Liberals are hellbent on making everything political.
And they’ve made significant inroads in the world of sports.
But a “woke” ESPN journalist asked an NFL coach one question and regretted it.
The so-called mainstream media have been attempting to craft a narrative that the NFL is racist because there aren’t more black coaches in the NFL.
In order to push this narrative, the left acts as if black head coaches are some sort of novelty act, even though there have been black head coaches since 1989.
And Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who is black, was clearly annoyed with reporters’ attempts to racialize the coaching ranks.
The Buccaneers faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose head coach Mike Tomlin is also black.
During a press conference, a reporter asked Bowles, “You and Mike Tomlin are two of the few black head coaches in the league. I wonder what your relationship is like with him, and your thoughts on [interim Carolina Panthers head coach] Steve Wilks joining that fold.”
Bowles didn’t take the bait and responded, “I have a very good relationship with Tomlin. We don’t look at what color we are when we coach against each other. We just know each other. I have a lot of very good white friends that coach in this league as well, and I don’t think it’s a big deal as far as us…coaching against each other. I think it’s normal. Wilks got an opportunity to do a good job. Hopefully he does it. And we coach ball. We don’t look at color.”
Jenna Laine of ESPN persisted with the line of inquiry and said, “But you also understand that representation matters, too, right? And that when young aspiring coaches or even football players, they see you guys, you know, they see someone that looks like them, maybe grew up like them, that has to mean something.”
Bowles doubled down on his sentiment and replied, “Well, when you say, ‘see you guys’ and look ‘like them’ and ‘grew up like them’ means that we’re oddballs to begin with. And I think the minute you guys stop making a big deal about it everybody else will as well.”
Todd Bowles didn’t get the woke memo on NFL racism. Listen to the questions he gets from left wing reporters and his responses. pic.twitter.com/PCjTpbXlF9
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 13, 2022
Bowles had the perfect response for journalists who are determined to keep race front and center in every interaction in society.
Leftism thrives on grievance, so the left has to keep grievances alive.
In order to do so, achievements of the past almost have to be wiped away.
The black head coaches who roamed the sidelines 25-30 years ago almost don’t even count in the eyes of the left.
The clearest signal that leftists have planted their flag on the NFL field is the league’s latest quota initiative.
The NFL announced:
“All 32 NFL teams will hire a minority offensive assistant coach for the 2022 season, part of a series of policy enhancements announced Monday to address the league’s ongoing diversity efforts. The coach can be ‘a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority,’ according to the policy adopted by NFL owners during their annual meeting, and will be paid from a league-wide fund. The coach must work closely with the head coach and the offensive staff, with the goal of increasing minority participation in the pool of offensive coaches that eventually produces the most sought-after candidates for head-coaching positions.”
Despite Bowles’s best effort to focus on football, leftists have other ideas for the NFL.