'Pathetic': Cowboys, Texans slammed over $1.5M Texas flood aid despite billion-dollar valuations
As Texas mourns the devastating Hill Country floods that left 70 dead, including 21 children, attention has shifted to the response from the state's flagship football teams. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and the NFL Foundation pledged $1.5 million to help with relief and recovery efforts.
But what was meant to be a gesture of solidarity is now fueling a backlash, with fans accusing the franchises of doing the bare minimum for maximum publicity.
Fans blast 'tone-deaf' donation as outrage spreads online
Outrage exploded across social media as fans called out the donation's small scale given the teams' financial weight. @7ixers posted, "First good thing Cowboys has done in decades." @VirtualSavage added, "Multibillion dollar teams, with billionaire owners, and they contribute 1.5M and then post about it for optics? Gross.
Pathetic." The comments reflect growing sentiment that the teams prioritized image over impact during a time of statewide grief.
NFL donation faces backlash (Image credit: X)
The floods—triggered by the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry—struck in the early hours of July 5, hitting Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp, especially hard. At least 21 children were among the confirmed fatalities, many of them asleep when the waters surged in. First responders continue recovery efforts using DNA identification methods as the death toll could rise further.
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Entire communities remain displaced, with urgent calls for better flood warning systems across Central Texas.
Franchise owners Jerry Jones and Cal, Janice, and Hannah McNair jointly announced the $1.5M fund, promising it would support both immediate aid and long-term rebuilding. But critics argue the contribution is far too small given the Cowboys' $9 billion and Texans' $6 billion valuations. For fans, the numbers tell a different story than the PR narrative teams hoped to present.
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While community churches, local fundraisers, and nonprofits mobilize rapidly, fans expect more from franchises that market themselves as part of the Texas identity. The backlash is less about the donation itself and more about the perceived disconnect between wealth and will. For Texans watching their state suffer, this moment was a test of leadership and legacy. And many now feel that when it mattered most, their teams came up short—not in dollars, but in heart.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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