Throughout the years the NFL has done a great job at promoting breast cancer awareness for one month of the season through the use of pink colored equipment. Players can use pink gloves, cleats as well as towels and wrist bands.
The league is taking it one step further on Sunday after an 11-year old fan wrote a letter to Roger Goodell offering a new idea to promote the cause. The league announced on Wednesday that officials will use pink penalty flags during Sunday's Jets-Dolphins game at MetLife Stadium.
"Dante had a great idea and I am looking forward to meeting with him on Sunday to put it into action," Goodell said to the Associated Press. "Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the best. I applaud Dante for sending in his recommendation."
Dante Cano, a fifth-grader from Asher Holmes Elementary School in Marlboro, N.J., sent a short, hand-written letter to the commissioner, saying:
"My name is Dante Cano. I am 11 years old and I am from Marlboro, New Jersey. I wanted to know if you could use my idea of pink penalty flags in October for breast cancer awareness. Please write back."
Cano and his family were invited to the game after Goodell received the letter and will also present the flags to officials before the game.
The NFL uses all types of pink items to promote breast cancer awareness during the month, but has never used pink flags before. This is the fourth year that the NFL has had the breast cancer awareness campaign.
Players and coaches can use a range of equipment, including coaches' hats, player's gloves, wristbands, cleats, shoe laces, skull caps, pink ribbons, pins for officials, pink coins for the opening coin toss, eye decals, helmet decals as well as pink kicking tees.
Cheerleaders also get in on the action, using pink pompoms, shirts, socks and wristbands.
Goodell has spoken in the past about having direct contact with fans through email and letters and this just proves again that he is the most accessible commissioner in professional sports.
Many players enjoy promoting breast cancer awareness due to personal connections with family to the disease. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown holds it close to his heart since his aunt fought a battle with cancer.
"She lost her hair and dealt with some other issues," Brown explained to espnW.com. "So I definitely appreciate this month to raise awareness for those who went through the disease and those who are dealing with it right now."
HERE is a link to Cano's letter.
But not all of the press has been positive for the NFL.
According to report from Business Insider, the NFL website says that fans can "support the fight against breast cancer with pink NFL breast cancer awareness gear."
The report continued:
"When we contacted the NFL's online shop for clarification, we were told 5% of the sales are being donated to the American Cancer Society. If the pink products have a typical 100% mark-up at retail, that means the NFL is keeping 90% of the profit from the sale of Breast Cancer Awareness gear."
"The NFL wanted to clarify their position. While they did not dispute the numbers above, a representative said the NFL does not profit from the sale of pink merchandise. Any money that is not donated to ACS is used to cover the costs of their breast cancer awareness program, A Crucial Catch. Also, the NFL says they have donated "more than $3 million" or approximately $1 million per year as a result of the program that began in 2009"
Although the report claimed that the NFL is profiting off of sales of its pink equipment and jerseys, it is still an exceptional effort by the league to help promote awareness.
Fans like Cano should be commended for thinking of ideas like the pink flags and Goodell should be commended for putting it into action.