Joe Benigno said he couldn't avoid getting into politics while talking about Jets coach Robert Saleh's firing on Tuesday after back-to-back defeats against the Vikings and Broncos. The Jets fired their head coach on Tuesday, just five games into his fourth season, following a disappointing 2-3 start to the 2024 campaign.
The move came two days after the struggling team's most recent loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, where Saleh stirred up controversy. The sports radio host said he believes that Saleh's choice of attire — specifically wearing a patch of the Lebanese flag on his team sweatshirt during the Jets' 23-17 loss to the Vikings on Sunday — played a role in Jets owner Woody Johnson's decision to fire the head coach.
Mixing Sports and Politics
"I gotta say something else and I hate to get political but I have to in this case," Benigno said during an appearance on "The Jake Asman Show" on Tuesday.
"Saleh had the flag of Lebanon on his shirt the other day in London. Now we all know what's going on in the Middle East. There is no sugarcoating of what's going on in the Middle East. We all know about Hezbollah firing all these rockets out of Lebanon, and all what's going on there, into Israel.
"... We know he is Muslim. I think he is representing the people of Lebanon because I don't believe the people of Lebanon really are happy with Hezbollah. I don't think that's the case at all. And I wonder if that has played into this in a way as well because I did see this on the regular news that this was actually brought up."
The 45-year-old was seen on the sidelines at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium wearing a Lebanese flag below the Nike logo on his team hoodie, after Israeli airstrikes on Beirut continued into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Saleh, who has Lebanese roots, had worn a similar patch last October, but his choice to display the flag just a day before the anniversary of the Gaza war's start drew attention.
Under Scrutiny Before Being Fired
Saleh — whose parents, Sam and Fatin, immigrated to the United States from the Middle East before his birth — has been sporting the flag patch for the past two weeks.
Last season, Saleh wore a similar Lebanese flag patch when the Jets defeated the Giants at MetLife Stadium on October 29.
However, wearing it last Sunday — during Israel's ongoing airstrikes on Beirut in its conflict with Hezbollah, and just before the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel — drew even more attention.
Many social media users criticized Saleh for his choice, distancing themselves from the embattled coach and his underperforming team. This sparked multiple media outlets to cover the situation as a controversy.
"Why was Robert Saleh wearing a Lebanese flag on his jacket! What a slap in the face to New Yorker !! Was it really necessary to wear that flag patch!!" one person wrote on X.
The NFL's program encourages participants to wear the flag of a country or territory where their relatives were born or where they've lived for at least two years. Players also sported the American flag.
This initiative allows them to represent their heritage throughout the entire season.
Last season, players and coaches like Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, Rams receiver Puka Nacua, and others represented over 70 nations and territories.
Coaching staffs from 17 teams, including Bill Belichick (Patriots), Arthur Smith (Falcons), Ron Rivera (Commanders), and Brian Daboll (Giants), also took part.
