[ad_1]
Michael Bennett does not intend to stop defending the causes in which he believes.
The newly acquired New England Patriots defensive end told ESPN he had a lot of respect for Bill Belichick and was thrilled to play with Tom Brady. However, he is also eager to talk to both men about their support for President Donald Trump.
"I consider [Belichick] the football Yoda regarding the ins and outs of preparing for a match, "said Bennett in an article published Tuesday morning.
Noting how the Patriots had already tried to negotiate him, Bennett said he believed his respect for the team was mutual. This includes respect for his long history of political activism and his charitable work to help the underprivileged. The 33-year-old Pro Bowl rider was one of the strongest supporters of former quarterback Colin Kaepernick's protest against racial inequality during the national anthem. Last year he co-wrote a memoir with The nationDave Zirin titled "What makes whites uncomfortable".
According to ESPN, Bennett told the Patriots that he was planning to stay in the locker room during the national anthem, as he had done before most of last season's games with the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I explained to them that my integrity means everything," he said. "I think they respect that about me, they respect who I am as an individual."
Despite his disagreements with Trump on the NFL player protests, Bennett said in the past that he wanted to "sit down with the president to talk about these issues." His approach is the same with Belichick and Brady.
"I think it's important not to run away from these conversations or to hear their ideas about why they think as they do," he said.
Along with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the Super Bowl-winning coach and quarterback established close ties with Trump long before his election to the White House, complicated by the Republican President's division speech. . In 2017, Trump called to fire NFL players who knelt in the national anthem.
Bennett suggested to ESPN that talking to Belichick and Brady about their public support for the president would be a learning opportunity for both sides.
"I think these conversations are an opportunity for growth," he said. "If we do not allow ourselves to have these conversations, we are stunting our growth."
Bennett called on the NFL's biggest white players to speak up on social issues, especially name checks, Brady.
"I think the biggest problem of the NFL is that we have to be able to get the bigger guys involved in the problems," he told The Undefeated in 2017. "Every day, a white quarter throws the ball at a black receiver, but when Regarding Black Lives Matter, they will not intervene and say, "There is a problem." Could you imagine if Tom Brady was saying that what happened to Philando Castile was a tragedy ? "
While the Patriots quarterback said he was supportive of his teammates defending their causes, he generally tried to avoid taking his own position on sensitive political issues.
Bennett told The Undefeated that what "hurt him the most" is "white NFL players who do not talk about social issues in black America", especially when they play alongside their black teammates During the 2017 interview, he stated that he would like to work with Brady – and others, like Aaron Rodgers, Greg Olson and Kaepernick – to help communities and advocate for gender equality and racial equality.
"It's a different match if I bring Tom Brady," said Bennett. "The same people who shout for Tom Brady, there are children belonging to a minority in prison, what would it inspire them to do if he came to prison? How could he change their life? "
Get the latest breaking news right on your phone. Download our free app.
[ad_2]
Source link