Today, Drew Brees apologized for the comments he made on Wednesday regarding his stance on peaceful protest in the NFL. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Brees was asked about the potential to see similar protests to 2016. The protests in question were led by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick and saw players kneeling during the national anthem. On Wednesday, Brees doubled down on his statements from years ago saying,"I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country." He continued by saying,"Is everything right with our country right now? No, it is not. We still have a long way to go. 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." These are extremely strong, personal statements that highlight numerous issues in the country and in the movement to end racism. While Brees apologized for the "pain he's caused" in relation to the above statements, this also highlights some issues as well.
First, by standing in opposition of the protest, Brees is effectively diminishing the cause. Drew Brees has done a phenomenal job in his community and recently pledged millions of dollars to support the New Orleans area in the wake of the coronavirus. So, I can acknowledge his heart for his community, but it is necessary to critique his language and stance because this rhetoric is actually more divisive than he realizes. By saying "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag", Brees is standing strong on the idea that the protest is indeed doing that. By even bringing up the flag, Brees is hijacking the reason for the protest by attacking the act. This is the most devastating and important part of his sentiments. By shifting the conversation from the need to address police brutality to the flag and the national anthem, the issues can't be discussed because the act is being debated.
Also, by bringing up the flag in the name of nationalism, Brees is effectively attacking those who kneel as non-nationalist and non-patriotic. Again, this is divisive in nature because it connotes that protesting police brutality is non-nationalist and non-patriotic. While this might not have been the point of Brees, this IS what his words mean. This again brings in question the validity of the protest and shifts the conversation from the issue at hand which is police brutality to a question of nationalism and patriotism. Brees also made mention of his grandparents that fought in the war and how those are the people that enter his mind during the anthem. This wipes away the idea that other players, specifically his black teammates, are not doing the same thing. Not to speculate, but it also promotes the potential idea that the players kneeling are simply thinking about themselves and making the moment about them.
I respect Brees for making a public apology. This apology is more than some of our politicians, players, and coaches have made which is honorary. The hope is that this actually brings about a change in his mind. The reason this apology has come so quickly is because vast majority of energy is being placed in the name of social justice, and Brees was the only one who has spoken recently about the potential for players to kneel (thanks Yahoo finance). Therefore, in the coming of the season when the kneeling will almost definitely continue, we will see if Brees stance actually changes. It still must be noted that Drew Brees missed the mark mighty.