Jahlani Tavai clarified comments toward Patriots fans, but says ‘don’t be a critic’
"If they’re fans, be fans, be supportive. They’ve supported us through worse seasons, but don’t be a critic."
Jahlani Tavai claimed he didn’t mean to offend Patriots fans with his comments in an interview on WEEI, but he’s also asking for fans to not be critics of the team.
The Patriots linebacker told reporters that his comments on “The Greg Hill Show,” in which he said fans should “know their place” before booing and chanting to fire Jerod Mayo, were “just frustrations” with how the season has gone.
“We’re all frustrated,” Tavai said, via The Boston Globe‘s Christopher Price. “From what I’m hearing, I understand why they’re frustrated. But that being said, there shouldn’t be anybody more frustrated than the guys who are out there busting their butt.”
However, as he continued to respond to a question on whether he understood why fans would be upset with his comment, Tavai made another pointed remark at Patriots fans.
“I’m not here to listen to outside noise and especially during the game,” Tavai told reporters. “If they’re fans, be fans, be supportive. They’ve supported us through worse seasons, but don’t be a critic.
“I’m not going to your job and telling you how you’re doing your job. I’m not that type of person. If you’re being a true fan – that’s why I’m saying support. We need the support that you all been giving us since Day 1. I’m not trying to tell anybody to change up what they want to do. That’s not what I’m trying to get out. I’m trying to say, I’m going to defend my guys – whether that’s a player, whether that’s a coach or someone who’s out here busting their butt. That’s who I am.”
Tavai’s comment was met with instant backlash on social media Friday morning. A couple hours after Tavai’s interview with WEEI, Mayo said in his weekly press conference that he had internally addressed the matter with the linebacker. Tavai was the third Patriots player to criticize fans for booing the team and chanting for Mayo’s firing, but New England’s head coach defended the fans’ right to show their frustrations while also appreciating his players having his back.
“I’m a fan of different things, too,” Mayo said on Friday. “No one’s happy, no one’s happy with our record, no one’s happy where we are right now. The fans, they pay the bills, they come in here, they demand us to go out there and perform well, and we haven’t done that this year. So, I understand.
“I’ve talked to the guys about how – they’re getting caught up in trying to defend me,” Mayo added. “I’ve told them, ‘I appreciate it.’ But at the same time, the fans are the most important thing here. They want to see good football, and they want to see wins.”
As Mayo defended the fans, Tavai said that he wasn’t trying to offend anyone.
“To anybody that was offended, that’s not who I am,” Tavai said. “What I am is a guy who’s going to defend his brothers. Anybody who is my co-worker, anybody who comes to this facility, I’m going to have their back.
“I’m sure if somebody who is listening right now — if somebody came into their house and did the same thing and talked about their family and people they worked with, they’ll act some type of way too. That’s it. So if that clears up a lot of stuff, and if people still don’t like it, then whatever. It is what it is.”
In his remarks to WEEI, Tavai pointed to the turnaround that the Lions made under Dan Campbell after they went 3-13-1 in his first season as head coach in 2021 as a reason for hope. Tavai clarified that comment to say that he wasn’t “comparing us” to the Lions or anyone, rather that there is proof teams can get better.
“There’s evidence that shows that [things] can change,” Tavai said. “And so internally, I say when guys have to look in the mirror, myself included, that’s where it starts. When we look ourselves in the mirror and recognize what we need to fix, come Buffalo, that’s what we’re trying to show.
“After Buffalo, we’ll have a whole offseason to reflect, whatever happens, happens. That’s above my pay grade. If I get the opportunity to come back here, I’m going to make sure that I bust my [butt] to do exactly what we’re trying to do, and that’s win.”
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