College Football Hall of Fame was damaged but not destroyed in Atlanta

The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta was damaged but none of the artifacts were destroyed. 

Atlanta burned on Friday night as protests that began in Minneapolis made their way down south.

The death of George Floyd has sparked outrage, striking a raw nerve with a hot poker that resulted in waves of protests that turned destructive in multiple cities.

An unintended target in the path of the riots in Atlanta was the College Football Hall of Fame. Images made their way to social media late Friday night showing that the museum that houses the history of college football had become collateral damage to the events of the world around it.

Windows were smashed, signs were graffitied, and there was fear among football historians that the artifacts and memorabilia inside would be damaged and potentially lost forever.

Was College Football Hall of Fame destroyed during Atlanta riot?

Thankfully, no.

College Football fans can rest assured that while the Hall of Fame was externally damaged in the riot, none of the items inside of the museum were lost. According to College Football Hall of Fame CEO Kimberly Beaudin only the glass in the front of the Hall of Fame store was destroyed.

Given the circumstances, football artifacts mean far less than they normally would when compared to the death of a human being. Consider, for a moment, how visceral a reaction was had at the thought of losing precious items that charted the history of a game held so close to so many hearts. Now apply that the visceral pain and rage being felt by those who feel so backed into a corner by the world around them that they take to the streets to be heard.

One is property, the other is human life.

It’s okay to be upset that the College Football Hall of Fame was damaged. Take that pain and now imagine how much more others are hurting right now. Rather than have an outwardly angry reaction to images like these, take a step back and consider the bigger picture. The College Football Hall of Fame is safe, but many other things in the world right now — things much more precious than some cleats and a game-worn jersey — are not.