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Why the Drew Brees shift on racial protests matters
David Clark Scott
In the past week, I鈥檝e had the privilege of watching the NFL response to the George Floyd protests through the eyes of an 11-year-old friend. He鈥檚 a huge football fan and avid student of the game.
He was fascinated by last week鈥檚 video of black pro football players demanding the NFL 鈥�.鈥� He鈥檚 heard about the NFL commissioner鈥檚 response. But he was particularly interested in what Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints posted on Instagram:
聽鈥淭hrough my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, . It has never been,鈥� Mr. Brees wrote, reversing an earlier position.鈥漌e can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.鈥�
鈥淲ow,鈥� my friend responded.聽
鈥淲hy 鈥榳ow鈥�?鈥� I asked.
He was incredulous: 鈥淒rew Brees is the second-best quarterback in the NFL today 鈥� after Tom Brady, of course.鈥澛�
You might say 鈥渟o what?鈥� if Mr. Brees and a few other white athletes finally understand why San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in 2016. A shift in views by pro athletes won鈥檛 end racism. And 32 NFL owners have yet to offer Mr. Kaepernick a job.聽
But to many young football fans, what Drew Brees says matters. And my young African American friend heard a change of thought, and a change of heart. Maybe even some humility. And that mattered.
