Tag: American flag

Drew Brees responds to support from President Trump

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has responded to President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump supported Drew Brees Friday and said the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback did not need to take back his comments about disrespecting the American Flag.

Hour later Brees reached out to the president via his Instagram account with a response.

Brees’ reply:

Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.

We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.

We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?

We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.

View this post on Instagram

To @realdonaldtrump Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities. We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform. We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when? We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.

A post shared by Drew Brees (@drewbrees) on

President Trump says Drew Brees should not have apologized

President Donald Trump says Drew Brees should have stuck to his original statement.

President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy after Drew Brees said he would not disrespect the American Flag.

The president tweeted the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback should have stuck to his original stance that created a firestorm and should not have apologized for his statement.

Brees defended the flag when asked during an interview with Yahoo Finance about the kneeling protests that have taken place at football games over the years, insisting it was a sign of “disrespect.”

Drew Brees apologizes, says it ‘breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused’

Drew Brees apologized, saying he “completely missed the mark” with his comments about disrespecting the flag”

Drew Brees is seeking forgiveness for his words Wednesday that created a furor.

The Saints’ quarterback posted a powerful image along with a lengthy apology Thursday, the day after his comments about

I “completely missed the mark” on current issues in the United States and that it “breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused,” Brees said about his comments on “disrespecting the flag.”

View this post on Instagram

I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character. This is where I stand: I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today. I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community. I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement. I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right. I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy. 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 your forgiveness.

A post shared by Drew Brees (@drewbrees) on

One of his teammates was quick to accept the quarterback’s words.

Linebacker Demario Davis called it a form of true leadership.

“What we had hoped the first time was that Drew would elaborate more on racism and the sentiments of the black community,” Davis said Thursday on CNN. “And he admitted he missed the mark. So for him to come out and say, ‘I missed the mark, I’ve been insensitive, but what I’m gonna start doing is listening and learning from the black community and finding ways that I can help them,’ I think that’s a model for all of America.”

 

Drew Brees creates multi-million dollar quandary for companies he endorses

Drew Brees makes $15M in endorsements and has franchises with Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’. What will the business fallout be to his comments?

The furor over Drew Brees’ comments stretches far beyond the NFL. The Saints’ quarterback is hearing it from fellow players and also could be at risk in a business sense.

Brees is No. 22 on Forbes’ list of the 100 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2020. He is shown to earn $29.8M on the field via his play for the Saints. And, another $15M in endorsements.

Forbes says Brees owns multiple Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ franchises. He also invested in food delivery service Waitr.

He also receives more than $13,000 for every endorsed tweet he makes to his estimated 3.2 million Twitter followers, according to Opendorse. Brees’ endorsement deals include Nike, Proctor & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Wrangler. He also has a family foundation that has contributed over $25 million to charities in New Orleans and San Diego, the communities where Brees has played.

The question is what will the companies he is tied to through owning franchises and through endorsements do with the suddenly controversial quarterback?

Fellow NFL players continue to react to the comments Brees made to Yahoo Finance about disrespecting the flag.

Teammates Malcolm Jenkins and Michael Thomas weighed in and more players reacted on social media deeper into the day. Torrey Smith had his say via Twitter.