A young Kansas City Chiefs fan, who was recently targeted by sports blog Deadspin for donning face paint and a native headdress at a game, has voiced his feelings about the experience.
The blog had accused the child of "racism" and called for the NFL to intervene.
Nine-year-old Holden Armenta, in a conversation with Fox News' Jesse Watters, admitted that his sudden notoriety was causing him some anxiety. His father, Bubba, criticized reporter Carron Phillips for attacking a child merely for expressing his enthusiasm for his preferred team.
When asked about his current state of mind, Holden responded, "It's okay." He elaborated, saying, "A lot of kids at school are getting excited, but it's starting to get me a little nervous because if they go a little bit overboard, it's a little scary." He also mentioned that the reaction from his community has been "okay so far."
Bubba Armenta shared with Watters that his son's initial appearance on the jumbotron at the previous Sunday's Chiefs game had been a thrilling moment. However, he expressed regret that the situation had since "been a little bit of a spiral."
"It's been a lot," he confessed. "It's been a pretty crazy couple of days. I was mad, upset for him. I'm mad that he's upset. He's pretty devastated. I mean, he's seen the videos and everything posted."
When questioned if he expected an apology from Phillips, Mr. Armenta responded that it was "a little too late for that."
"The damage is already done. It's, you know, worldwide. Now there's comments all over; there's, you know, disrespect towards Native Americans and towards my family. We never in any way, shape or form meant to disrespect any Native Americans or any tribes."
In the aftermath of Deadspin's article on Holden, it was disclosed that the boy is of Native American descent himself. His grandfather is a member of the board of the Chumash Tribe in Santa Ynez.
In 2020, the Chiefs prohibited the wearing of headdresses and "any face paint that is styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions."
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