NFL players turned their football gear into political billboards after George Floyd’s death in 2020. However, no conservative or pro-American political messages were allowedplaceholder image
NFL players turned their football gear into political billboards after George Floyd’s death in 2020. However, no conservative or pro-American political messages were allowed
By Phelim McAleer
Published22nd Oct 2025, 06:00 BST
Dublin enthusiastically embraced the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. The airport was decked out in Steelers black-and-gold and Vikings purple, greeting arriving teams and fans with themed signage and enthusiastic airport workers. Streets in areas like Temple Bar buzzed with NFL energy, as the city turned "black and yellow" in honour of the Steelers' Irish-rooted Rooney family ownership. Merchandise shops popped up, including Steelers-specific stores, and exclusive collaborations like NFL/GAA jerseys sold out on launch day.
To build hype, Dublin City Council also organised a massive Steelers Fan Tailgate at Merrion Square that drew over 20,000 attendees. (A tailgate is a party with food and drink that American football fans normally hold at their cars in advance of football games.)
But not everyone was happy. And it was the usual suspects. There is nobody more po-faced, censorious, humourless, and just plain wrong than an Irish progressive. And boy were they so wrong about the sport and what it stands for.
The leftists accused Irish officials of welcoming a conservative, Trumpian organisation steeped in militarism, racism and establishment politics.
Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty said the welcome was worrying and it was impossible to "disentangle the NFL from Trump’s America at the moment."
People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger denounced the NFL as a sport embedded in militarism, racism, and macho culture.
However, they are wrong about the NFL. Some players may be conservative, but the corporation that they play under is like so many institutions in America – captured by what Elon Musk described as the "woke mind virus".
It started with Hollywood and the universities, but almost every institution in the US has been taken over by progressives. Perhaps the last to fall have been the military and the NFL – but fall they have.
The NFL recently announced the singer Bad Bunny as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Of all the acts they could have chosen for middle America, they chose a man who wears dresses and who refuses to stand for the American national anthem. It's just the latest in a trail of wokeness.
Recently, the NFL and clubs have poured millions into "social justice” causes, including combatting ‘racist’ policing.
In 2020, amid George Floyd protests – which saw 30 people murdered and billions of dollars of property destroyed and looted – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was "wrong" for not listening earlier and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement that was behind the riots.
So in 2021, players could turn their football gear into political billboards showing messages like ‘End Racism', ‘Black Lives Matter’, or adding names such as George Floyd. But no conservative or pro-American political messages were allowed.
At the 2023 Super Bowl, the singer Sheryl Lee Ralph was highlighted as she sang ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, the song known as the Black national anthem. The actual national anthem was very much an afterthought.
And of course, no progressive organisation is complete if they are not honouring a transgender or two. And the NFL celebrated their first transgender cheerleader in 2022.
It gets worse. The Rooney Rule mandates interviewing a set number of minority and female candidates for almost all key roles, even if they are not qualified. Teams get financially rewarded if they hire more minority candidates – regardless of merit.
Don’t get me wrong. American football is still popular, but that popularity is declining. The fans are getting fatigued at being told they are a problem. They just want to watch football and have a beer. They don’t want a fake history lecture or to be told that they and their opinions are toxic and damaging.
Ratings are falling for televised games. America is gradually switching off, and teams are playing in stadiums with lots of empty seats. President Trump has declared war on woke and punished universities and members of the military who have been promoting the ideology. If the NFL does not get onboard, teams may soon be getting their warmest welcomes in Ireland and not the US.
Phelim McAleer is a Co Tyrone-born journalist/producer working in Los Angeles