoli and his subsequent actions immediately afterwards resulted in him being thrown out of the game. The CFL later imposed an unprecedented four-game suspension. Marino is suspended for two games for his dangerous low hit, one game for an illegal tackle by an Ottawa offensive lineman, and one game for commenting on another player’s legacy, in violation of the league’s code of conduct.
It’s the strictest discipline imposed for in-game conduct in CFL history, and league commissioner Randy Ambrosie said it intended to send a strong message.
But Masoli added that he had experienced racism in the league before and said the CFL should not be a place for racism and hatred.
He said the CFL “has done and continues to do a great job” with diverse communities across Canada, and that’s something the CFL can be proud of, but he also said that Roughriders coach Craig Dickenson’s comments showed a blindness to “serious facts.” who they choose show ignore.”
“I saw the pathetic and uninformed apologies from Saskatchewan’s head coach and no apologies from Garrett Marino, Coach Dickenson or any Saskatchewan executive,” he wrote.
“Having already played 12 games with a previous sacking and two penalties prior to this incident, it is clear that Garrett Marino cannot control himself. The welfare and safety of CFL players is important and we shouldn’t have to worry about those who are consistently unable to play within the rules.”
Dickenson defended Marino in an interview but later apologized on Twitter for his comments, calling them insensitive and irrelevant.
“I have tried to defend his character in the face of allegations that he said something racially or culturally insensitive by pointing out that he has many close friends who are black and one longtime friend who is also black. I realize that this comment is insensitive and irrelevant to the conversation. I apologize for this comment,” he wrote.
But he continued to defend Marino, saying he was being “unfairly characterized and punished” for his actions. In a now-deleted tweet, Dickenson also said the four-game suspension was too harsh and he hoped Marino would appeal and have it reduced.
“In the CFL, we say our diversity is our strength, so there should be no place for racial hatred,” Masoli wrote.
Masoli ended his note by saying he was preparing for surgery and the road to recovery.