The Washington Post ran an article which profiled numerous fans of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs walking away from their team due to outrageous anti-Trump comments made by their head coach, Gregg Popovich.
If you’re not a big fan of basketball, Popovich has been an unrelenting jacka** when it comes to commenting on political affairs, especially those involving President Trump. And he doesn’t reserve his insults for the President himself. Popovich, directly and indirectly, attacks his supporters as well.
He has at various points called the United States “an embarrassment to the world” under the Trump era, and referred to the president as a “soulless coward” and a “pathological liar.”
He doesn’t hold back on Trump supporters either.
In describing the President’s comments as “xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic,” Popovich added, “and I live in a country where half the people ignored all that to elect someone.”
“That’s the scariest part of the whole thing to me,” he added.
What’s really scary is that he could label an entire group of people in that manner.
So why would a basketball coach feel it necessary to engage in political discourse designed to insult half of America, and by extension at least half of his fans?
Turns out, a lot of people would like to know the answer to that.
Gregg Popovich on the Washington Post story about some Spurs fans being turned off by his political comments pic.twitter.com/dP7uARhxmu
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 17, 2018
“I am completely turned off,” one woman who said she’d wear Spurs gear during playoff time every year said. “After all those years supporting the team, and now I just have no interest. Popovich really messed up.”
After hearing his comments, the same women gathered up “a garbage bag and filled it with 30 or so Spurs T-shirts, banners and trinkets” and sent it to Goodwill.
“It is sad that Pop basically told my wife and my son and me for that matter that we were fools for supporting Donald Trump,” another fan said. “What happens when someone calls you a fool? You avoid them.”
And avoid them they are.
Fans are leaving because of Popovich’s ridiculous rants, something that should raise the eyebrows of NBA executives and team management as well.
Jason Minnix, the host of the afternoon drive-time show “The Blitz” on ESPN San Antonio radio, admits “he has heard of fans canceling season tickets and sponsors bailing on the team” over their coach’s statements.
Looks like Spurs fans just want Popovich to ‘shut up and coach.’
Are sports becoming less interesting due to overtly political coaches and players? Share your thoughts below!
