Drake Maye’s Curiosity in Conspiracy Theories

The 24-year-old quarterback for the New England Patriots, while not far removed from his college days, has surprisingly delved into conspiracy theories. His time spent in college has actually aided his knowledge on the topic.

“I took a conspiracy class in college,” Maye confessed, revealing this interesting tidbit during a recent interview. He played at North Carolina from 2021 to 2023, where, aside from graduating early, he also earned honors on the All-ACC Academic Team in 2023 with a 3.2 GPA.

During a segment with WEEI 93.7 FM, he shared his newfound interest: when fans asked him about his favorite “wild conspiracy theory,” he hesitantly responded. Prefacing his comments with a caution not to spark controversy, and after humorously addressing the caller’s thick New England accent, he remarked, “I don’t know about the moon [landing], you know?”

This response sparked excitement from one host, who felt a connection with the quarterback. Maye then reflected, “I think it’s—,” pausing as if pondering deeply. “I can see back in the day of why we would put on the mask if we went there, but I’m not really sure 200% if we went there or not. I wouldn’t say I’m leaning one way or the other. I just know I’m a little bit skeptical.”

It seems that the Huntersville, North Carolina native has a broad understanding of various conspiracy theories. While Maye remains unconvinced about the moon landing’s authenticity, he also recalled discussions on other quirky theories during his college experience. For instance, he mentioned hearing claims like “Hitler being alive” and the peculiar question, “are birds real?” He referred to these as some “classic” theories that often come up.

Furthermore, the radio host appeared excited by Maye’s insights, even suggesting that filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was involved in creating the moon landing hoax.

When probed about the idea that birds could be fake, Maye offered his take: “Just, like, the government has a say in some of the, you know, things, you know, birds flying around and whether they’re videoing or listening or something along those lines.” It was an interesting perspective, for sure.

Belief in the 1969 moon landing remains a contentious issue, often shaped by one’s time period and geographic location.

Notably, while the 1970s saw a rise in skepticism about the lunar landing, connecting this sentiment to the release of the film “Capricorn One” might not capture the full picture. A Gallup poll from 1999 indicated only about 6% of Americans believed the moon landing was a hoax, whereas a survey in 2016 found over half of Britons polled questioned its authenticity.

On the contrary, a 2000 Russian survey noted that 28% thought America never actually went to the moon, intriguingly, with 16% stating they had no idea about the moon landing events of 1969.