O’Neil: Mike Leach’s endorsement of Donald Trump is refreshing

I like that Mike Leach endorsed Donald Trump when he introduced the presidential candidate in Spokane on Saturday.

Wait. I need to clarify that a little bit because I don’t like who he endorsed. I do, however, like the fact that the Washington State football coach felt compelled to endorse a politician so publicly. In fact, it was refreshing to see a prominent sports figure voice a political opinion, knowing it would not be shared with a good chunk of his team’s constituency.

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For more than 20 years now, American athletes and coaches have done their best to remain publicly agnostic when it comes to politics. This wasn’t done out of any sort of high-minded separation of state and sports. It certainly wasn’t done because there was a lack of opinions among athletes and coaches. It was done to avoid alienating any chunk of fans, who were increasingly being seen as consumers.

“Republicans buy shoes, too.”

That quote was famously attributed to Michael Jordan when asked about supporting Harvey Gantt, a black Congressional candidate who in 1990 was trying to unseat Jesse Helms in North Carolina.

It was a choice, and while you can debate whether it was right or wrong for Jordan to choose commercial impact over social change, one fact was undeniable: It was the most boring path. And in many ways, Jordan was the weather vane for what has followed.

The reason Leach’s endorsement for Trump is significant isn’t because the Washington State football coach is so prominent. It’s because no one else in sports does it. Well, no one except for Bobby Knight, who’s such a cranky old dude that he not only doesn’t care what anyone thinks, but knowing his personality, there’s a fair chance his endorsement of Trump is based partly on the knowledge that the opinion will antagonize the most people in this campaign.

But think about the most popular athletes in our country over the past 25 years: Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr., Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. Can you tell me the political opinions of any of those athletes? You’re more likely to be able to tell me whether Peyton Manning endorses DirecTV or cable than you are to tell me his political leanings.

That’s not entirely a bad thing. One reason sports brings us together as a society is because it steers clear of politics, but that has more to do with the divisive nature of our current political climate than it does about the subject itself. Religion can be an even more divisive subject in society, and yet it’s not in sports. There are prayer circles at midfield after NFL games. Athletes frequently mention their faith or thank the Lord without enraging those fans who don’t share the same beliefs. Why can’t differing political opinions be similarly accepted?

Back in 2006, George W. Bush visited Washington state, and Seahawk players Matt Hasselbeck and Mack Strong were at the event, presenting him with a No. 43 Seahawks jersey. Working as a reporter for The Seattle Times then, I asked Hasselbeck if the jersey number showed the president was a big fan of Leonard Weaver, the fullback who was wearing that jersey at the time.

“Are you from South Carolina?” Hasselbeck asked, referencing a video of a famously dim-witted beauty-pageant contestant that was making the rounds at the time.

Yeah. Bush was the country’s 43^rd president.

For the rest of that season, I received emails from Seahawk fans bemoaning the team’s recognition of Bush. Later, when Hasselbeck was injured, many expressed their belief in some karmic connection between the quarterback’s role in honoring Bush and the subsequent injury. There was enough noise around the topic that one of the editors wondered if a story should be written.

The reaction was absolutely ridiculous. Neither the Seahawks nor the two players endorsed Bush. They didn’t vouch for his policies. Two members of the team took part in a public recognition of the sitting president of our country, and yet even that was bitterly divisive.

All that is a long way of saying that I understand why athletes choose the least political path possible. Discussing it means that two things are certain to happen: 1) It’s going to be a huge hassle explaining it later; 2) It’s going to antagonize at least some percentage of your fans.

But that’s why I liked Leach’s endorsement of Trump. There’s no reason an athlete or coach should have to stay mum on a subject they feel strongly about just because some of their fans won’t agree.

In fact, seems to me that Leach’s endorsement is an opportunity for those Cougar fans who don’t agree to realize that a differing political opinion doesn’t constitute a public betrayal.

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