Story highlights
When one of the Dolphins or Jets messes up Sunday, pink penalty flags will fly
Referees will use them in final weekend of Breast Cancer Awareness month
Fifth-grader Dante Cano passed the idea to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
Goodell ran with it and has invited the Cano family to the game
If your screen looks a little girly on Sunday during the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets game, do not adjust your television.
Referees will be using pink penalty flags at MetLife Stadium during the final weekend of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Dante Cano, the fifth-grader from Marlboro, New Jersey, came up with the idea – and he went straight to the top.
In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Cano wrote, “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.”
High school football player punished for pink
He signed it, “Please write back.”
Goodell did better than write Dante back – he implemented the 11-year old’s idea and invited Dante’s family to the game to present the pink penalty flags to the officials before the game.
Goodell said he is looking forward to meeting Dante.
“Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the best,” Goodell said in a statement. “I applaud Dante for sending his recommendation.”
This is the fourth year the National Football League NFL has participated in a national breast cancer awareness campaign in association with the American Cancer Society.
Games have featured pink game apparel, on-field ribbon stencils, special game balls and a pink coin.