McCourty Twins Say Drew Brees' Comments Were 'a Disgrace'
On Wednesday during an interview with Yahoo finance, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees commented on kneeling during the national anthem next season, as protests continue in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” Brees said. He further explained that when he hears the national anthem or looks at the flag, he envisions his grandfathers fighting for the country in World War II.
“And is everything right with our country right now?” Brees asked. “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. It shows that we are all in this together, we can all do better and that we are all part of the solution.”
This statement by one of the most widely respected players in the NFL prompted many responses from other athletes including the Devin and Jason McCourty, who have been addressing the social injustice in the country on their joint social media accounts, and their podcast, “Double Coverage.” The brothers responded to Brees' comments on their Twitter account, saying that what Brees said was a "disgrace."
“This is a disgrace! To speak about your grandfathers as if there weren’t black men fighting next to them. Those men later returned to a country that hated them. Don’t avoid the issue and try to make it about the flag or the military. Fight like your grandfathers for what’s right!”
The McCourty twins have spoken about the social injustices plaguing the country and shown their support for former New England Patriots defensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who released a powerful statement late last week in regards to the death of George Floyd.
Other players also took to Twitter to react to Brees’s statement: Richard Sherman, Jordan Howard, Josh Jacobs, and Jamal Adams. Malcolm Jenkins posted a video on Instagram criticizing Brees for how he reacted to the protests. Teammate Michael Thomas also reacted by Tweeting “He don’t know no better.”
Brees posted an apology on Thursday morning saying, “I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, the NFL community and everyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain that I have caused.”
He concluded his apology with: “I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability. I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening… and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen… For that, I am very sorry and I ask for your forgiveness.”
His full apology can be found on his Instagram page.
