Graham: Trump hit for ‘sportswashing’ at NFL game
In a striking example of political commentary intersecting with sports, The Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga recently criticized former President Donald Trump’s appearance at a Washington Commanders game against the Detroit Lions, branding it as “sportswashing.” This term refers to the practice of using sports events to divert attention from pressing political issues. Svrluga’s column suggested that Trump’s presence in the luxury box, alongside Commanders owner Josh Harris, was a stark contrast to the struggles faced by many in Washington, D.C., particularly during a government shutdown that he argues was prolonged by Democratic resistance. He lamented that the focus on Trump’s attendance overshadowed the ongoing challenges faced by citizens in the capital, such as delayed food stamps and paychecks, thus framing the event as a microcosm of Trump’s tumultuous presidency and his complex relationship with American sports.
Svrluga’s critique also touched on the cultural tensions surrounding the NFL, particularly in light of protests against social injustices led by players like Colin Kaepernick. He expressed frustration that many fans seemed to overlook Trump’s controversial stance during the 2020 protests, where he vehemently opposed players kneeling during the National Anthem. This sentiment was echoed by Michael Rosenberg from Sports Illustrated, who noted that while Trump remains a fixture at NFL games, the league itself has distanced itself from him. Rosenberg emphasized that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s steadfast support for diversity initiatives, including the retention of Chief Diversity Officer Jonathan Beane, illustrates a shift in the league’s approach to political engagement.
The juxtaposition of sports and politics in this context raises questions about the role of athletes and sports figures in social movements and the implications of their actions on public perception. While Svrluga and Rosenberg criticize Trump’s attempts to leverage sports for political gain, they also highlight a broader narrative about the evolving relationship between sports, culture, and politics in America. This dynamic is further complicated by the differing reactions to political figures’ presence at sporting events, suggesting that partisan perspectives heavily influence public interpretation of such appearances. Ultimately, these discussions reflect not only on Trump’s individual actions but also on the broader cultural landscape in which sports serve as a battleground for political discourse.
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.
