Did Drew Brees Have To Apologize For Having An Opinion?

By Tony Mangia

The notorious one-two punch of cancel culture and social media has once again shamed and bullied another prominent public figure onto the canvas by dismissing his first amendment rights and, at the same time, bring a good man to both knees for speaking his mind.

These technological beatdowns are all too common in our country these days and always seem to be in retaliation for anyone whom the Twitter social justice warriors deem to be in denial of one of their causes or gripes.

This time it’s family man and all-around good guy Drew Brees who has been cyber-bullied into an apology for voicing an opinion which didn’t jive with the Issue du Jour during an interview with Yahoo Finance — namely kneeling during the national anthem.

Submit or be condemned seems to be the norm nowadays.

Kneeling protests — started by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick four years ago — are once again a controversial sports talking point after the tragic, unnecessary police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis —even though no pro athletes are even suited up and may not be for a long time due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

On Wednesday, Brees, the perennially liked and respected quarterback for the New Orleans Saints — that’s until he voiced his opinion — was overwhelmed with criticism for having the audacity to say he doesn't agree with anyone kneeling during the pre-game playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” out of respect for the servicemen and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

Brees said:

“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country. Let me just tell what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States. I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II, one in the Army and one in the Marine Corps.

"Not just those in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movements of the ‘60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point. And is everything right with our country right now? No, it is not.

"But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart, is it shows unity. It shows that we are all in this together, we can all do better and that we are all part of the solution.”

Brees cited the military — a general reference to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our rights, including freedom of speech, during the Revolutionary War which our country was borne, the Civil War which helped abolish slavery, the World Wars ending genocide and every battle under our flag up until this day. He mentioned his grandfathers who served and praised the protestors of the civil rights movements who fought their own struggles as Americans as well.

The line, “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America” from the interview is what seems to hit a sore spot with his critics. It suggests Brees considers anyone who kneels disrespectful of the flag and our country. It's hard to think a person like Brees meant it to be anything like that but, on the other side, it’s just as easy to  assume angry players are kneeling just to show contempt of all police — most of whom don’t deserve it — too.

Later, Brees apologized for his remarks by saying, "I will do better."

But how could all of the offended groups and individuals — including some teammates and fellow athletes who know Brees and played alongside him for years — twist Brees viewpoint into an anti-black sentiment and then spread it like a pandemic all over social media?

It’s easy with the power of mob mentality and a far-reaching social media following like LeBron James has.

WOW MAN!! 🤦🏾‍♂️. Is it still surprising at this point. Sure isn’t! You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of 🇺🇸 and our soldiers(men and women) who keep our land free. My father-in-law was one of those https://t.co/pvUWPmh4s8

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 3, 2020

That's the same LeBron who, among numerous NBA players, threw his support behind China and tossed the freedom-fighting protestors in Hong Kong under the corporate bus.

Brees is a family man, the father of four children who was front and center helping victims of Hurricane Katrina and is a long-time and well-known charitable member of the mostly black New Orleans community. Brees has probably done more for the city than any other player on the team and deserved to be given a chance to explain his thoughts —  if they weren't  clear enough in the interview — prior to being publicly chastised and before the same people who probably accepted his charity in the past started chanting, “F—k Drew Brees“ during a protest in NOLA the other night.

Malcom Jenkins, Brees’ teammate of five years before joining the Eagles and re-signing with the Saints in March, gave an emotional and honest rebuke of Brees first amendment rights by comparing playing football to a war and battle field. 

“The same brothers you break the huddle down with every single game,” he said on a Twitter video. “Guys you bleed with, go into battle with have to go home to communities that have been decimated…”

I recorded a few videos when thinking of how to respond to Drew Brees, I don’t take any of it back-I meant what I said-I removed the 1st video because I knew it be more about the headlines. I want people to understand how those of us struggling with what’s going on feel pic.twitter.com/T054qt0YEz

— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) June 3, 2020

While Brees was recognizing the sacrifices of real service men and women as his motive to not kneel and salute the flag during the national anthem, Jenkins was using that tired, old sports war cliche comparing playing a game where 22 grown men line up to push a ball across a field to actual combat and how it seems he might not want Brees back in those million dollar pigskin trenches. Maybe there’s some deep rooted animosity there? I doubt it and haven’t heard anything to the contrary but, I have definitely never heard a word about Brees being racist before all this.

Brees’ philanthropic efforts go far beyond the ordinary man, or most NFL players for that fact.  His passion for giving back to the fans includes all races and Brees has nothing to prove otherwise. The NFL star's extracurricular actions have already spoken louder than a few misconstrued words. Being strong-armed to apologize — especially by teammates — was basically an insult to the man's character as a whole.

But a couple of black Saints players did come to Brees’ defense.

Former Saints wide receiver Joe Horn, who told The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan that Brees “has done a lot to help black families and the black community in New Orleans” but still said he needs “a chance to think about what he said and come back and make this right.”

And current Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport tweeted that although people don’t have to entirely agree with Brees, he wasn’t talking about the “current protest, the riots or anything besides HIS feelings on kneeling.”

Joe Horn: People like LeBron James criticizing Drew Brees don't know him https://t.co/CQ4GrHmnXh

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 4, 2020

It’s a topsy-turvy world we live in these days where only a week ago law-abiding citizens were arrested for opening up their gyms or cutting people’s hair to pay their bills while law-breaking punks ran free looting, rioting and running amok in our streets. And when a couple of Ivy League lawyers only get charged with causing damage by fire and explosives after handing out molotov cocktails to rioters and tossing a lit one into an occupied police cruiser, you know perspectives are askew.

Kneeling prompts a brittle and fine line between what is considered a symbol of anti-police brutality or just plain police hatred that we sadly must decipher in these times.

So, down the road, will standing with your hand over your heart during the national anthem be considered racist? Does kneeling mean you are disrespecting the police, the military or the flag? 

What about what you say or tweet?  It’s hard to tell what passes for a political “dog whistle” these days. 

There are many players and personnel who have been rightfully cut or fired for outright racist or threatening tweets or remarks but when Sacramento Kings broadcaster, Grant Napear, is canned for tweeting “all lives matter” when asked by NBA player, DeMarcus Cousins, about his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement, it leaves you wondering where that signal starts and ends. Napear was fired after a controversy-free, 32-year career.  

Drew Brees should not be the scapegoat for all that angers many of us. He didn't condemn anyone for kneeling during the national anthem in addressing that hot button question. Brees plainly said he will stand during "The Star-Bangled Banner" to honor our military. And he deserved better than getting caught up in this whirlwind of protests, agitation and symbolistic politics.

We all do.

If you want to kneel during the national anthem, kneel. If you want to stand during the national anthem, stand.

But don't apologize for it.