Notes and Quotes: FOX NFL Studio Analysts
LOS ANGELES – The 27th season of FOX NFL coverage kicks off today with a doubleheader highlighted by Tom Brady’s debut as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer against Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints in AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK. Below, FOX NFL studio analysts Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Michael Vick, Tony Gonzalez and Dave Wannstedt weigh in on the start of the season, important moments and the day’s biggest games:
"Whenever you have this conversation and people who are not black and brown join, it goes from a conversation to actually action. And we are seeing action now because of that." – @michaelstrahan pic.twitter.com/pIt9RCeO2f
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2020
Strahan on the Black Lives Matter Movement:
“Right now the difference between then and now is the fact that people who aren’t Black and brown are actually joining the fight as well. So, whenever you have this conversation, and people who are not Black and brown join, it goes from a conversation to actual action. We are seeing the action now because of that. Sometimes when you look at athletes, and people say ‘just play your sport, be quiet and don’t have an opinion because you make plenty of money;’ you (athletes) are not immune to it. You are still affected by it in some shape or form because of the color of your skin. Sports teaches us camaraderie, it teaches us teamwork, it teaches us about relationships and getting along with everybody, so those guys who are preaching this from the field or the courts are taking from what they are taught in and their life and their lessons from their job, and they are taking it to real life outside of their work so everybody can receive the message. I just hope that people receive this message in their everyday life — that we all are human beings, we love each other, and we get along as if we are brothers, and that doesn’t have anything to do with the color of our skin.”
Long on when Kaepernick first took a knee during the National Anthem:
“History is difficult to comprehend as it’s happening. Four years ago, most folks across the country missed the message and maybe the meaning when Colin Kaepernick took a knee. I’m a guy who played 13 years in the NFL in locker rooms that were predominantly Black, which gave me what I thought was a unique perspective that most White people don’t get. I’m embarrassed to say the very first time Colin (Kaepernick) took a knee, I wondered, ‘why during the National Anthem?’ because for someone who looks like me, this is the greatest country on earth. But for the last 400 years, that hasn’t been the reality for Black Americans. Calls to secure that reality should never be controversial. It’s a time for change as Michael (Strahan) talked about. If you can’t see that, you’re either uninformed or you’re a lost soul. That’s the bottom line.”
Bradshaw on skin color and loving each other:
“The minute we all realize we must get along, it’s easy if you search yourself and love people. Color should not be an issue. As long we learn to love and understand there are problems right now; let’s reach out to get along. If we do that, then there will be change. If we keep having the fighting and the pulling apart, we won’t.”
Menefee on current NFL players and Black Lives Matter:
“These players are a reflection of the lives that they live. Seventy-seven percent of the NFL is minority, so you’re going to have those voices be a little bit louder right now. Young people are taking to the streets and these are 24- and 25-year-old men who have the same feelings, and they want to get it out. I think the one thing that was misconstrued was why players were protesting during the National Anthem. First of all, players aren’t protesting the National Anthem; they’re demonstrating during the National Anthem. What they’re protesting is what’s off the field; police brutality, social injustice, and they’re demonstrating during the National Anthem, and words matter. We use the words’ protesting the National Anthem’ too much and allowed it to get hijacked and taken way off the rails, and that had nothing to do with the issue that’s out there. I hope as we go forward, in addition to loving each other, we also use the right words when we refer to what the other person is doing. Whether we agree or not, you have the right to disagree. But I want to use the right words, rather than try to frame it to make you look like a bad person.”
Gonzalez on whether the NFL can be part of change:
“Absolutely. One of my favorite things about being in an NFL locker room was you had people from Alabama, New York, California coming together and all different races, religious backgrounds coming together to work for a common goal of winning a game. In order to be heard, you must listen, and that goes on in a locker room. No better example of that was when Drew Brees made some remarks about kneeling for the flag and that he was not really for that. Well, he got a lot of backlash and people were tweeting at him, but somebody from his own team, Cameron Jordan, called him up on the phone and said ‘let’s talk about this. I need you to listen to me and I’m going to listen to you and maybe we can get on the same page.’ That’s a great example of how a good society works and I think the NFL and all sports are doing a great job of using their platforms to go out there and create change.”
Wannstedt on lack of preseason games:
“I talked to a couple of the newly hired head coaches and I think that’s the group that’s going be at a disadvantage. Why? No OTAs, no mini-camp and you’re putting in a new system on offense with a new quarterback. With no preseason games, you lose that learning curve.”
Vick on who benefits from no preseason games:
“The lack of preseason really benefits the offense because the offense dictates the pace of the game. I’m looking for the high-powered offenses to come out and be very explosive. Those teams who have great offenses like the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Saints, Steelers, those teams should flourish at least the first part of the season.”
Gonzalez on no fans in the stands:
“I don’t think it’s going to affect anyone (players) at all, or at least it shouldn’t. The way I was always taught, you practice like you play.”
Vick believes Patrick Mahomes is setting an important tone among his fellow players:
“First of all, shout out to Patrick Mahomes for being committed to change in these trying times. Being the face of the National Football League, being very courageous. What I hope is that his peers are watching what he is doing, and they’ll step up. They’ll let their actions speak louder than their words. The fact that Patrick is biracial, he can reach a broader audience so that’s reach beyond reach and I expect him to use his platform on a higher level.”
