Democrat Abdul El-Sayed Made the Dumbest Remark About NFL Football

A newly nominated Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan once delivered a searing critique of the sport that helped shape him.

Abdul El-Sayed, who secured his party’s nomination by a razor-thin margin, previously argued that “toxic masculinity” sits at the heart of American football.

In a 2021 Substack post written after the resignation of then-Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, El-Sayed claimed the problem ran far deeper than a handful of emails.

“The toxic masculinity at the heart of America’s most popular sport — and men’s sports culture more generally — is way deeper than a few emails or a Jay-Z turnaround,” he wrote.

El-Sayed reflected on his own high school playing days, describing freedom on the field but alienation in the locker room.

“On the football field, I felt free,” he wrote. “And yet on the sidelines and in the locker room, I was fed a hefty dose of the worst kinds of racist taunting.”

He went further, stating that “Racism, misogyny, and homophobia were lingua franca” in the culture surrounding the game.

El-Sayed contrasted that environment with the optimistic, emotionally open approach of the fictional coach in the Apple TV+ series *Ted Lasso*, arguing that sports should promote positive and inclusive values.

“Sport is a metaphor for life,” he added. “For millions of young people, sports can teach life’s lessons in a safe and nurturing environment.”

His primary victory has already prompted analysis of his base—younger and more highly educated voters—and questions about how those past comments will play in a general election.

The gap between his youthful football experience and his later critique of the sport’s culture now forms part of the political narrative surrounding his candidacy.