Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is the latest to sign the "R" word pledge. After using the word earlier this year, Flacco has promised on Sunday to take the word "retarded" out of his vocabulary.
Flacco created controversy January when he called the idea of playing a Super Bowl in cold weather "retarded." He made the comments when asked by a reporter his opinion of playing in a Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
"Yeah, I think it's retarded. I probably shouldn't say that. I think it's stupid," he said. "If you want a Super Bowl, put a retractable dome on your stadium. Then you can get one. Other than that I don't really like the idea.
"I don't think people would react very well to it, or be glad to play anybody in that kind of weather," he said.
The damage was done.
Signing the pledge against the "R" word is the latest step by Flacco to make amends for his slip of the tongue. The pledge, sponsored by Maryland's Special Olympics chapter, also featured signatures from Flacco's teammates Ed Dickson and Gino Gradkowsi, according to UPI.
The pledge is the latest movement to remove "retard" from common use in society and to make people aware of its hurtful implications. Over 400,000 people have signed.
