The Patriots Act: How New England Went Offsides For DEI

“I do see color, because I believe if you don’t see color you can’t see racism.”— New England’s new HC Jerod Mayo on being named the first black head coach in Patriots history.

Last week America celebrated the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. Except it wasn’t the legacy King stood for when he was assassinated in 1968. What Dr. King said was “ “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

But the dream celebrated by 2024 America is more like the vision Jerod Mayo described in his introductory press conference. With owner Robert Kraft sitting silently by, Mayo stated his dream. Today, colour— not character— is everything. Dr. King’s kids, now elderly, live in a society of black radicals indulged by guilty whites such as Kraft.

The Patriots’ owner has a season-ticket base that is overwhelmingly white. But his coach (younger brother, Deron Mayo, played for five years with Calgary in the CFL) doesn’t care about them, His priority is dressing-room politics and the love of ESPN. Kraft, too, has put the NFL DEI compliance ahead of his fans’ priorities. 

It’s a far cry from the reaction in 2017 when 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick knelt in protest during the national anthem. Partly due to the NFL’s standards of the time, partly due to Kaepernick’s wish for martyrdom, his career was over.

But by June 2020 the standard had flipped. “On the 76th anniversary of D-Day, (Saints QB Drew) Brees was asked his position on standing for the national anthem. Brees said he felt that taking a knee or being less than respectful was insulting to the men who died on the Normandy beaches. Or anywhere the U.S. military has bravely served. He said it was “missing of respect for the flag. “

It’s been a pretty common opinion in America. When Colin Kaepernick did his kneeling thing three years ago the public consensus was that he was free to protest on his own time. But using the workplace of an NFL stadium was presumptuous. Depending on your opinion, Kaepernick hasn’t played in the league since because A) The NFL is a racist construct. B) He was 3-16 as a starter in his last two seasons in San Francisco.

Trump caught the zeitgeist of the moment in 2017, chiding those who chose to disrespect the flag. The millionaire players, their agents and media liberals— who cry “racism" when the wash goes from rinse to spin cycle— decried Trump’s insensitivity. But millionaires don’t cut much sympathy from people who have less. A point Trump made with his base. Checkmate.

But three years of non-stop Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to have moved the needle. No sooner had Brees’ quote emerged than black teammates on the Saints— some of whom protect him in that pocket— began ripping him on social media. A weeping DB Malcolm Jenkins said Brees was “offensive” and “insensitive”. Players from around the league took to social media to suggest Brees’ criticism as more hurtful than taking a bullet on Omaha Beach.

Which is when Brees caved. He abjectly reversed himself the next day, saying that, in his earlier comments, he had “missed his mark”. He was fulsome in his apology to those who took offence at his comments. “We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities,” he offered. 

Even a noisy rebuke from Trump for bowing to the #BLM masses failed to shake Brees from his self recrimination. “This is not an American flag problem,” he chided the president in a message. Presumably, Brees believes this public abnegation bought himself enough time to finish his career without being squashed when a Saints offensive lineman “forgets” to make a block.

The surrender from one if the NFL’s elite stars brought about another surprise, this one perhaps more shocking than Drew Brees getting onside with those seen making “withdrawals” from banks and “curb pickup” from Athletes Foot stores.  

Friday brought the league’s tin-eared commissioner Roger Goodell into the debate. Now if there’s one thing you can infer from Goodell’s record it’s that he’s going to get it wrong. Several times. Then climb aboard in the most cringeworthy manner. When Kaepernick, a black man raised by white adoptive parents, first genuflected to racial grievance Goodell wanted no part of the debate.

He knows his league is 70 percent black and that its owners hire blacks into management once every Leap Year. Being seen to endorse Trump had no upside with BLM supporters. So he allowed players to remain in locker rooms during the Star Spangled Banner while also placating his fan base which is majority white. 

But the Brees dustup— and the surrender by NFL sponsors, governments and other sports leagues— gave Goodell cover to mumble a few benign phrases about deploring bad stuff and bad people and that the NFL won’t accept bad anymore. “The protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff,” Goodell wrote. (The “oppressed” Russell Wilson of Seattle makes $35 M./ year).

The NFL, he declared, will “encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest”, a sign that you can do your own thing during the Star Spangled Banner. 

Game. Set. Match. 

Like all DEI appeasers Roger Goodell hopes this will buy him time and support from BLM. What will happen next, however, is that, having offered surrender on this cause, the white executives and stars of the league such as Brees will next be required to confess their previous racist history, chapter and verse. Think #MeBlackToo. Shaming will be a feature of the combines for young white players entering the NFL. “Prove you’re not a racist witch”. 

The ultra-liberal sports media will be tasked to examine these claims and denounce anyone thought to be fudging the facts. Or as the Denver Broncos wore on their t-shirts Saturday, "If You Ain't With Us, You Against Us”. 

So next season, when Jerod Mayo talks about a team effort being needed by the hapless Patriots, it will be fair to ask whether he places race ahead of skill on his team. 

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, he’s a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his new book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His 2004 book Money Players was voted sixth best on the same list, and is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca.