An iconic picture: Eli Harold, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid kneel during the 2016 US anthem. Quarterback Drew Brees is still bothered by it today. Image: AP / AP
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The knee problem is back in the NFL because of super star Drew Brees
The current “Black Lives Matter” protests in the USA are bringing the discussion about the protests by NFL star Colin Kaepernick back to the surface. Quarterback Drew Brees has caused outrage across the league with his statements.
Blacks play a larger role in a few sports than in American football. This year they made up around 70 percent of all players in the National Football League (NFL). So it is no wonder that the death of George Floyd and the newly flared protest movement “Black Lives Matter” are also being discussed in the circles of the league.
It is also not the first time that racism has dominated the NFL’s public discourse. In the summer of 2016, Colin Kaepernick, quarterback at the San Francisco 49ers, knelt down during the US anthem, protesting against police violence and racism even then.
But instead of showing understanding and supporting one of the star players, the NFL made Kaepernick a scapegoat. The 49ers separated shortly afterwards from the then 29-year-old and the league introduced a rule that prohibited players from kneeling down during the anthem.
Accordingly, it was not well received when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suddenly decided to turn around and wrote that there was “an urgent need for action on this issue”.
Now the start of the new NFL season (planned for September 10) is still some time away and yet it is already an issue again. The question has arisen as to whether there will be “take a knee” actions for the anthem in the future.
One who doesn’t want to tolerate this is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Speaking to Yahoo, the 41-year-old said:
«I will never agree that someone does not respect our flag and our country. When the anthem plays and I see our flag, I see my two grandfathers who risked their lives in World War II. I am often moved to tears to think of what had to be sacrificed for the freedom of this country. Is everything okay here? No of course not. But I think it is unanimous to stand by the heart with the anthem. »
Drew Brees, quarterback New Orleans Saints.
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Bree’s statements caused harsh criticism – even among teammates of the quarterback. Malcolm Jenkins, Safety at New Orleans, released a four-minute video in which he spoke directly to his teammate. The 32-year-old said in tears:
“When I leave the field and take off my helmet, I’m a black man walking around America. And I tell you that I have to deal with these things. I’m telling you that the black community has to deal with these things. If you don’t understand that, you’re part of the problem. »
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Wide receiver Michael Thomas, also under contract with New Orleans, only responded on Twitter with a vomiting emoji. And Richard Sherman, cornerback at the 49ers, said: «With him everything has long been lost. That you bring in the military to avoid the unpleasant conversation about brutality and equality is part of the problem. »
Other stars of the league also have their say. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wrote on Instagram: “It was never about the flag or the anthem. Not then and not now. We have to listen with open hearts and learn from it. »
In the meantime, the discourse has long been cross-sport, because basketball star LeBron James also attacked Drew Brees directly: «You still really don’t understand why Kaepernick knelt down at the time. It has nothing to do with disrespect for the country and our soldiers. My father-in-law also served and he never disrespected the ‘caps’ protest. Because he and I both know exactly what is right and what is wrong. »
Due to the coronavirus crisis, it is not yet certain when the new NFL season will start again. But when the time comes, it seems realistic that more players will kneel to the anthem again. Precisely because of the words of Drew Brees. The Saints quarterback has now apologized for his words on Instagram, but the damage was already done there.
Apologies from Brees:
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