Black forces, they know how we comin 🥷🏾 pic.twitter.com/gqVFKPZEFK
— Alontae Taylor (@taeetaylor) May 12, 2023
The Atlanta Falcons thought they got a good jab in on the New Orleans Saints in their 2023 schedule announcement, but second-year cornerback Alontae Taylor turned it back around on them. The Falcons shared a video from their official Twitter account in which every opposing team on their schedule was represented by a sneaker — and their pick for the Saints was a pair of black G-Nikes, better known outside New Orleans as Air Force Ones.
Why that choice? In some online communities, Know Your Meme says, “the shoes are associated with shady characters and criminals.” Complex’s Angel Diaz explored the topic thoroughly, and the thought is backed up at Urban Dictionary, where one description reads the shoes are typical of, “A person that is likely untrustworthy, careless or to cause harm; a threat or danger.”
So, yeah, it’s meant to be dismissive and even derogatory of the Saints. Only it didn’t quite land that way. Many Saints fans embraced the gritty reputation that comes with such a reference — and it’s one that Taylor is eager to claim, tweeting that “Black forces, they know how we comin,” with an emoji representing a black-clad ninja assassin.
There’s good reason that the Saints-Falcons rivalry is considered the best feud in the NFL. This small chapter is just another part of the ongoing story between these two teams.
