TRENDING: New England Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Comments on Being Franchise’s First Ever Black Head Coach

Today, the New England Patriots held a press conference to introduce Jerod Mayo as their next head coach. This comes just days after former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft announced that they were mutually parting ways after 24 seasons.

Now, the Patriots look to move forward and start their next chapter. However, before New England can do that, Mayo commented on the Patriots’ past and what it means to get to this point.

Jerod Mayo Comments on Racial History of Team

During the press conference mentioned above, Jerod Mayo commented on being the first black head coach for the New England Patriots. Mayo felt like it was something that could not be ignored. Here is what he had to say:

“I do see color. If you don’t see color, you can’t see racism.” -Jerod Mayo

When you think about the history of the New England Patriots, it is crazy that Mayo will be the first black head coach after all this time. The franchise was founded in 1959 and has been around for 65 seasons. Plus, there have been 14 previous head coaches in the franchise’s history.

It touches on a difficult topic surrounding the New England Patriots. In the past, certain players have claimed that Patriots teammates themselves have been racist. Plus, the most iconic people who represent the Patriots, such as QB Tom Brady, tend to be white. As a result, critics have claimed that certain players like Brady have not been in a position to have to understand the racial issues.

Other Athletes Dealing With Racism in Boston

The city of Boston does not have the best reputation for this subject. Basketball player Kyrie Irving touched on this subject after one specific incident at Boston’s TD Garden a couple of years ago. One Boston fan threw a water bottle at Irving after a game there, sparking Irving to claim that there was “underlying racism” surrounding the incident. Kyrie Irving also played for the Boston Celtics for two seasons before this incident took place.

Another example is an incident that took place in 2017 between Boston Red Sox fans and outfielder Adam Jones. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder claimed that there were racial slurs directed at him from Red Sox fans during a game that took place at Fenway Park. It led to several Red Sox players showing support for Jones and speaking out against this.

New England Patriots Moving Forward

The Patriots are looking to start a fresh chapter in their franchise by hiring Mayo as their next head coach. However, the racial history of the franchise and racial issues particularly surrounding the Boston sports market are not going to disappear overnight. Still, moving forward with Mayo after he has been on the Patriots’ coaching staff for five seasons could be seen as taking a step in the right direction.

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