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Garth Brooks Wears Sanders Jersey; Hilarity Ensues

Because America.

James Joyner
26

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Business Insider:

Country music icon Garth Brooks wore a Barry Sanders Lions jersey to a Detroit concert over the weekend, and the move confused Trump fans who thought he was supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Brooks shared a photo of himself in the jersey on Instagram, where supporters of President Donald Trump accused the country star of making things “political.”

In reality, Brooks was just supporting his favorite Lions icon — former running back and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders — with the jersey.

[…]

“You guys got the greatest player in NFL history in my opinion in this jersey. I love this man,” Sanders told the crowd. “And I can vouch for him first-hand from way back when he just came out of Kansas and got to Oklahoma State. He’s also one of the greatest human beings that you’ll ever get to witness and be with. He’s a good cat. It’s an honor to wear this jersey tonight.”

Brooks, 58, competed in javelin throw at Oklahoma State University just years before Sanders won the Heisman while playing at the school.

So, not only was Sanders a Detroit icon but Brooks wasn’t just pandering to the locals—he’s genuinely a fan and has a personal connection. But, alas . . .

But fans online apparently didn’t get the memo that Brooks and Barry Sanders had a long history.

“Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ???? Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. Thought you were different,” one person commented on his Instagram post.

Another wrote: “If this is for Bernie Sanders, I’m done with you. I thought you were a true American that loves Our Country?”

“Love you. Hate the shirt,” another fan wrote.

Sigh.

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26 responses to “Garth Brooks Wears Sanders Jersey; Hilarity Ensues”

  1. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    “Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ???? Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. Thought you were different,” one person commented on his Instagram post.

    Another wrote: “If this is for Bernie Sanders, I’m done with you. I thought you were a true American that loves Our Country?”

    “Love you. Hate the shirt,” another fan wrote.

    Snowflakes…

    26
  2. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    Well, at least if his career goes bust, Garth Brooks has friends in low places to rely on.

    8
  3. Pete S Avatar
    Pete S

    Tell me again why we are not supposed to treat Trump supporters like morons?

    23
  4. gVOR08 Avatar
    gVOR08

    What, one wonders, did they think number 20 meant.

    4
  5. EddieInCA Avatar
    EddieInCA

    People see what they want to see. I have a hoodie I travel in which states across the front: “Elect a Clown. Expect a Circus.”

    That’s it.

    Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people come up to me at airports asking the same question: “Why are you disrespecting our President?”

    There is nothing on that shirt that mentions Trump or the President. So I always say “There is nothing here about President Trump. That’s on you.”

    People see or hear what they want.

    Edit – Postscript: I’ve also been upgraded to Business/First 6 times (and counting) while wearing that shirt. Once on an international flight. Yay hoodie!!!!

    12
  6. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    @gVOR08: 2020?

    9
  7. EddieInCA Avatar
    EddieInCA

    @gVOR08:

    gVOR08 says:
    Friday, February 28, 2020 at 12:43

    What, one wonders, did they think number 20 meant.

    To me, the number 20 is what would make (non-football) people think it’s a Bernie shirt. It’s coincidental, but most non-football fans would think the 20 (with Sanders’ name on it) is for Bernie 2020.

    Any football fan knows Barry Sanders’ jersey, though. And if you don’t know who Barry Sanders is, you’re not really an NFL football fan.

    8
  8. Sleeping Dog Avatar
    Sleeping Dog

    Oh the tragedy of it!

    The white supremacists believing they were pwn’d again. A feared redux of discovering that their Aryan princess Taylor Swift is a closet Democrat.

    1
  9. Teve Avatar
    Teve

    @An Interested Party:

    I have a semi-famous friend whose social media rule is “anybody who tells me what to talk about gets blocked on first offense.”

    2
  10. Teve Avatar
    Teve

    @Pete S:

    What Would Mr. Rogers Do?

  11. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    We truly are in an Idiocracy.

    2
  12. Tyrell Avatar
    Tyrell

    Barry Sanders Deion Sanders Bernie Sanders: all three are okay

    1
  13. wr Avatar
    wr

    @EddieInCA: “And if you don’t know who Barry Sanders is, you’re not really an NFL football fan.”

    Let’s see… I don’t know who Barry Sanders is, and I’m not an NFL fan. It works!

    2
  14. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    @EddieInCA:

    Any football fan knows Barry Sanders’ jersey, though. And if you don’t know who Barry Sanders is, you’re not really an NFL football fan.

    Or you’re under 35. Sanders retired from the NFL in 1998—that’s 22 years ago.

    I started watching the game seriously with the 1979 season. I don’t know I could have told you who Elroy Hirsch, who retired in 1957, was until many years later.

    2
  15. OzarkHillbilly Avatar
    OzarkHillbilly

    @James Joyner:

    Sanders retired from the NFL in 1998—that’s 22 years ago.

    Thanx James, now I feel old.

    I don’t know I could have told you who Elroy Hirsch, who retired in 1957, was until many years later.

    Now I feel ancient. Who didn’t know Crazy Legs Hirsch in the ’60s?

  16. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    When I read “Sanders jersey,” I thought it referred to Deion Sanders.

    1
  17. CSK Avatar
    CSK

    @Kathy:
    Me too.

  18. EddieInCA Avatar
    EddieInCA

    @James Joyner:

    With all due respect, if you don’t know who Barry Sanders is you’re not an NFL fan.

    I’m going to be 60 this year. I know who Sammy Baugh was. I know who Elroy Hirsch was. I know who Chuck Bednarik was. I know that Johnny Unitas was playing semi-pro football and driving a truck when he got his tryout for the Baltimore Colts. I know who the “Fearsome Foursome” were. I know who Fran Tarkenton, Len Dawson, Earl Morral are. I know what team Bart Starr played for all those years. Heck, I even know who Bart Starr’s two halfbacks were: Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung.

    If you’re a fan of the game, you know the history of the game. Barry Sanders was/is an iconic player in this league. AND, most impressively, he walked away from the game when he was at the absolute top of his talent. His final season he rushed for almost 1500 yards and was voted All-Pro. he owns more than 20 NFL records. He walked away when he was only 1400 yards short of the all time rushing record.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0VGmQ4SvTY The man was sick… in the good way.

    3
  19. EddieInCA Avatar
    EddieInCA

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Now I feel ancient. Who didn’t know Crazy Legs Hirsch in the ’60s?

    I did. And I was just a tyke. Here’s a few more: Frank Gifford (the player before he was the announcer), Norm Van Brocklin, Tom Fears, Lou Groza, Sam Huff, Dick “Night Train” Lane,

  20. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Now I feel ancient. Who didn’t know Crazy Legs Hirsch in the ’60s?

    @EddieInCA:

    With all due respect, if you don’t know who Barry Sanders is you’re not an NFL fan.

    I’m going to be 60 this year. I know who Sammy Baugh was. I know who Elroy Hirsch was. I know who Chuck Bednarik was. I know that Johnny Unitas was playing semi-pro football and driving a truck when he got his tryout for the Baltimore Colts. I know who the “Fearsome Foursome” were. I know who Fran Tarkenton, Len Dawson, Earl Morral are. I know what team Bart Starr played for all those years. Heck, I even know who Bart Starr’s two halfbacks were: Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung.

    I’m 54 and know all those people and have for a long time. But I didn’t know them in my earliest years of fandom. Most of them retired before I was born. Starr was the fairly mediocre head coach of the Packers when I started seriously watching the game.

    The Ice Bowl happened when I was a toddler. I know about it now. And I’ve seen some footage of it. But most young fans–and casual fans–aren’t students of the game’s history.

  21. Kurtz Avatar
    Kurtz

    @Pete S:

    Eh, I’m not comfortable impugning 60 million people. Unfortunately, I will probably have to get comfortable with it, because he’s still going to get tens of millions of votes even if he loses.

  22. Tyrell Avatar
    Tyrell

    @EddieInCA: I am certainly on with all the players you listed. I would add Chris Hanburger, Bill Kilmer, and Mark Moseley.

    1
  23. EddieInCA Avatar
    EddieInCA

    @James Joyner:

    Fair enough.

    Interestingly, every year that passes, I’m less and less of a football fan, despite playing college football and being a lifelong fan. Between the rule changes (I do not know what constitutes a catch in the NFL anymore) and the bad referees, and the serious head injuries, it’s just not that fun to watch anymore for me. As I get older, I’m watching more English and European Football (soccer).

    3
  24. Just nutha ignint cracker Avatar
    Just nutha ignint cracker

    @EddieInCA: I pay as little attention to the NFL as anyone and don’t remember who Barry Sanders was particularly. Even so, I still would have thought that it was some Detroit Lions stars jersey because that how that stuff works. How stupid do you have to be not to be able to figure it out? WA!

  25. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    Eh, I’m not comfortable impugning 60 million people.

    Unless you’re wealthy and/or abortion means that much to you, you’d have to be pretty stupid to ever vote for Trump…

  26. gVOR08 Avatar
    gVOR08

    @James Joyner: Duh. My bad.

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