Colts owner Jim Irsay needs to check his privilege and remember a name: George Floyd

Do you want to see what privilege looks like? In all of its arrogance and ignorance. In all of its lack of historical knowledge. In its lack of understanding of how race and power in America works. Do you want to see? Look no further than Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, in a staggering television interview dripping with almost unfathomable ignorance and memory holes.

Irsay spoke to journalist Andrea Kremer from “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on a segment scheduled to air on Nov. 21, and as she has done for decades, as well as anyone in sports journalism ever, she got an interview subject to open up. To reveal their inner selves. And that’s what Irsay did and what we saw inside was something remarkably problematic.

Irsay spoke about a number of topics, including his battle with addiction. But one of the most interesting parts of the interview is when Irsay talks about his arrest in Indiana in 2014 for driving under the influence. According to records obtained at the time by the Indianapolis Star, officers "recovered numerous prescription medication bottles containing pills.” They also discovered approximately $29,000 in cash.

Irsay pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He also admitted to having a number of drugs in his system including hydrocodone, oxycodone and Xanax.

Irsay tells Kremer that “the arrest was wrong” and he only pled guilty because he wanted the entire ordeal to end. This is where the interview gets troublesome.

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"I am prejudiced against because I'm a rich, white billionaire," Irsay told Kremer. "If I'm just the average guy down the block, they're not pulling me in, of course not."

Kremer then asked: "Do you know what it's going to sound like if people hear you say they're prejudiced against a rich, white guy?"

"I don't care what it sounds like. It's the truth," he said. "You know, Andrea, I could give a damn what people think how anything sounds or sounds like. The truth is the truth and I know the truth."

Let’s all pause for a moment and give our prayers to the rich, white billionaires. They need our support. It’s a rough life for them. The tax breaks. The private jets. The mansions. Please be considerate in their time of need.

It would be easy to dig into the data about the advantages rich, white men have in this country. Or, white men, period. Or how Black Americans are killed at a higher rate by police than any other group.

But I truly want to focus on one person, someone Irsay apparently needs to be reminded of: his name is George Floyd.

You see, privilege is when you, who has more money than many Americans combined, with a straight face say you are the victim, apparently forgetting what a true victim looks like. Floyd, and many people of color, are actually targeted by police. Floyd was brutally murdered by multiple officers.

Irsay doesn't seem to understand the multiple Americas that exist when it comes to law enforcement and encounters with police. Or he just doesn't care. Many times, encounters with police for people of color are exasperating or life altering. Or life ending.

Even the smallest encounters can be chilling. Several weeks ago, I was jogging around 4:30 in the morning. I was running on the left side of the street and at one point a police cruiser drove by on the right side. It stayed on that side of the street, pulled about 15 feet in front of me, and slowed to my pace and drove like that for a good three minutes. Then, wondering if I was imagining things, I stopped running and stood there. The car stopped. Keeping that distance. I started running again, the car started moving again, keeping the same distance. This part of the encounter lasted about another two minutes.

I was jogging. I didn't have 29K on me in cash like Irsay (unfortunately). The only drug in my system was the caffeine from a drink of Diet Pepsi that I had before leaving. There was no communication from the officer or officers in the vehicle. It just followed me. It was menacing behavior and there was no reason for it. Did the officer think I was going to rob a house while wearing all my night gear where I'm lit up like a Christmas tree?

The police car only stopped following me when something rare happened at that time of the morning: another car came along on the same side of the street as the police car and pulled behind it because the cruiser was moving so slowly. The cruiser was essentially blocking the road. The police car then sped up and drove off.

I apparently drew attention from the police just jogging. I'm unaware of any laws that I could have possibly broken unless there's one for jogging too slow.

This is the world Irsay apparently doesn't see or understand.

Irsay's comments are damaging on a number of fronts but more than anything they demonstrate such glaring privilege. I can't imagine Black Colts players seeing his words and not rolling their eyes.

So, again, do you want to see what privilege looks like? In all of its arrogance and ignorance. In all of its lack of historical knowledge.

Just listen to Irsay.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jim Irsay treated unfairly because he's a billionaire? Cue the tears