 Ronn Torossian |
Cue the split in Patriotsville. You would think folks could set their political differences aside and embrace the annual bacchanal that is the Super Bowl. Many are trying to do so, but others are not so sure they’ll be able to cross that divide. If you ask the million-plus who voted for Trump in the election or the folks in Maine and New Hampshire who helped him capture electoral votes in those states, most might say folks need to put politics aside and get those #12 jerseys on. It’s game time, and little is more sacred to more Americans than the Big Game.
This divide has been exploited by sports talk radio hosts, especially in New England, which has been making the connection between Trump and Brady a constant topic of conversation ever since someone spotted a Make America Great Again hat in Brady’s locker. That was back in September 2015, when Trump was still one in a very crowded GOP field. Brady told the reporter who asked that, yes, it would be “great” if Trump won. Staunchly blue New England exploded … and the conversation hasn’t stopped since.
That conversation now has Pats fans admitting they aren’t as excited about this game as they had been in recent years. The AP recently interviewed some fans who actually admitted to being “apathetic” or “lukewarm” about New England’s run up to the Super Bowl.
That’s not to say Atlanta is much better when it comes to the implications of politics and football. Atlanta is home to Democratic stalwart and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who recently ran afoul of both Trump and his supporters by questioning the legitimacy of Trump’s win. Most of Georgia is supporting the Falcons, and Trump won the state by millions of votes … but around Atlanta, there are many who support the home team even though they love Rep. Lewis.
Fans on both sides say the respective politicians “color” how they see their teams these days. Others say they need to give up politics for a few hours on that Big Game Sunday.
Let the team colors be the only “color” you see … and leave the politics outside. For some, that may be easier said than done.
This divide has been exploited by sports talk radio hosts, especially in New England, which has been making the connection between Trump and Brady a constant topic of conversation ever since someone spotted a Make America Great Again hat in Brady’s locker. That was back in September 2015, when Trump was still one in a very crowded GOP field. Brady told the reporter who asked that, yes, it would be “great” if Trump won. Staunchly blue New England exploded … and the conversation hasn’t stopped since.
That conversation now has Pats fans admitting they aren’t as excited about this game as they had been in recent years. The AP recently interviewed some fans who actually admitted to being “apathetic” or “lukewarm” about New England’s run up to the Super Bowl.
That’s not to say Atlanta is much better when it comes to the implications of politics and football. Atlanta is home to Democratic stalwart and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who recently ran afoul of both Trump and his supporters by questioning the legitimacy of Trump’s win. Most of Georgia is supporting the Falcons, and Trump won the state by millions of votes … but around Atlanta, there are many who support the home team even though they love Rep. Lewis.
Fans on both sides say the respective politicians “color” how they see their teams these days. Others say they need to give up politics for a few hours on that Big Game Sunday.
Let the team colors be the only “color” you see … and leave the politics outside. For some, that may be easier said than done.
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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, one of the leading independent PR firms in America.
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