David Wells is speaking out again. The New York Yankee great, who pitched 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, has never been shy about voicing his beliefs. Most often, his beliefs are decried by the left and cheered by the right. Wells has weighed in on the Bud Light fiasco, Nike, and Colin Kaepernick, among other things.
Last month, Wells returned to the Bronx for the 75th iteration of Old Timers Day. The traditional event brings the greatest living Yankees back to the ballpark for festivities and nostalgia. For Wells’ visit, he covered the famous Nike “swoosh” on the jersey because of his feelings about the company.
He claimed that if he were still playing, the logo would have to be removed. Never one to sugarcoat his opinions so they taste better to the left, Wells unloaded on Nike. He said: “I hate Nike. They’re woke.”
Last week, the two-time World Series participant spoke further regarding his stance on Bud Light, Nike, and Kaepernick. He said: “It’s my beliefs. I don’t believe in all these companies coming into sports and trying to create a woke atmosphere.”
Wells echoes what many fans already know, and some professional sports are starting to discover: people will tune out if too much political content and virtue signaling are interjected. Sports should be a distraction from everyday life and not a reminder that sometimes things aren’t perfect.
Last month, when asked about Bud Light and if he will ever drink it again, Wells emphatically said: “Nope.” He isn’t the only beer drinker to abandon the brand since their ill-advised partnership early in the year that has cost the company jobs, investors money, and Bud Light considerable market share.
It has gotten and remained so bad for the brand that some insiders in the industry, like Beer Business Daily publisher Harry Schuhmacher claimed in September many customers could be “lost forever.” It is an easy enough decision to choose another beer, but in terms of sports, people have a harder time walking away.
After Colin Kaepernick took a knee for perceived social injustice and police brutality, many fans actually made the commitment to stay away from the NFL. Wells talked about Kaepernick and his effect on the game.
He said about the former NFL quarterback: “When Kaepernick took to the knee … it’s a little disrespect to me. Your beliefs are your beliefs … I don’t have any problem with that, but don’t go out [on] national TV and take a knee for what that is because that doesn’t prove anything in my mind.”
Since Kaepernick created his legacy by taking a knee, he has been unemployed in the NFL, leading many on the left to claim he is blackballed rather than just past his prime and not worth the drama. Whatever the case, he is still begging the league for a job, and the league is still taking a pass on his services.
If sport, in general, is to avoid any more loss of TV ratings, revenue, and fan interest, perhaps David Wells’ opinions should be the prevailing mindset. Fans will only give so much grace for so long before they tune out permanently. Just ask Bud Light.
Featured image credit: By pvsbond – TBS Analyst David Wells, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10624605
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