Last Friday, the current President of the United States Donald Trump, came to a rally in Western Pennsylvania. He was there to celebrate the steel industry and the arrangement between Japan’s Nippon Steel and US Steel. While honoring the steel workers, Trump was given an assist on the stage by current Pittsburgh Steelers Mason Rudolph and Miles Killabrew along with the legendary Rocky Bleier.
And that’s when things went wrong…
Apparently, so many angry Steelers’ fans contacted the organization with their disgust at seeing these three men up on stage with Trump, that Team President Art Rooney II felt it necessary to send out an email addressing the angry fans. As I tweeted earlier this week, I created this website as an escape from this type of crap and this happened long before Donald Trump ever emerged as a politician. That said, the Steelers’ email to the “angry fans” has done more harm than good in my opinion and let me explain why.
Back in 2008, a young senator from Illinois named Barack Obama was running for President. The now deceased Steelers’ Chariman at the time Dan Rooney made no secret about his support of Obama. So fervent was it that after Obama’s victory, Mr. Rooney was named the Ambassador to Ireland. While this was before social media exploded into what it is today, there were still many Steelers’ fans who weren’t all that thrilled about politics entering the sphere of their beloved team.
Despite the concern and negative reaction from conservative Steelers’ fans, there was (to my knowledge), never an email sent to fans addressing their feelings. Admittedly, things are far different in America than they were at that time but it doesn’t change the fact that the Steelers handled this far differently. Is this hypocrisy? Sure seems like it to me…
As to the Players Involved…
Athletes, as we sometimes forget, are also human beings too. They have political beliefs just like you and I do and believe it or not, those beliefs may differ from our own. Shocking right??? Mason Rudolph and Miles Killabrew are as entitled to their political stances as you and I are. Whether we agree or disagree with them, does not matter. I will not cheer any differently on gameday than I would have previously to this occasion.
Four-time Super Bowl Champion Rocky Bleier is also entitled to his beliefs. Although no longer a player, he is still very much a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers and that shouldn’t change because he’s stumping for President Trump. Do I find it odd that a Vietnam Veteran (my father was one as well) would support President Trump given his history? I do, but let me tell you a secret… It’s none of my damn business.
It’s clear there was a strong reaction from fans this week or else the Steelers would have never addressed it. Those fans, like you or I, are entitled to their opinions. Do I like to see political beliefs and my football team cross paths? Absolutely not! But here we are and I probably wouldn’t be writing about it had the Steelers just let it be. Instead, they only made things worse.
