"I don't understand how you all call the man racist" - NFL fans left divided over reporter's blunder during Patriots press conference

In an interview with one young New England Patriots running back, a local reporter slipped up not once, but twice. As he attempted to correct himself the first time, he seemed to get even more flustered and slipped up again.

The reporter slipped up by saying “you're a big black” and then “running black” (instead of back) within the span of eight seconds.

There’s no doubt his embarrassment was high and has only been amplified by the video's growing popularity online. They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but this guy may be the exception to the rule.

The clip was tweeted by Barstool Sports.

Fans were quick to descend on social media to give their opinions. While some users criticized the reporter for his slip-up, others defended him.

The Patriots face the Carolina Panthers in their second preseason game, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders in their final outing. This is all in preparation for the September opener on the road against their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have a new high-speed offense that could prove to be a tough matchup for the boys from Foxborough.

The New England Patriots are in a much tougher AFC East than they're used to

New York Giants v New England Patriots

The New England Patriots started off the preseason resting most of their starters against the New York Giants. However, fans did get to see a healthy Saquon Barkley take the field and run a few plays.

It allowed both teams to evaluate the young talent on their rosters in preparation for the regular season. The game ended in a victory for the Giants with a final score of 22-20.

Also seeing improvement in the AFC East are the New York Jets, who added great young talent during the 2022 NFL Draft. They had a scare in last week's preseason game. Zach Wilson went down with an apparent knee injury. However, a quick surgical procedure proved there wasn't anything wrong. He could return for a Week 1 start.

As for the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Josh Allen will enter the 2022 season with a chip on his shoulder after last season's devastating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. It was a thrilling game that was essentially decided by a coin toss. With the defenses on both sides completely exhausted, it was clear the team who got the ball first in overtime was going to emerge victorious.

The Patriots have a challenging road ahead and a lot of work to do to get back to their Super Bowl winning ways. Tom Brady may have moved on, but head coach Bill Belichick is still in charge and has a winning history in the NFL.