Drew Brees: Controversial comments

[Hapless Bills Fan]

48 minutes ago, Jaraxxus said:

 

Me, and I'm not black.

 

That's exactly how I approach interactions with the police, especially local cops.

 

 

Ditto.  How I was instructed to act by my Geandpa, & how I taught my kid who is a “question authority” wiseass

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, BigBillsFan said:

 

I'm glad you're a mind-reader. Hate to play cards with you.

 

A man isn't allowed to have his principles just because they don't agree with yours? That's such baloney and you hardly notice your own lack of intellectual dishonesty.

 

Here's what a phony looks like: people who say they love to the community but never give to it, people who say they are for helping the poor but donate their salaries, people who say the government should be more proactive to help others but hire accountants to shield their income

 

He's not saying one thing and doing another on the same topic, that would be a phony. You just don't know the difference yet.

 

This has nothing to do with mind-reading and everything to do with stories from those who know Brees well. I’ve had this opinion of him for years and it’s documented on here. Brees the player and Brees the person are not the same. 

And LOL at “Brees’ principles“ if you only knew...The dude is a total hypocrite. In my personal opinion the reason that he tried so hard on his apology tour yesterday was so that people wouldn’t start telling those stories of his principles. 

[SirAndrew]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

 

My first generation Lebanese wife grew up a Catholic in rural South Carolina. Her grandfather had a crossed burned in his front yard. He scared them off with a shot gun, put out the fire and took the “perfectly good wood” to the barn to be be repurposed.

 

I learned today, after 35 years of marriage, her high school coach nicknamed her “A-Rab”.  That is what he called her every day.  I asked why I had never heard that, and she said she hated it so much she just pushed ahead, determined that much more to succeed. She has been a HIGHLY successful professional. 

 

Jerks are everywhere. YOU decide how you move forward in life. You may get some breaks, you may not, but you make your own decisions. 

 

.

Terrible story about your wife. You are absolutely correct, anyone can rise above with proper family support, and a decent upbringing. The one thing some people miss is the fact that millions of kids are raised in violent abusive conditions with parents who are incapable of helping them with basic math. These people have almost no hope of success from day one. I’m not saying there’s much anyone can do it about it, but I am saying it plays a role in how people react differently to adversity in their lives. Obviously, there are exceptions to all rules.
 

I’m most frustrated when people work themselves out of tough situations, only to throw it away while blaming society for their failures. You see it a lot with pro athletes who find themselves in trouble. They’re given million dollar contracts, yet fall into bad habits because of the “old neighborhood” or something. 

[Hampton Josh fan]

23 hours ago, billrooter said:

So as a white person Drew Brees now has no right voicing his opinion, one that I agree with. Racism goes both ways, it just isn't covered so thoroughly by the media when it is the other way around. This is a complete S&it S%how in my opinion. What exactly did he say that was wrong, the National Anthem IMO is never a place to protest?

Look at the group giving him a problem. Lebron, Crissy Teigen, Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez, Rogan, and other Hollywood and Sports stars.They support Black Lives Matter having a role in making criminal justice reform. Two policies that are non-negotiable are defunding police departments and no cash bail reform, releasing 90%of criminal actors to commit crimes again without consequences. Brees has to walk back those comments, that most people respect him for, because his teammates are hypersensitive in this environment. The hypocrisy is that the group that criticized him, all live in gated communities with tons of private security. How can they tell people in heavy crime riddled neighborhoods not to have law enforcement to protect them and small businesses. 

[Coach Tuesday]

6 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

Look at the group giving him a problem. Lebron, Crissy Teigen, Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez, Rogan, and other Hollywood and Sports stars.They support Black Lives Matter having a role in making criminal justice reform. Two policies that are non-negotiable are defunding police departments and no cash bail reform, releasing 90%of criminal actors to commit crimes again without consequences. Brees has to walk back those comments, that most people respect him for, because his teammates are hypersensitive in this environment. The hypocrisy is that the group that criticized him, all live in gated communities with tons of private security. How can they tell people in heavy crime riddled neighborhoods not to have law enforcement to protect them and small businesses. 

This is... wow.  Seriously ignorant for one thing.  I don’t think most of the protestors come from gated communities.  Honestly you’re part of the problem.

[Aireskoi]

1 hour ago, streetkings01 said:

If you guys are not aware I am a black man living in America. I was always taught when a police officer pulls you over, roll all your windows down and keep your hands on the dash and the steering wheel........never reach in your glove compartment for your registration or in your back pocket for your wallet to get your license. When the officer asks for your license and registration you tell the officer.....my license is in my wallet in my back pocket and my registration is in my glove compartment.......is ok if I reach to get my wallet ......is it ok if it’s reach to get my registration. This is something I have to eventually teach my kids when they start driving.........how many people in here were taught this around 15-16 years old?

 

When I have interactions with the police my 1st intention is to let them know that I'm not a threat.  They have to deal with the worst of our society, people who would like to see them dead.

 

I didn't know that as a kid, and I had an officer draw his gun on me.  He was a pro, and he set me straight on how to interact with police.

 

I don't agree with kneeling by NFL players (symbolic), but I love the real work guys like Lorenzo Alexander do for the community (reality).

[first_and_ten]

8 hours ago, Augie said:

 

We really do have a long way to go, that’s certainly true. I hate this thread, because I hate the reality....but do you really think racism does not go both ways? I’m hoping I misunderstood, honestly.

 

I can give countless situations where I or my family were disadvantaged, endangered or threatened because of the color of our white skin. Anything from AAU basketball to regularly doing community work in underprivileged neighborhoods where I was threatened to a guy I previously liked at work telling me he was getting a Pitt to put fear in the eyes of guys like me. 

 

 

 

This is a mess, and I’m bowing out here for now. 

 

What happened to you in prejudice, not racism.The word racism should be reserved for the institutionally ingrained disadvantages of being a person of color in this country. Racism is not just hatred. To fear a black person is racist.Racism is a powerful word. No one wants to be called a racist. You will never know what it feels like to be a person of color in this country. Why do white people like to compare prejudice with racism? Really, racism exists because one group has the power, and it is white people who hold that power.

[oldmanfan]

Brees has the right to express his opinion, and his teammates and others have the right to call him out on it if they think he's out of line.  They'll have to settle things in the locker room when they get back, although him stepping back a bit should help. Fromm can spout off what he wants, and Tre White can tell him he's a idiot.  

 

I am a big believer in law and order. When people break the law they need to be punished. That includes looters and cowards who incite violence during peaceful protests and come up behind a Las Vegas policeman and shoot him in the head.  It also includes policemen who hold their knee down on a guy's neck even when he has no pulse, or when they shove a 75 year old guy back and crack his head open on a sidewalk. 

 

I'm also a big believer in the Constitution.  I believe people have the right to peaceably assemble and protest against their government, whether that be on the streets of cities after a black man is murdered, or if it is kneeling on the side of a football field.  I believe that peaceful protesters should not have pepper bullets and such shot at by agents of the government to clear a path for a non-religious man to stand in front of a church using the Word of God as a political prop.   I believe in freedom of the press, and that the press should not get shot at or attacked for doing their job , whether or not you agree with their writings.  I believe the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to vote, and that trying to take that away is unconstitutional.  I believe the Second Amendment gives you the right to own and carry a gun as well.  And I am sick and tired of people picking and choosing which amendments they support and which ones they reject to serve a partisan political purpose, regardless of your political persuasion.

 

It's been 50 years since the last major protests across this country.  I still remember driving down Bailey and seeing the stuff on the UB campus.  You'd think we all would have learned something by now.

[BarleyNY]

9 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

Look at the group giving him a problem. Lebron, Crissy Teigen, Ben Affleck, Selena Gomez, Rogan, and other Hollywood and Sports stars.They support Black Lives Matter having a role in making criminal justice reform. Two policies that are non-negotiable are defunding police departments and no cash bail reform, releasing 90%of criminal actors to commit crimes again without consequences. Brees has to walk back those comments, that most people respect him for, because his teammates are hypersensitive in this environment. The hypocrisy is that the group that criticized him, all live in gated communities with tons of private security. How can they tell people in heavy crime riddled neighborhoods not to have law enforcement to protect them and small businesses. 

I think you should look into how many of those people you listed grew up.  That almost always stays with a person.  As for the current bail system, that’s a tremendously important problem in need of reform.  Ditto for-profit prisons.  

[BigBillsFan]

21 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This has nothing to do with mind-reading and everything to do with stories from those who know Brees well. I’ve had this opinion of him for years and it’s documented on here. Brees the player and Brees the person are not the same. 

And LOL at “Brees’ principles“ if you only knew...The dude is a total hypocrite. In my personal opinion the reason that he tried so hard on his apology tour yesterday was so that people wouldn’t start telling those stories of his principles. 

 

A hypocrite we all are. No one lives perfectly to the principles they espouse.

 

What is also deemed hypocrisy by one person doesn't make it so. The problem is the most people are a terrible judge. Most people are never trained in logic, but they sure think they are. They are the child who accuses his father of hypocrisy because they tell them to go to bed at 10pm and see their father go to bed at 1am.

 

The logic challenged masses are not a judge of hypocrisy.

 

Every man has principles, you do, you think you can call Brees a hypocrite, well tell me you aren't and show me your emails, texts, and a list of 3 of your enemies over the last few years of your life and I guarantee you I'll have a field day. "Wait," you'll say, " it's not fair because there is context to that and people who don't get along with me are bad judges of my character." BINGO

 

Public figures aren't perfect, and they are ripe targets for illogical immature people to cite hypocrisy because they are wanting to put others down to feel morally superior.

 

The reason for his apology tour was he knew he wouldn't have a team to go to, his sponsors would cut him out, and he would seen as a punching bag because of the hatred of what he said and the pressure put on him by his team to stop the angry mob. That's how some people see free speech: free for me but not for thee and if you dare I'll destroy you.

[billrooter]

11 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Here is the thing...and why you are very much wrong in this post.  You are not wrong in what the anthem means to you.  You are not wrong in what you choose to do during the anthem.  But you are categorically wrong in feeling everyone one else should share your OPINION and personal experience of what the anthem should mean to them.  

 

Its more than ok to believe in standing for the anthem, but I am willing to bet you don't stand for the anthem at home or at bars and only do at live games like 99% of the people who are upset at not standing during the anthem.  Again, nothing wrong with that either.  

 

But, its also more than ok for someone to have a different experience of the anthem and the issues that still are present in our country for minority individuals.  Its more than ok for someone to feel change needs to happen, and see the anthem as a way peacefully express their voice for that change to social injustice.

 

Not everyone thinks about the military when they hear the anthem, nor is that the purpose of the anthem.  Not everyone feels the anthem and its lyrics properly represent the modern country given there are still oppressive lyrics in the song that are hurtful to those of color.  Just like how people in the south enjoy the confederate flag as a symbol of their heritage because they grew up watching Dukes of Hazard or listening to country music where it was prevalent.  Doesn't change the fact that the confederate flag was actually the symbol of a political party that was fighting for the right to keep slaves and legally Lynch black folks.  And to the black community, the flag and symbols carry that darker connection.  

 

What Drew Brees said wasn't terrible by any means, he was honest about what the anthem means to him and his deep connection to military from his own life experiences, and they were all fine reasons.  What he did that was terrible, was PROJECT that connection across everyone else and not feel others have the right to feel differently or express different emotions.  His biggest crime was two fold with the second being utterly terrible judgement and timing in sharing his personal take and belief everyone should honor it the way HE does during such an emotionally charged time.

 

So...no disrespect, your personal views for yourself are more than ok.  But you projecting to demand others do the same as you would is where you are wrong.  There are no rules in life to how people experience things.  Everyone has different lenses shaped through lifes experiences.  And I bet you have never lost a family member or loved one because of the color of their skin...you were not harassed or arrested because of the color of skin...your people were not enslaved to build this country...your people were not divided in schools, restaurants and busses not that long ago.  So you cant ever have the same perspective as a black athlete will have with that very much in their family history and their day to day lives.  

 

So rather than hate those whose life has given them to a lens to see something different than you, how about we all try empathy and try and understand why they feel this way and give them the American Right of Freedom of Speech and Expression to make their own decisions and express their voices in their own ways.  

 

God bless.

 

PS:  I feel like Brees words were not ill willed and his apology was sincere.  I do not have an issue with Brees even though I feel strongly that his original statement was a poor decision and lacked any kind of self or social awareness in how it would make him look and affect those around him.

I never said everyone should share my opinion, this is America anyone can obviously do anything you damn well please and it is accepted. In my post I stated that I agree with him when it came to the anthem, I just think the kneeling is disrespectful just as I think these people rioting, burn peoples businesses, stealing, beating up people, killing innocent cops,etc. are scumbags and should be dealt with as such.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hampton Josh fan]

15 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

This is... wow.  Seriously ignorant for one thing.  I don’t think most of the protestors come from gated communities.  Honestly you’re part of the problem.

I didn't say the protesters, I said the group that criticized Brees. Read the post.

[billrooter]

10 hours ago, first_and_ten said:

 

Yes, he is allowed to take a knee if he would  like to during the anthem. And no, he isn't allowed to kneel at work because he has a job to do, what he's being paid for. If they do the anthem at his job, yes he does have to right to kneel. 

Thanks for clearing that up bud.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 hours ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

My problem with Colin kneeling was never his protest it was him wearing Che’ Guevara T-shirts...for those don’t remember history Che’ ironically used secret police to stomp down opponents and many times throw them in jail or worse...so dude was a massive massive hypocrite more then anything  

 

Yeah, that was a general problem with Kaepernick.  As my boss used to tell me “pick your battles”.  From the pig socks to the Che Guevara shirts, he definitely stood in the light of some valid points he had a legitimate platform to make.

[billrooter]

10 hours ago, first_and_ten said:

 

"racism goes both ways"... Thanks for proving that this country has a long way to go. And thanks for the laugh.

No problem, any time.

[Hampton Josh fan]

11 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

I think you should look into how many of those people you listed grew up.  That almost always stays with a person.  As for the current bail system, that’s a tremendously important problem in need of reform.  Ditto for-profit prisons.  

Take a walk down the iconic Avenues in NYC. Every storefront is boarded up because the police were instructed not to engage looters who pillaged our city. That's what defunding police departments will  look like. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

7 minutes ago, BigBillsFan said:

 

A hypocrite we all are. No one lives perfectly to the principles they espouse.

 

What is also deemed hypocrisy by one person doesn't make it so. The problem is the most people are a terrible judge. Most people are never trained in logic, but they sure think they are. They are the child who accuses his father of hypocrisy because they tell them to go to bed at 10pm and see their father go to bed at 1am.

 

The logic challenged masses are not a judge of hypocrisy.

 

Every man has principles, you do, you think you can call Brees a hypocrite, well tell me you aren't and show me your emails, texts, and a list of 3 of your enemies over the last few years of your life and I guarantee you I'll have a field day. "Wait," you'll say, " it's not fair because there is context to that and people who don't get along with me are bad judges of my character." BINGO

 

Public figures aren't perfect, and they are ripe targets for illogical immature people to cite hypocrisy because they are wanting to put others down to feel morally superior.

 

The reason for his apology tour was he knew he wouldn't have a team to go to, his sponsors would cut him out, and he would seen as a punching bag because of the hatred of what he said and the pressure put on him by his team to stop the angry mob. That's how some people see free speech: free for me but not for thee and if you dare I'll destroy you.

 

You have valid points that few of us live lives that would totally stand the light of day and that it’s not uncommon to have people who don’t like us paint us or our actions in the worst light - including coworkers.

 

I’d just like to point out that there is some “mind reading” going on in your post as well - I doubt you have inside knowledge of whether, let alone how much pressure was put on Brees the team.   Logically, there need not have been any.  Simply the reaction of other players - teammates and elsewhere - put its own tremendous pressure since Brees literally depends upon these guys for his well-being.  I felt Allen (possibly because of the racist tweets) got some “extra” treatment his rookie year until it was seen that his black teammates clearly had his back and were speaking of him and treating him like a right guy, then it seems to have died down (Allen seems to have toned down the stiff-arming and showing up of defenders which probably also played a role).  Brees is a smart guy and he can read the tea leaves without anyone twisting his arm.

My counterpoint to you is what I see: people who espouse “free speech” often don’t seem willing to accept that free speech means “free for me” and ALSO “free for thee”.  Brees does not get protection from consequences of what he says - if it riles people up, they get their say, too.  

 

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.  It never has.

 

[BarleyNY]

3 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

Take a walk down the iconic Avenues in NYC. Every storefront is boarded up because the police were instructed not to engage looters who pillaged our city. That's what defunding police departments will  look like. 

Not what I addressed in my post.  Try to stay on topic.  But here’s my take concerning police forces:  A necessary component of a democracy is the ability of its citizens to effectively oversee the people who’s job it is to police them.  (Thus the outrage over Trump’s recent threats to utilize the military against US citizens.)  I know nothing specific about any calls to defund police departments, but I fully support implementing reasonable measures to oversee them.  I would not support blanket defunding of all of them, but I would support any array of disciplinary actions against those found to be chronic violators of people’s civil rights.  Actions should have consequences, no?

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

7 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

You have valid points that few of us live lives that would totally stand the light of day and that it’s not uncommon to have people who don’t like us paint us or our actions in the worst light - including coworkers.

 

I’d just like to point out that there is some “mind reading” going on in your post as well - I doubt you have inside knowledge of whether, let alone how much pressure was put on Brees the team.   Logically, there need not have been any.  Simply the reaction of other players - teammates and elsewhere - put its own tremendous pressure since Brees literally depends upon these guys for his well-being.  I felt Allen (possibly because of the racist tweets) got some “extra” treatment his rookie year until it was seen that his black teammates clearly had his back and were speaking of him and treating him like a right guy, then it seems to have died down (Allen seems to have toned down the stiff-arming and showing up of defenders which probably also played a role).  Brees is a smart guy and he can read the tea leaves without anyone twisting his arm.

My counterpoint to you is what I see: people who espouse “free speech” often don’t seem willing to accept that free speech means “free for me” and ALSO “free for thee”.  Brees does not get protection from consequences of what he says - if it riles people up, they get their say, too.  

 

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.  It never has.

 

 

Huh?  Talk about mind reading or conjecture?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

24 minutes ago, Hampton Josh fan said:

Take a walk down the iconic Avenues in NYC. Every storefront is boarded up because the police were instructed not to engage looters who pillaged our city. That's what defunding police departments will  look like. 

 

Speaking as someone who lived through riots in St Louis in 2014 and 2016, I doubt they were told “not to engage”; is there any actual PR or news about that?

It was kind of studied here afterwards from various videos available.  The looting is sometimes very fast and coordinated to take advantage of largely peaceful protestors.  It went something like this:

1) Police line involved in containing/trying to disburse peaceful protestors.  Police have instructions to maintain line (for their safety and safety of brother officers)

2) Agitators step forward out of largely peaceful crowd and throw stuff -bricks, cobblestones, bottles of unmentionable fluids, focusing the attention and engaging the police.  They aren’t part of the crowd per se but they have a symbiotic relationship with it, the crowd will generally not expel them or keep them from fading back into it and may copy them

3) Behind the line, accomplices walk along the targeted stores and smash glass with hammers or bats - it takes only moments to smash a door.  They don’t loot, they move on

4) A different group of people will run into the smashed store and strip it in minutes.  They usually have a car or van positioned strategically to load up and get away

 

This is off-topic I know but seemed relevant.  The point is, even if the police have all the will in the world to engage looters, it’s next to impossible in a crowd control situation.  Officers who break the line are at serious personal risk and put others at personal risk, there isn’t enough “line” to protect all the stores, and the crowd makes rapid and flexible police response impossible.

 

As far as defunding police departments, I don’t know what that would look like.  I personally don’t want to see it, but (getting back to the subject at hand) I also want to see real change in how police interact with citizens, and I’m not sure there’s a simple list that would achieve that.

 

8 minutes ago, Lieutenant Aldo Raine said:

 

Huh?  Talk about mind reading or conjecture?

 

What is your personal definition of the words “I felt”?  It is my perception.  I have game pass and watched every play of Allen last year and this, sometimes several times and in slo-mo.  But in the end, I call it what it is - my personal belief based on what I saw.  Whatever the reason there seemed to be a lot of “extracurricular” at the end of plays towards Allen especially early in his first season and it died off.