Shaq to Saints: "They are going to try to divide you" (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Miller]

They had a human reaction. Human pain. Let them process it and hear what they say comes out of that process.

If you freeze time and stay stuck on that moment, no progress is made.

Don't be one of the people who exploits that pain in order to hurt the process.

With all due respect, whatever "pain" they felt, which i cannot attest to, is not the issue.

They choose not handle his in private, as friends and teammates should have done, but they (MT and MJ) choose to do it publically on a public forms not to communicate with the Brees family directly, but resulted in in warrented public shaming at best, social media intimidation at worse.

That, you won't do to someone you claim to care about. MT and MJ owe the Brees family an appology for the public parade spectical their choices made of the lives. Nothing, justifies that. And if thats being suck in the moment, then perhaps players should pause and give their thoughts a bit more consideration before posting.

I respect your position, and thank you for taking the time to listen to mine.

 

[Quiet Storm]

Going to be hard for me to ever look at Thomas / Jenkins / any of the players the same after they attackBrees on SOCIAL MEDIA instead of talking to him man to man first.

that’s the problem with this generation...everything is about social media. No one talks to each other straight up...they just “call you out” behind a keyboard first.

People claim we need to have a dialogue.

When any is attempted- this happens.

the damage has been done.

I agree with what's been posted in here. Social media is a virus. That's why I use social for what it is, hot IG models. lol

I also think Brees didn't deserve to be attacked by his teammates for what he BELIEVES and what something MEANS to him. That's his belief. Not racist at all.

They all say Brees needs to listen, well, maybe they should have listened to his interview cause he didn't bring up the topic all on his own.

What's done is done though. Brees is great person and I really hoped in this meeting they apologized to him as well. Only going to make progress if everyone listens to each other. May not agree with what others think but at least listen.

 

[SystemShock]

CJGJ said something like, people calling out Brees better not start cheering him on once he throws a few TD passes... *phony...

It was definitely a stance that was “anti-Brees”and ready to throw him in the dumpster.

I don't think that was what he meant. How do you get that it is "anti-Brees"?

 

[SharonT]

With all due respect, whatever "pain" they felt, which i cannot attest to, is not the issue.

If you cannot attest to their pain, and are dismissing it...that might be why we're all speaking different languages here.

And remember, we are of the generation who did not grow up with a cell phone in our hands. I haven't even checked mine yet today.

 

[V Chip]

Social media is a virus.

(The following is not criticism in any way, just an observation.)

I do find this ironic -- posting on social media (and yes, message boards are social media) that social media is a virus. Or using social media to criticize other people for using social media to criticize or "call out" someone on social media instead of directly.

We are a complicated species....

 

[V Chip]

They choose not handle his in private, as friends and teammates should have done, but they (MT and MJ) choose to do it publically on a public forms not to communicate with the Brees family directly, but resulted in in warrented public shaming at best, social media intimidation at worse.

That, you won't do to someone you claim to care about. MT and MJ owe the Brees family an appology for the public parade spectical their choices made of the lives. Nothing, justifies that. And if thats being suck in the moment, then perhaps players should pause and give their thoughts a bit more consideration before posting.

I respect your position, and thank you for taking the time to listen to mine.

I disagree, and here's why.

Brees made a very public statement that was tone deaf. I think most people would agree with that (yes I know many agreed with his original statement, but the big reaction to it was that it was tone deaf).

Many people believe that a public statement like that requires a public response. For instance, if a friend make a racist/prejudiced comment at a gathering in front of other people, do you say nothing then and wait until you're in private to call them out on the statement, or do you say something immediately? I personally believe you say something right there and don't wait until you're in private. "Your silence gives consent" -- Plato. By remaining silent in that situation, you're tacitly saying it wasn't important enough to address immediately and head on. By the reactions of many people they felt it was important enough to address in the same manner that the original statement was made.

 

[not2rich]

Actually, at first I thought I would not look at Drew the same way either - thinking that he should not have spoken if he did not have the courage to stand by his convictions.

However, I don't know that I can really fault the man since, according to his wife, his family was receiving death threats.

Or maybe what Drew and Brittany are saying is that they finally understand the anger and backlash. They were oblivious to the lives of black people because they were good people and not racist. They thought that was enough when it's not, and now they get that.

I don't think Drew or Brittany made their statements out of weakness or fear. They're simply finally listening to what people they love and respect have to say, and understanding where they are coming from. I choose to see it that way rather than to say Drew gave an apology due to cowardice and then saying, "But hey, I understand now that I know "they" were threatening his wife."

Show me someone who has never changed his or her mind, expressed contrition for hurting someone, or truly tried to put himself or herself in someone else's shoes, and I'll show you someone who has never grown as a human being.

 

[Big_L]

In my opinion Drew deserves all the backlash (minus death threats). As a leader of men, there is no way he is not cognizant of what his team mates are feeling about this issue. Malcolm and DeMario have their organizations in place for a while now that tackle this problem head on. How posters say Drew is so smart and cerebral, yet he doesn't understand this. I remember how a lot of posters on here take the snide shots at black players saying, they don't get the game mentally, or "our playbook is too complicated". All that which was spoken, well guess what, Drew basically did that mental eff up, except he did on a larger stage and at a urine poor time. It is what it is. Should he be forgiven, I think so. We all make mistakes and we all learn from them. However, a lot of you on here are so ready to rip Malcolm, Michael, etc for the same thing you are essentially giving Brees a pass over.

 

[HouseCall]

I don't think that was what he meant. How do you get that it is "anti-Brees"?

I agree. It’s saying “Be a consistent person. If you despise him because of what he said and said or posted “F Drew Brees!” then don’t go acting like it’s all good in 3 months when he starts throwing footballs on Sundays.

 

[Que Que 6]

I couldnt agree more. They never said the devil had to be human..... i dont think anyway

It is vile. Cons grossly outweigh the positives. I think of a few of my postings here. And many that I have read here. The world needs love. Treat others how u want to be treated.

 

[Jeff Miller]

If you cannot attest to their pain, and are dismissing it...that might be why we're all speaking different languages here.

And remember, we are of the generation who did not grow up with a cell phone in our hands. I haven't even checked mine yet today.

yes, that much seems to be apparent, and is not in dispute

 

[St.Dan]

Shaq: "Stay strong. Don’t let the media divide you! Don’t let social media divide you!"

The "media" is not some abstract beast. It's made up of individual people, choosing which combination of words to share.

Those words can be arranged to hurt, inform, enrage, calm, manipulate, etc, and it is a choice sometimes driven by profit-margins, ideology, what have you.

The "words" of the media (or any one person) don't divide us unless we choose to let them. We consider the source. We consider how to respond. We know it's not *what* you say, but *how* you say it.

Look at the choice of wording that seeks to divide - those pouring salt on the wound, taking pot shots for no reason. That's not the media that's us, individual people right here on this forum, typing stuff out.

*We* shouldn't be what Shaq warned against. Saints fans shouldn't be what the team has to worry about. You have that power to help this team, if you choose, instead of helping those who want to see us crumble. This doesn't mean all rose-colored rah-rahing, but at least give them the time to process without further distractions by adding fuel to the fire. Have faith.

BB&G

Bolded.

Perhaps the best nonfiction book I've ever read was "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by the late Neil Postman in the 1980s. In a nutshell, it was about the surrender of society to technology. In point of fact, he wrote many similar books, some of which I've read. Postman died in 2003. If he was alive today, he could very well write a direct sequel to his seminal work and title it "Enraging Ourselves to Death."

 

[SystemShock]

I agree. It’s saying “Be a consistent person. If you despise him because of what he said and said or posted “F Drew Brees!” then don’t go acting like it’s all good in 3 months when he starts throwing footballs on Sundays.

No. I believe it was directed at the people who criticize Brees for apologizing.

 

[No2DC]

I don't know what motivated Drew. I can just look at the events and form an opinion.

The kneeling / flag issue has been an issue in the NFL for what 3 or 4 years? And during that time Drew has been consistent with his position.

So, one possibility is that despite years of reflection he had an epiphany in a matter of a few hours.

Another possibility is that the death threats against his family (made during a time of nationwide riots) gave him more than just a nudge.

It's a shame that we even have to wonder whether he was influenced by death threats to his family.

Like most of us, all we can do speculate about the true intentions of his apology. What makes the most sense, in my view, is that Drew and his reps made a necessary business decision. The reality is that Drew is making plans for his post-football life, and it is critical that the Drew Brees' legacy and image be protected during this transition. Although he's made almost a quarter billion dollars over the course of is football career, he has business interest outside of football and he's scheduled to become an analyst for a network post retirement. Simply put: there was too much on the line for Drew not too apologize.

 

[Hardcorefakes]

Malcolm Jenkins and Michael Thomas made the division, social media (which is the worst inventory in the history of mankind) just ran with it.

They were emotional, but I think they should've contacted Drew directly. Don't give the media something to latch on to.