The loudest voices calling for politics to be excluded from sports activities throughout the 2024 presidential marketing campaign didn’t actually imply it.
Now, the identical people are reveling in Donald Trump’s presidential victory, celebrating it at UFC occasions and NFL video games. One sports activities fan identified the evident hypocrisy when folks cheered for Brock Bowers’ Trump-inspired dance throughout an NFL recreation.
The unique poster highlighted how since Trump’s common vote win within the 2024 presidential election, his supporters have felt extra empowered to inject their political opinions into sports activities occasions. Some alleged they didn’t take part on this election, arguing that no aspect of the political spectrum ought to make the most of sports activities as a political platform. A college athlete shared this sentiment, labeling the celebratory crowd a “bunch of dorks, man.” Nevertheless, Trump supporters dismissed this critique and opted for mockery as a substitute.
The Guidelines Don’t Apply to Me
For years, Trump supporters have been fast to inform people to “shut up and dribble” at any time when athletes addressed points or endorsed candidates they did not favor. They voiced their discontent throughout the peak of the NFL’s kneeling protests in opposition to racial injustice, and so they expressed outrage when NBA gamers determined to endorse Kamala Harris throughout the election cycle.
Predictably, these similar Trump supporters had been silent relating to the outstanding digital camera protection of Trump on the Jones vs. Miocic UFC combat. The eye he obtained was akin to that given to pop icons like Taylor Swift, and it was no trigger for criticism amongst his supporters. They didn’t elevate an eyebrow at Trump and his cupboard gaining publicity throughout the occasion. Furthermore, when Jon Jones danced in entrance of Trump following his victory, the group erupted in cheers for each him and the president. This reveals a double commonplace: athletes can advocate for political causes so long as they help Trump. After they known as for politics to remain out of sports activities, they in the end meant politics they disagreed with. As Jessica Tarlov from Fox Information succinctly remarked, “I suppose we’ve moved previous the part of ‘shut up and dribble’ and at the moment are in a time when athletes are hailed for expressing their political beliefs.”
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