Why is Drew Brees Cancelled?

Drew Brees, an NFL player for the New Orleans Saints, drew strong criticism for condemning people kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality.

In an interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked for his thoughts on people kneeling for the national anthem in 2020.

“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” he said. “And is everything right with our country right now? No, it’s 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.”

Brees also referenced that his two grandfathers served in the military and that they ‘risked their lives to make this country a better place.’

People quickly responded and by Thursday morning, the hashtag #DrewBressIsCancelled was trending.

I’m a Marine Corps Veteran. Kneeling during the anthem was never disrespectful to us. We served for your RIGHT to either kneel or stand. They were upset with a peaceful protest so they got this one. #DrewBreesIsCancelled

— Short king (@MindStable) June 4, 2020

#DrewBrees Never forget a vet is the one who told kaep to kneel as a sign of respect. Also never forget black people fought along side your grandfather and still came back to oppression and segregation. It was never about the flag! #DrewBreesIsCancelled

— Q (@Q90278224) June 4, 2020

From the very beginning @Kaepernick7 addressed the military/flag perception during his protest against #PoliceViolence. This is from his 1st ever interview (Aug. 2016) where he makes it clear he means no disrespect to soldiers or veterans. For this reason, #DrewBreesIsCancelled. pic.twitter.com/vddKVruHC1

— Russell Arch (@Russell_Arch) June 4, 2020

Shortly after, Brees issued an apology on Instagram.

“it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused,” he wrote.

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.