It seems like there has never been a time period in history in which politics were more intertwined with sports, and Brett Favre is one of many people who believe the product is suffering because of it.
Favre and his podcast co-host Eric Bolling discussed some of the issues with politics in sports during an interview with Andrew Klavan of The Daily Wire recently. Favre said he has gotten the impression that the majority of fans on both sides of the political spectrum are frustrated.
“I think both sides, for the most part, want to see it just remain about the sport, not about politics,” Favre said. “At least that’s my interpretation. I know when I turn on a game, I want to watch the game. I want to watch the players play and teams win and lose and come from behind. I want to watch all the important parts of the game, not what’s going on outside the game. I think the general fan feels the same way.”
Favre also touched on national anthem protests. He said he believes they have “created more turmoil than good.” The Hall of Famer claims several people have told him they simply don’t want to watch sports anymore because it has become so intertwined with politics.
“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘I don’t watch anymore. It’s not about the game anymore.’ I tend to agree. It’s a shame,” Favre said. “There’s always been differences and issues within the world, within the country, within our states. But something has to unify us. I felt like the flag and standing patriotically — because blacks and white and hispanics have fought and died for this country. It’s too bad.”
Most people understand the point Favre was trying to make. Sports have always served as an escape from reality. They’re a form of entertainment, but you wouldn’t know that when you hear stories about players wanting trades because of the political views of team owners.
Of course, there’s also the hypocrisy that frustrates many fans. Leagues like the NBA receive millions in revenue from communist China, but their star players and executives preach about freedom and equality. That doesn’t go unnoticed among all fans, which is another reason many have begun tuning out like Favre said.
