What does Tavai think of some of his teammates being frustrated with fans 'booing'? Should fans "Know their place"?
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00:00Jelani, good morning. Happy New Year.
00:03Good morning. Happy New Year.
00:05Has this been one of those seasons that just flies by?
00:11Uh, I wouldn't say that.
00:14I would hope not.
00:16What?
00:17Jelani, when you look at this season, I think, and I asked Mayo this on Monday,
00:23like, the one thing that you believe you guys could have did differently
00:27that would have changed your win-loss record?
00:30If there's one thing you could point out, if you could go back to do differently now,
00:34what do you think that would be?
00:37Uh, I don't know, man. I don't live in the what-ifs.
00:41Uh, it's just a lot of things. I wish, I mean, it's just a lot of things.
00:48That's what I want to fix.
00:51Jelani, there's been a lot of opinions going into this last game
00:54when it comes to people looking forward towards the draft position for you guys.
00:59What's that like as a player to hear the outside noise of people
01:03wanting you guys to lose in the last game?
01:06And how has Gerard Mayo handled that amongst you?
01:12Um, one, we don't listen to the outside noise.
01:15I mean, um, this is the first time I'm hearing that we got the pick.
01:20So I haven't really been focusing on what's going to happen in the future.
01:26I've been trying to just dial in on making sure that, you know,
01:30we're prepared for this weekend.
01:33And whoever's playing out there against us for the Bills,
01:38we just got to make sure that we're prepared to the best of our ability.
01:41And we go out there and start the new year right.
01:44You know, it's 2035, and, you know, I think our New Year's resolution
01:49is to just get this win before we go into the offseason.
01:53Jelati, you didn't know that you guys have the number one pick right now?
01:58I mean, I don't pay attention to that stuff.
02:00Right now, I'm so focused on making sure that, you know,
02:04my body's right for this game.
02:07You know, that's by far more important to me
02:10than what's going to happen later on when I'm not here.
02:15We were just discussing...
02:17When I say not here, that's the offseason.
02:19Yeah.
02:21We were just discussing Pro Bowl selections.
02:24You think that Christian Gonzalez could have been on that list?
02:32The Pro Bowl, yeah, of course.
02:34You know, his film doesn't lie.
02:37You know, this guy's been shutting down top receivers.
02:41And, you know, if he's not in the All-Pro selection,
02:46then, you know, everybody should be looking straight to him
02:52because that's, in my opinion, that BS.
02:55I mean, he's definitely, if not the top corner,
02:58then at least in the top five.
03:02So, yeah, I think it's kind of rubbish.
03:09I don't know.
03:10The Pro Bowl is a really popularity contest at this point.
03:14So, you know, I wish our fans would have voted more for him
03:20because he's been having a hell of a year,
03:22especially returning from his injury last season.
03:25Jelani, it's been a constant theme from you and your teammates
03:28publicly discussing why you like Gerard Mayo as a coach.
03:32I'm just curious, if everybody wants him back so badly,
03:35why has the team not showed up over these last three to four weeks?
03:41What do you mean by not showing up?
03:43I mean, the Chargers game was an abomination.
03:46I mean, 40-7 at home.
03:48It didn't look like from the outside that it was a bunch of players
03:52that were playing to prove why Gerard Mayo should be back next season
03:55as head coach of the Patriots.
03:59I don't think that that's the problem of guys not showing up.
04:02I think the guys showing up.
04:04I mean, we're talking about the past few games.
04:06You go back to the Bills.
04:09When we played them, it was by far the best complimentary football
04:12that we've been playing since probably, what, Chicago?
04:17And I believe that the Bills are probably, what,
04:22number two seed in the AFC right now,
04:24and they're definitely one of the best teams in the league.
04:27So when we talked about what are the things I wish I wanted back,
04:32as in the little things, those are part of the little things,
04:36whether it's, you know, tackling or, you know, all security.
04:42Those are the little things that bite us in the butt
04:44and, you know, put us in a big hole.
04:47So I think the guys show up.
04:49It's just a matter of us just making sure that we execute.
04:53But, yeah, definitely would love to have Gerard back.
04:57He just brings that light energy to the guys.
05:01So definitely a year of reflection right now
05:05and for guys to just look themselves in the mirror
05:07and check themselves.
05:09That way, when we get back, or actually for this game,
05:12we got to be at our top game regardless on who's playing.
05:17You know, we got to play the game right.
05:20Jelani, when you have guys come out after the game,
05:23like Daniel and Kwale, say that he saw some quit in players,
05:27how do you feel about that?
05:29Is that something that you might have saw in guys?
05:31I mean, like you said, you're getting beat up pretty good
05:34and maybe you see some guys that are kind of looking.
05:38You said that I see guys quit?
05:40Well, yeah, I think Daniel and Kwale said after the game
05:43he saw some guys that, you know, on the team
05:45that might have checked out a little bit
05:47when you guys were getting beat pretty good.
05:51Oh, I didn't.
05:53I was too focused on trying to forget
05:55and get them to stop scoring.
05:59No, I didn't really pay attention to that.
06:01I was just frustrated with the fact
06:03that we were getting blown out.
06:05So I kind of, I was just in a pissed off mood
06:08about how the game was going.
06:10And that, again, that's on us as players, you know.
06:14We can't, if guys were checking out and stuff like that,
06:18again, it goes back to what I'm saying right now
06:21is it's on us as players to not allow that to happen.
06:24You know, we got to, we got to dip that in the butt.
06:27And if we don't, then, you know,
06:30that's what the front office and males are going to do later on.
06:34So anybody who's doing that, they got to realize
06:38that they're putting themselves in a bad situation.
06:41There were teammates of yours who were frustrated
06:44that fans were booing.
06:46Does that bother you?
06:48I was, of course.
06:51I think, I think, I don't know.
06:56I don't know.
06:57I was frustrated.
06:58I definitely think I told a fan to quiet down
07:01in a non-polite way.
07:04But can you see how, like, can you see as a player,
07:08you know, and I played before when fans are booing
07:11and they're calling for coaches' jobs.
07:13Like, can you see, like, I get why fans are doing that
07:17when we put a product out that doesn't look that good
07:19rather than being, you know, going kind of
07:22what Diedrich Weiss said and going,
07:24you know, fans tend to be a little bit spoiled.
07:26But do you see the side that the fans are coming from
07:29when the product looks bad?
07:32I don't know.
07:33There's a reason why they're fans, you know.
07:35Everybody can say what they think that we should be doing
07:38and we will, but in the long end, they're not.
07:44They're not qualified to do what Mayo is doing
07:46or, you know, or whatever the caps are doing, you know.
07:50They're fans.
07:52And I appreciate them at times,
07:54but sometimes they just got to know their place
07:57and just, you know, understand that it's a work in progress.
08:01Rome wasn't built in one day, you know.
08:04And there's been, like I said before in another interview,
08:07there's been teams that have shown, you know,
08:11a work in progress team, you know, like the Lions,
08:14what, four years ago when Dan Campbell took over,
08:17what were their record?
08:19They had three wins.
08:21Do you guys remember what their record was?
08:22Yeah, three and 13, I believe it was.
08:25Okay.
08:26And then these past two years, I'm not, like,
08:29I'm not trying to compare, but that's a goal
08:31that we're trying to develop here in this new, like, regime.
08:36You know, that's the mission, you know, to get to where,
08:39you know, or to get to how the Lions are, you know, improving,
08:45you know, because that's the type of team
08:48that we see ourselves as, as a playoff contender.
08:51And, you know, unfortunately, that's not, like, this year.
08:55But Jelani, I would say that that game last Saturday
09:01was a miserable day.
09:03I mean, it was gross.
09:04It was raining.
09:05It was disgusting.
09:06The fans that showed up have more than earned the ability
09:10to express their displeasure with a product on the field
09:15that has gotten worse.
09:17They can do that.
09:18They can do that.
09:19And then I, as a player, can tell them the same thing.
09:23I'm the one breaking my back right now.
09:25So, like, what, I don't have an opinion?
09:28No, I think that's...
09:30From what I'm hearing?
09:32That's a good point, Jelani.
09:33But, like, David Andrews was asked about it,
09:35and he said these people are paying good money
09:37to watch good football, and that's not the product
09:39that's on the field right now.
09:40So it's interesting to hear...
09:41Yeah, 100%.
09:42That's not what we're...
09:43Like I said, we're not trying to put this film out there.
09:46You know, we're not...
09:47That's not our goal.
09:48That's not our mission.
09:50Because if we keep putting film on like that,
09:52none of us will have a job.
09:54And it's not...
09:55And it doesn't...
09:56It has nothing...
09:57I mean, it doesn't entirely point fingers to Mayo.
10:01It points to everybody on the field,
10:03coaches, players, and front office.
10:06So it's not everybody point the finger at Mayo,
10:10you know, fire him, fire him.
10:12And when I hear that, it's like,
10:14that's everybody who's on the field.
10:16Because you guys, you know, you guys suck.
10:18That's what I'm hearing.
10:20And, you know, as a player, like,
10:22whoever was a former player, like,
10:24you should know the feeling, like, if you hear that.
10:27Like, you're going to feel, like, riled up.
10:30When I heard that...
10:31You're not going to...
10:32Yeah, I...
10:33Like, I'm not going to...
10:34I have no hard feelings to fans,
10:36but, like, at that moment,
10:39of course I'm going to be upset.
10:41I got Mayo's back, and I know he's been having...
10:43He has our back, because he goes in every media
10:47or whatever, and he's taking the fault, you know?
10:50So he's not at fault, like, alone at this.
10:53Like, this is on everybody who's in this organization,
10:56you know, and we're striving to do better,
10:58and I know that we will do better.
11:00Yeah, I remember my playing days
11:02when people booed me because I was playing bad.
11:04I looked at it and go, like,
11:06all right, I deserved everything I'm getting
11:08because of the performance I put out there.
11:10So, you know, that's where...
11:12That's kind of where I was as a player, you know?
11:15I always... I never looked...
11:17I never was upset when people booed me
11:19and I performed bad.
11:25Yeah.
11:27Well, yeah.
11:29Well, as I said at the start,
11:33it has been a long season,
11:35and we are looking forward to Sunday
11:38and looking forward to
11:40what is ahead for this football team.
11:42And to you, Jelani,
11:44we say thank you for taking the time with us
11:46every single Friday.
11:48I appreciate it.
11:50You guys have a wonderful...
11:52Shoot, start to you guys' year.
11:54Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
11:56And I believe you owe us.
11:58You said at one point...
12:00Yeah, said you were going to come in here.
12:02We're going to get some Hawaiian rolls,
12:04get some Spam.
12:06Do something for us.
12:08We're still waiting. A year later.
12:10They're moving up our meetings.
12:12I'm cutting time.
12:14All right. I understand.
12:16We'll see if we can get you out of a meeting
12:18and in here at some point.
12:20We appreciate it. Happy New Year.
12:22Happy New Year.