Graham: Trump hit for ‘sportswashing’ at NFL game
In a recent column for The Washington Post, sports columnist Barry Svrluga criticized former President Donald Trump’s presence at a Washington Commanders game against the Detroit Lions, labeling it as “sportswashing.” Svrluga argued that Trump’s attendance was a distraction from pressing issues, particularly the ongoing government shutdown affecting many in the District of Columbia. He described the scene of Trump smiling in the owners’ box as emblematic of a broader pattern of using sports to divert attention from significant national concerns. Svrluga’s remarks highlight the complex relationship between Trump and American sports, suggesting that his presence at high-profile events serves to mask political failures and societal issues.
Svrluga’s commentary drew attention to the broader context of Trump’s past interactions with the NFL, particularly during the 2020 protests where players kneeled during the National Anthem to advocate against social injustices, including police brutality. He noted that many fans felt alienated by these protests, which he framed as a significant moment in the culture war. The columnist lamented that five years after a national reckoning on racial issues, the capital remains under military oversight due to rising violence, a reality he attributes to Trump’s leadership. This perspective was echoed by Michael Rosenberg from Sports Illustrated, who remarked that while Trump continues to attend NFL games, the league itself seems to have distanced itself from him, suggesting a shift in the dynamics between the former president and the sport.
The discourse surrounding Trump’s engagement with sports raises questions about the intersection of politics and entertainment. While Svrluga and Rosenberg critique Trump’s attempts to leverage sports for political gain, they overlook the fact that similar attendance by Democratic figures would likely be celebrated as a demonstration of relatability and connection with the public. This disparity in perception underscores the polarized nature of American politics, where actions can be interpreted through vastly different lenses depending on party affiliation. As Trump continues to make appearances at sporting events, the debate over “sportswashing” and its implications for political narratives remains a hot topic, reflecting the ongoing cultural battles within the nation.
Even the sports pages can be a platform for anti-Trump editorializing. After the Washington Commanders were drubbed by the Detroit Lions, the front page of The Washington Post sports section carried a piece by columnist Barry Svrluga trashing Trump’s appearance at the game, and in the Fox broadcast booth. He called it “sportswashing.”
“What played out Sunday was a microcosm of Trump’s presidency and his relationship with American sport. It’s sportswashing, using these games to distract from the important matters of our times,” he wrote. There was “something rich about Trump sitting and smiling in the box of Commanders owner Josh Harris and his partners … while the District and so many of its citizens struggled with the shutdown.”
This Democrat rag can’t acknowledge that the shutdown was created and dragged out by recalcitrant Democrats. They aren’t factored into the plight of those struggling D.C. denizens. Who was holding out, keeping them from getting their food stamps and paychecks?
Svrluga was angry that people had forgotten how Trump was on the wrong side of the culture war in 2020 when NFL players knelt in protest during the National Anthem against “social injustices” like police brutality. Liberals still can’t imagine that many NFL fans didn’t appreciate what felt like a double-middle-finger salute to the flag, or that many didn’t like quarterback Colin Kaepernick wearing pig socks to mock the cops.
Riots and murders after George Floyd’s death in police custody were blended into a “reckoning” by Svrluga: “Five years after the country endured what was framed in the moment as a racial reckoning — in which police practices were questioned, scrutinized and in some cases overhauled — the city that the Commanders represent is being monitored by National Guard soldiers, the American military overseeing American citizens at Trump’s behest.”
Somehow, this columnist can’t abide the president noticing that the nation’s capital has long had a violent-crime problem.
He wasn’t alone. Michael Rosenberg at Sports Illustrated proclaimed, “Trump can’t quit the NFL, but the NFL has quit him.” Really? “Yes, most owners will still support him, as most billionaires do. But the NFL itself is providing a blueprint for how to tussle with the President: Don’t.”
Rosenberg gushed over how NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not dismiss his chief diversity officer Jonathan Beane.
Trump has visited a pile of recent sporting events, including the Yankees game on Sept. 11, the U.S. Open men’s final, and the Ryder Cup golf competition.
Surely, this round might please sports fans, showing Trump enjoys what they enjoy. If a Democrat attended all these things, Svrluga and Rosenberg would probably adore it as deftly displaying a common touch. It wouldn’t be “sportswashing” bad news. Everything magically ends up as good news in the Preferred Party.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.
