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ABC/NBC Railed Against QB for Defending Flag, Silent with WR’s Anti-Semitism

Posted on 07 July 2020

Just over a month ago, ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News flashed their anti-American bent when railed against New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, because he dared to defend the National Anthem and the flag. Their outrage lasted over a two-day period (June 4 and 5) and totaled over four minutes of airtime (4:18). But on Tuesday, July 7, both networks were silent when Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson posted anti-Semitic comments he said came from Adolf Hitler, and shared his love for raging anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. Back in June, NBC spent two solid minutes praising how Brees buckled to the backlash and apologized. “Tonight, NFL superstar Drew Brees is apologizing for comments about kneeling during the National Anthem that set off a massive backlash. Brees now says he completely missed the mark,” boasted anchor Lester Holt.  What did Brees say that was so controversial, you might ask. Well, according to the cherry-picked soundbites NBC’s Stephanie Gosk chose to focus on, it wasn’t much (click “expand”): BREES: I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America. GOSK: Brees was asked by Yahoo! Finance what he thinks about players kneeling against racial injustice during the National Anthem. BREES: 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. Gosk also gushed about the criticism Brees received from Communist China-appeaser LeBron James. “NBA superstar LeBron James also weighing in. ‘Wow, man, you literally still don't understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee? Has nothing to do with disrespect of the flag,’” she touted. “ “The question is whether it's enough to unify a team and a league still very deeply divided,” she concluded.     Meanwhile, ABC went back to the well two nights in a row. On night one, anchor David Muir hyped the outrage for 35 seconds and played an edited clip of Brees’s comments. “NFL star Drew Brees is apologizing tonight about comments he made about NFL players kneeling in protest during the National Anthem,” Muir reported. “Several athletes, including many of his own teammates, criticizing the quarterback’s comments, including Saints members and LeBron James.” On night two, Muir and correspondent Adrienne Bankert spent one minute and 43 seconds touting a counter-video released by other players who were against Brees. “Back here at home tonight, the new turmoil in the NFL. Many star players are now speaking out, saying the new apology from Drew Brees is not enough,” Muir added. Bankert fawned for the “more than a dozen NFL stars producing this powerful video,” where they said the names of blacks killed by police. “Pat Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr., and others releasing the video after New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees spoke out this week against NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem,” she said. She added: “Brees angering fellow players and fans, some burning his Jersey.” But what has gone unreported was the bitter anti-Semitism proliferated by Jackson. According to an ESPN report, “On his Instagram story feed, Jackson featured a quote he attributed to Hitler that said white Jews ‘will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were.’” “He also shared two posts on Instagram -- on Saturday and on Monday -- expressing admiration for Farrakhan, whom the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center have identified as anti-Semitic. Those posts have since been deleted,” they added. Now, just because CBS Evening News wasn’t tallied doesn’t mean they’re not in the wrong. While they didn’t rail against Brees as the others did, they too censored Jackson’s anti-Semitism. Instead of reporting on that, they gawked at the damage hail did to an airplane. The anti-American bent displayed by ABC and NBC was sponsored by Progressive on ABC and Consumer Cellular on NBC. Their contact information is linked. The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read: ABC’s World News Tonight June 4, 2020 6:52:33 p.m. Eastern [35 seconds] DAVID MUIR: NFL star Drew Brees is apologizing tonight about comments he made about NFL players kneeling in protest during the National Anthem. Here's what he said. DREW BREES: I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America. [Transition] 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. MUIR: Several athletes, including many of his own teammates, criticizing the quarterback’s comments, including Saints members and LeBron James. Now Brees has posted an apology online on Instagram, writing that the comments were, quote, “insensitive and completely messed the mark” about how he really feels. (....) June 5, 2020 6:45:03 p.m. Eastern [1 minute 43 seconds] MUIR: Back here at home tonight, the new turmoil in the NFL. Many star players are now speaking out, saying the new apology from Drew Brees is not enough. Here's Adrienne Bankert. [Cuts to video] [Players asking “what if I was George Floyd?”] ADRIENNE BANKERT: Tonight, more than a dozen NFL stars producing this powerful video and saying these names -- [Players declaring they were people killed by police] BANKERT: Pat Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr., and others releasing the video after New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees spoke out this week against NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem. DREW BREES: I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America. [Transition] I envision my two grandfathers who fought for this country. By standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand other over your heart. BANKERT: Brees angering fellow players and fans, some burning his Jersey. He apologized the next day. BREES: I wish I would have laid out what was on my heart in regards to the George Floyd murder, Ahmaud Arbery, the years and years of social injustice, police brutality. [Transition] I am sorry, and I will do better. And I will be part of the solution. [More from the players] BANKERT: The players are now demanding the NFL take a stronger position against systemic racism and to admit their stance on peaceful protests begun by Colin Kaepernick in 2016 was wrong. [Cuts back to live] And just tonight, commissioner Roger Goodell putting in a video those very words that players are demanding, that they do stand behind players who want to protest and saying the league says black lives matter. David? MUIR: Adrienne, thank you. ------- NBC Nightly News June 4, 2020 7:19:23 p.m. Eastern [2 minutes] LESTER HOLT: Tonight NFL superstar Drew Brees is apologizing for comments about kneeling during the National Anthem that set off a massive backlash. Brees now says he completely missed the mark. Here's Stephanie Gosk. [Cuts to video] STEPHANIE GOSK: Drew Brees says his words were insensitive, lacking awareness, and any type of compassion. The New Orleans Saints quarterback apologizing after this interview. DREW BREES: I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America. GOSK: Brees was asked by Yahoo! Finance what he thinks about players kneeling against racial injustice during the National Anthem. BREES: 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. GOSK: The comments triggering fierce backlash, even among his own teammates. MALCOLM JENKINS: I'm telling you, I'm dealing with these things, my community is dealing with these things and your response to me is don't talk about that here. [Transition] Where is the place, Drew? GOSK: NBA superstar LeBron James also weighing in. “Wow, man, you literally still don't understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee? Has nothing to do with disrespect of the flag.” In his apology, Brees writes in part, “I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality. I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility.” GOSK: Former player Booger McFarland appearing to mock Brees. “I'm sorry for the way America is crucifying me, I'm not sorry for what I said. Got it.” But others are more forgiving. DEMARIO DAVIS: For him to admit that I was wrong and say, ‘you know what? I can do better and I will do better.’ I think that is leadership at its finest. GOSK: The question is whether it's enough to unify a team and a league still very deeply divided. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News.