DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys faced backlash after they announced they were partnering with a gun-themed coffee company a day after several people were killed in a mass shooting in suburban Chicago.
On Tuesday, "America's Team" announced the partnership with Salt Lake City-based Black Rifle Coffee Co., which sells coffee with names like "AK-47 Espresso" and "Murdered Out."
"#CowboysNation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team. We are celebrating America’s birthday all week long by giving away tickets to a #DallasCowboys home game & a -year subscription to @blckriflecoffee!" the team tweeted.
🔊#CowboysNation, please welcome America’s Coffee to America’s Team.
We are celebrating America’s birthday all week long by giving away ✌️ tickets to a #DallasCowboys home game & a ☝️-year subscription to @blckriflecoffee! Click here https://t.co/hUQTRllFe0 to learn more.☕️🏈⭐️ pic.twitter.com/iFep5BKVZt
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 5, 2022
The coffee company, which a U.S. Army veteran founded, is popular among conservatives and gun-rights advocates, the Associated Press reported.
The team faced immediate criticism due to the timing of the announcement.
On July 4, seven people were killed, and more than 30 others were wounded at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
News of the partnership also comes a month after 19 students and two teachers were killed during a school shooting in Uvalde.
The Cowboys previously announced they were donating $400,000 to support victims and survivors of the school shooting.