RUSH: So Drew Brees, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints — Drew Brees, who up until 24 hours ago was a hero in New Orleans. Drew Brees had done so much for that community. He had donated time, significant amounts of money in the post-Katrina aftermath and recovery of New Orleans. He was a favorite son. I mean, he was beyond reproach, impeccable reputation, impeccable image.

Star quarterback, one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game. He took the Saints to Super Bowl win some years ago, but always kept them in contention. He was an exciting player to watch. He spread the ball around. He had a number of wide receivers that were setting NFL records for catches, yards.

He made a lot of people great. He made a lot of people very wealthy because of how good he is. And now? Well, I don’t know. Because when all this recent protesting and looting and rioting began, Drew Brees, for some reason, felt compelled to defend the flag. He said… I’m paraphrasing now.

He said, “When I see the flag, when I hear the national anthem prior to our games — when we’re all standing on the sidelines, I’m looking at this flag, I’m singing along with the anthem — I stand with my grandfathers, who risked their lives for this country and countless other military men and women who do it on a daily basis.”

And he went on to say that, no matter what, he is not going to disrespect the flag and he’s not gonna be tolerant of anybody else who does. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that didn’t go over very well with many of his teammates. It didn’t go over well with very many people throughout the National Football League and the National Basketball Association.

You had all kinds of athletes tweeting that Brees was insensitive. He was selfish. He was just a bad, bad, bad guy. “How can he be so tone-deaf?” You even had an NBA player — I don’t remember who — saying, “You know what? The NFL needs more people like Aaron Rodgers and fewer people in it like Drew Brees.” Drew Brees never did anything to anybody other than make them better.

Somehow, you can’t escape the notion that all of that now is for naught.

“Saints’ Drew Brees Draws Backlash for ‘Disrespecting-the-Flag’ Comment — After earlier sharing a message of unity on social media, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees attracted backlash Wednesday when he reiterated his stance that he will ‘never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America’ during an interview with Yahoo Finance.

“Brees’ comments came when he was asked during the interview to revisit former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protest of police brutality against minorities, in which Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem before games. Brees’ remarks on the flag drew a sharp rebuke on social media across the sports landscape, including from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

“Brees gave a lengthy response to ESPN when asked about the perceived conflict between his statements, including a potential divide in his locker room, where players such as Malcolm Jenkins and Demario Davis are among the leaders of the players’ coalition seeking social justice and racial equality.

“‘I love and respect my teammates, and I stand right there with them in regard to fighting for racial equality and justice,’ Brees said. ‘I also stand with my grandfathers, who risked their lives for this country, and countless other military men and women who do it on a daily basis.’

“An emotional Jenkins, in a video that has since been deleted from social media, said that he was ‘hurt’ by Brees’ comments and that they were ‘extremely self-centered.’ ‘Our communities are under siege, and we need help,’ Jenkins said… ‘And what you’re telling us is don’t ask for help that way. Ask for it a different way. I can’t listen to it when you ask that way.

“We’re done asking, Drew. And people who share your sentiments, who express those and push them throughout the world, the airwaves, are the problem. ‘And it’s unfortunate because I considered you a friend. I looked up to you. You’re somebody who I had a great deal of respect for. But sometimes you should shut the f— up.'”

In the next story, “Drew Brees Apologizes for His Incentive Comments About His Grandfathers — Drew Brees apologizes for kneeling controversy, said he never intended to hurt anybody’s feelings and that he is not the enemy.” Now, what? Somebody help me out. Is honoring the sacrifice and bravery of your grandfathers, is that now white privilege?

Is it white supremacy? Is it insensitive? Is it missing the boat about what’s going on? Why must there be…? Folks, this is a key pregunta. Why must there only be one opinion on that? Why is it only permissible for there to be one opinion? So now begging for forgiveness is solution. Begging for forgiveness is the fastest route to safety.

Drew Brees has donated millions of dollars to the city of New Orleans. None of that matters today. Isn’t that amazing? None of that matters. None of that’s even remembered. Now, don’t miss understand. I’m not saying Drew Brees made the charitable donations for PR purposes and for insurance purposes to buy goodwill. I don’t think he did.

I think he made the donations ’cause he genuinely cares about the city that he calls home, the city he lives in. But it didn’t count for anything when the question of his character came up. When the question of whether or not he’s a good guy came up, that stuff didn’t seem to matter, ’cause it’s apparent there’s nothing he can do to absolve him of the sin of his DNA.

He was forced to beg for forgiveness. He said, “I stand with the black community for the future against systemic racial injustice and police brutality, and I support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. 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.

“For that, I’m very sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness.” So there are some who say, “Okay. That’s good. That’s good. That’s a good first step. It’s a good start. Way to go, Drew, very good.” But is there going to be now a…? Not a scarlet letter. Is there forever gonna be an asterisk — and, of course, the media will be playing with this.

If the NFL season ever does start, and let’s say the Saints are not doing well, and let’s say that Brees is having trouble completing passes, and here comes the postgame media: “Do you think your receivers are trying hard enough for you, Drew, or are they still mad at you? Are they laying down on you, Drew? It looks like that pass was right there; they just dropped it.

“Are you having trouble on the team? Is the team unified?” Are they ever gonna be able to get past this stuff now? ‘Cause you know that the media will relish those kinds of interview opportunities. If Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are going great — if they’re undefeated after the first four or five weeks and he’s throwing for record numbers of yards and the touchdowns — the media will ask:

“Drew, how were you and your receivers able to put all of this behind you — or have you? Are your receivers doing what they’re doing because they’ve been able to look past your insensitivity and they’re just the epitome of professionals? How do you explain this, Drew?” And then they’ll ask the head coach what the locker room is like. So we’ll, of course, keep a sharp eye.

There’s something happening here in the country, and it’s not unprecedented. I have a piece here that runs in the Federalist. (interruption) No, no, no. I’ve got a lot of emails from people that are mad that he had to apologize, Drew Brees.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Paul’s in Scottsdale, Arizona. Great to have you, sir. Hi.

CALLER: Hey, Rush. Yeah. I’m furious about the Drew Brees thing. And especially because a year ago right now, myself, my brother and our families, we were there in Normandy for the 75th celebration of the invasion. We were there for Trump’s speech and you see all the graves and you think about what these guys did. And Drew steps up and says what he did about his family and what they did during the war, and that meant something to him.

But that’s not good enough. You have to fall in line now with exactly what you have to say and you have to act or else people burn your jersey in the street and get off on it, especially with the Kings announcer. He lost his job, too. A former player for the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, asked him what he thought about BLM, Black Lives Matter, and he said, “All lives matter.” Well, sorry, wrong answer. You’re out. You lose your job because “all lives matter” means you’re racist rather than meaning equality for all.

RUSH: Well, you know, I understand your rage out there. I understand your anger out there, but I have to tell you something. It happened here to Drew Brees and so, wow, everybody says. But this stuff’s been going on for 30 years, at least as I’ve been counting it, 30 years, and until it either happens to you or to somebody famous that you admire or respect, then it escapes people.

But this idea that you must conform, you will say the right thing, you will have fealty to the accepted opinion here and all that, there isn’t really anything that is — and I’m not trying to diminish your point. I’ve been trying to alert people that this kind of punishment for failure to conform, it’s political correctness. This kind of stuff has been going on on college campuses to conservatives for 30 years. And it isn’t gonna stop until a vast majority of people become aware of it, so I’m glad that you have seen it. I’m glad it’s made you mad. I’m glad that you have been touched by it and affected by it here.

I’m sad that it had to happen to Drew Brees in order to have– and don’t misunderstand, Paul, I’m not being critical at all. I know it may sound like I’m being critical, but I’m not. If anything I’m frustrated with myself. Because what happened to Drew Brees is not new. What happened to Drew Brees is not by any stretch of the imagination something unprecedented or hasn’t happened before. It’s become the norm for a heck a lot of people.

Now, you mentioned Sacramento Kings announcer, and I’ve got that story here in the Stack and I’m looking for it. This guy’s lost his job. He was forced to apologize, he did, but still lost his job. Yeah, he said all lives matter. He thought he was doing a great thing. He thought he was making a great point. He thought that he was being really sensitive and caring and understanding by pointing out that all lives matter. He’s lost his job, the Sacramento Kings play-by-play. Damn it. What did I do with it? I know I’ve got it here somewhere. I did not pitch this. I didn’t throw it away. Let me get back to the phones. I’ll keep looking for it. You basically know the story, but the details make it even more powerful.

Here’s Aaron in Lexington, South Carolina, great to have you, sir. Hello.

CALLER: Thank you, Rush. I was told by a black friend recently who is a minister that now is not the time for white folks to attempt to have a logical conversation regarding race and privilege, only to listen and make folks understand that we see them and are empathetic. My question is, if not now when are folks, while they’re sensitive and paying attention now, when is the right time?

RUSH: Why did he say now isn’t the time?

CALLER: Because tensions are up and it’s an emotional time. They’re not thinking logically, even he admitted it’s not a logical movement, but, I’m asking, when is the right time and there’s no answer.

RUSH: Well, there is no right time because there’s no conversation permitted. You’re not gonna have that conversation. Good time for people with differing opinions, Black Lives Matter to talk, no, there isn’t a differing opinion, is the point. There’s only the opinion of Black Lives Matter and the people on that side of the aisle and there is no other opinion. And this has been the way the Democrat Party has been functioning for I don’t know how many years. There is no other opinion.

They’re not gonna put up with it. They don’t want to win any debates. They don’t have to win debates. They’re not out trying to change hearts and minds. They’re gonna force people to accept what they believe, and it doesn’t matter whether they really agree with it or not. If they don’t, they’re gonna shut up or else. There will not be any opposition. There will not be any opposition permitted. There will not any unity. There will not be debates back and forth. There will not be sharing of ideas. That’s not what this is about.

Here’s the story. Grant Napear. He’s been the play-by-play guy for the Sacramento Kings, formerly Kansas City Kings since 1988. He resigned after tweeting “all lives matter” Sunday night in response to a question from a former Kings player, DeMarcus Cousins, asking for his take on the Black Lives Matter movement. He responded by saying, all lives matter. He lost his sports talk show. He lost his play-by-play gig over it.