New England Patriots new head coach Jerod Mayo caused a mini-skirmish on social media as he began his tenure with the iconic franchise. During the press conference to introduce him, the youngest head coach in the NFL contradicted the very owner who hired him regarding the subject of racism.
Patriots’ longtime owner, billionaire Robert Kraft, told the assembled media that he does not see color. Mayo, on the other hand, subtly said that folks should see it if racism is to ever be vanquished in America.
“I’m really colorblind in terms of I know what I feel like on Sunday when we lose,” Kraft said. The owner said he replaced the legendary coach Bill Belichick with Mayo because he was the best person for the job and that it is coincidental that Mayo is Black.
“He happens to be a man of color,” Kraft said when asked about the hire. “But I chose him because I believe he’s best to do the job.”
USA Today said Mayo showed valor when he sat next to Kraft and told the media that he does “see color,” then added, “If you don’t see color, then you don’t see racism.”
“I do see color, because I believe if you don’t see color you can’t see racism.”
Jerod Mayo on being named the first black head coach in Patriots history. pic.twitter.com/toTTJ6CrB3
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 17, 2024
Mayo is seen as sort of a coaching prodigy who has the potential to vault to the pinnacle of his profession. He emphatically stated that he grasps the significance of his hire in a league where such instances remain tragically scarce — in a league where more than 70 percent of the league are people of color.
“You better believe it,” the new head coach said. “Being the first Black coach here in New England means a lot to me.” He added: “… You have to take ideas from other people: Black, white, green, yellow … it really doesn’t matter. Old, young. One thing you’ll notice about me in our interaction as we continue to go is I don’t like echo chambers. I want people around me that are going to question my ideas, or question the way we have done things in the past …”
Mayo’s sentiments about race put him squarely in the crosshairs of a prominent Black conservative site that accused the “woke” Mayo of being a “race hustler” whose statements would cause a trainwreck.
