Rest in Pieces, Deadspin: The 9 Year Old Chiefs Fan They Defamed is Suing Them Into Oblivion

The Washington Post. Getty Images.

We're still two days away from finding out of Kansas City will become just the seventh franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowls. But one family of Chiefs fans have already scored a big win this week. 

I'm talking about the Armenta family of the Chumash Tribe in Nevada. Who saw their son smeared as a bigot by a dying, unprofitable sports news site desperate for relevancy:

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Who have just announced they're not interested in playing nice and - pardon the expression - burying the hatchet with a news outlet that used deceptive photos to ruin the life of their elementary school child by making him look like a racist:

Source - The family of the 9-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan accused by Deadspin of wearing “blackface” filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the outlet — claiming it defamed and caused irreversible damage to the young football fan.

Holden Armenta’s parents, Shannon and Raul, alleged that Deadspin intentionally published a defamatory article, exposing “the family to a barrage of hate, including death threats.”

“The Article falsely alleged that [Holden] had ‘found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.’ It alleged that [Holden]’s parents, Shannon and Raul, ‘taught’ [Holden] ‘racism and hate’ at home,” the lawsuit, filed in Delaware, states.

“It intentionally painted a picture of the Armenta Family as anti-Black, anti-Native American bigots who proudly engaged in the worst kind of racist conduct motivated by their family’s hatred for Black and Native Americans.” …

According to the Armentas, Deadspin and Phillips specifically used the grab to “maliciously and wantonly attack a nine-year-old boy and his parents for Phillips’ own race-drenched political agenda.”

You don't have to be parent to appreciate what a pure good the decision to sue Deadspin over this is. It doesn't matter if you consider yourself right, center or left. Nor does it matter what ethnic group you belong to. All you need to be is someone who thinks attacking a kid and his family for having innocent fun that harms exactly no one just to chase clout and get clicks is wrong. And while I don't have the data set necessary to back up this estimate, I'm going to put that number at ~100% of the population of Americans who don't work at Deadspin. 

What that percentage is inside their office, no one knows. All we can be sure of is that the article smearing Holden went through whatever editorial process they have. As did the non-apology apology. But we'll found out soon enough, as it's likely everyone involved will get deposed under oath.

Maybe you don't care about this particular story or this family or this kid who is way too young to have to process any of this. (And if you don't, it might really be time to start questioning why you're so disconnected from humanity. Join a book club. Or a bowling league. Start trying to interact with your fellow man more.) But this affects us all. Because in 2024, every one of us is one step away from finding ourselves in the crosshairs of some disreputable media outlet that's all too willing to make us look awful just to further their agenda. One misunderstanding. One photo or video taken out of context. One misinterpreted post on social media. One false move from being attacked and destroyed. 

And if that happens, the only recourse available is the one the Armentas are taking. Lawyer up. Step into the legal octagon. Fight it out. See if their Freedom of the Press School is more powerful than your Defamation of Character Dojo. May the best argument win. 

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The only regret I have is that when this family inevitably wins their case, and get awarded all of Deadspin's assets, they'll get what Billy Ray got from Louis:

Still, it's worth it. This thing can't get to trial fast enough.