In a week’s time, the New England Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Politics should be playing no part at America’s pre-eminent sporting occasion but hatred of President Trump has been dragged into it as a growing number of fired-up football fans are objecting to the Patriots’ ties to Trump — from their star quarterback Tom Brady to coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft.
Brady and the President are friends (a “Make America Great” hat has hung in his locker though he has never confirmed Trump’s claim that he voted for him) while a supportive letter from Belichick was read out by Trump at an election eve rally. Kraft is a proud Trump supporter.
An increasing movement is forming on social media from aggrieved social justice warriors saying all this is making them want to have nothing to do with this year’s Super Bowl:
@JohnFugelsang How about a boycott of this years SuperBowl to protest Kraft, Belichick & Brady’s support of Trump
— Lone_Shark (@Lone_Shark) January 29, 2017
Boycott the Super Bowl …especially Tom Brady’s Trump endorsing ass
— Abolitionist (@Black_Intifada) January 29, 2017
NE Patriots good at football, but no excuse to support Trump. Superbowl is same as watching dogfight with M Vick. #Boycott #SuperBowl #NFL
— Tenzin Thinley (@yakuzaamdo) January 29, 2017
.@BostonGlobe women shouldn’t hold back either #boycott #NFLExperience #Patriots #SuperBowl #WomenMarch #womensrights #Trump #POTUS #NFL pic.twitter.com/XJ2lgSjPis
— Sonia Prince (@Die__Trying_) January 29, 2017
@MaxineWaters @JoyAnnReid @nytimes @KeithOlbermann @chrislhayes A Boycott of the SuperBowl since Kraft and Brady love Trump
— Lady Wright (@LadyK_2003) January 29, 2017
@BSO @ShaunKing People should boycott Tom Brady and the Patriots. This is white privilege at its best. Thats why Brady feels above everyone https://t.co/62jAeHDwhx
— Live & Die A 49er (@cwalker252730) January 28, 2017
@laurenduca boycott super bowl. Brady and pats owner is a trump supporter
— Jim White (@jimw81) January 25, 2017
But tom brady is a supporter are we gonna boycott the super bowl.
— Vibin (@TopBadmanShotta) January 28, 2017
@mikefreemanNFL will never happen but the falcons and patriots should boycott the Super Bowl until trump overturned his racist EO
— (((Alex))) (@IlladelphAC) January 29, 2017
@themeanmackean Oh dude, it’s so obvious. The Patriots are playing. Belichick and Brady are Trump supporters. #Boycott
— Sam Christensen (@SamuelSaysItAll) January 27, 2017
Please help boycott Kraft,Bellicheck and Brady all Trump Supporters! @elizabethforma @Patriots @womensmarch @womensmediacntr
— Maria Ricci (@MariaRicci28) January 22, 2017
It’s highly unlikely any boycott will have a significant impact on the Super Bowl happening at Houston’s NRG Stadium next Sunday. But it’s worth noting that a team’s ties to Hillary Clinton would be greeted with a Super (Bowl) shrug …