After weeks of politicizing the Super Bowl, liberals became howling mad when rightwing trolls returned the favor.
Reporters spent months calling on Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady and Patriots owner Robert Kraft—a lifelong Democrat—and head coach Bill Belichick to disavow then-candidate Donald Trump, and were met with silence. After Trump pulled off an upset victory against noted abuela Hillary Clinton and New England advanced to the Super Bowl, that mission took on a new sense of urgency.
Sports blog SB Nation boldly declared that "The Patriots have a Trump problem." The post breathlessly recounted the disappointment that many self-proclaimed "die-hard fans" felt when they refused to talk about politics.
"When Belichick takes a stance on the need to be focused on ‘doing your job,’ and then when it’s convenient for him to do something that serves him and a friendship with Donald Trump, he does it? That’s a betrayal from a fan’s perspective," one fan told the blog created by DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsis.
The New York Times noted that "politics and football—are coming together again in an extraordinary, and for the league, uncomfortable way." The source of this commingling: reporters.
"Many players on the Falcons and Patriots—including Mohamed Sanu, who is Muslim—were peppered with questions [from reporters] about their thoughts on the president and his temporary ban on refugees from some Muslim-majority countries," the Times reported.
The hyper politicization of the event was compounded by Lady Gaga's threat to use the halftime show as a platform for anti-Trump activism, which led some conservatives to beg the media to check politics at the gate of Houston's NRG Stadium. Ben Domenech, founder of the Federalist, laid out the case for an apolitical civic society in an op-ed for the New York Times.
"It is now impossible to consume media without the constant encroachment of political divisiveness and partisan tribalism," Domenech said. "Breaking down the walls between us is easier to do when our culture is not so politicized—when we can feel free to watch, laugh and cheer alongside our fellow Americans without catching ourselves wondering how they voted. That is the healthier way to live, particularly in the era of Donald Trump."
Liberals greeted Domenech's op-ed with their trademark tolerance.
Look, Goober, your side started a political civil war. The smart people aren't going to shut up and obey, so you can watch effing sports. https://t.co/Kb6Y4Xj9CL
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 4, 2017
.@bdomenech all we lose is an opportunity for consciousness, and losing that is problematic. https://t.co/pZihZhOMNS
— Tim Baffoe (@TimBaffoe) February 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/PeteyPwterson/status/827728935282737152
With New England trailing 28-3 in the second half, the political jokes flowed from the left side of the spectrum.
https://twitter.com/Toure/status/828426832408092673
Atlanta benefited from 28 dead and illegal points! https://t.co/jcpy2CKZYd
— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) February 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/KaraRBrown/status/828404123087171585
In the aftermath of the Patriots' historic comeback, conservatives noted that reports of New England's demise were greatly exaggerated.
.@Toure pic.twitter.com/0oeFbQ7ZcM
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 6, 2017
There is no stopping Tom Brady and his good friend Donald Trump
— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) February 6, 2017
The Atlanta Falcons are going to go hike in the woods with Hillary.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) February 6, 2017
The changing fate of the game led liberals to declare it a victory for white supremacy. Comedians, writers, and activists took offense at the idea that anyone would seek to use a sporting event as a metaphor for politics.
https://twitter.com/MicahSingleton/status/828438641705877505
https://twitter.com/TheSafestSpace/status/828637840972079105
Things I'd Rather Read Than Some Piece Comparing That Game To Politics: My own child's death certificate
— Dan Hopper (@DanHopp) February 6, 2017
It didn't work.
#SB51 pic.twitter.com/ZvSlIxLpxm
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 6, 2017