It was a bit of a political footnote, especially in the otherwise political swamp that is the state of Florida, but of the long list of donors that contributed to the political super PAC Never Back Down, which supports presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one in particular stood out. That one was the Orlando Magic, one of two NBA franchises in the sunshine state and the only one along the bellwether I-4 corridor, although perhaps not so much anymore. The donation was for $50,000, far more than you could give directly to a candidate themselves. But the amount wasn’t the story. It’s the donor – an NBA franchise, a privately owned organization that otherwise operates very much in the public domain. And one whose employees may hold a vastly different view of presidential politics than its owner.
Of course, political donations from sports owners is nothing new. In fact, it’s an expectation, considering team owners across major American sports are a select group of billionaires with obvious and inherent political self-interests. But typically these donations come directly from the owners themselves, not their teams. They historically come more for Republican candidates and causes, with several notable exceptions. Trump has been a consistent loser, with far more owners donating to democratic presidential hopefuls than MAGA. Of course, some of the owners may simply remember Trump’s abysmal job with the USFL. Regardless, it’s rare we’d see a team giving money instead of it owner, which is why this is a story.
Well, that’s part of why. We’d be foolish to ignore the elephant that is Ron DeSantis and his political trajectory, one that’s found every culture fight he could, especially those that make designated WOKE politics the opponent. That includes a heavy hand on public education, including incendiary teaching standards suggesting a silver lining for slavery. So it’s not just that the Magic are supporting a candidate. It’s that they’re supporting this candidate, and from an organization who’s most visible and highly compensated employees are black. Such is the juxtaposition of this moment for the team and the NBA, which has increasingly supported political activism but typically for liberal causes, including those related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Particularly for the NBA, progressive politics haven’t hurt the sport’s marketplace, something less apparent for the more conservative NFL and NHL organizations. But I don’t know that an embrace of conservative dogma would fare well for American professional basketball.
Of course, there is a more basic question to be addressed – namely, should professional sports teams openly endorse political candidates at all, or their shadow organizations? That’s both a loaded and layered question, especially in the polarized and intensely scrutinized landscape of mediated American politics. The NBA doesn’t specifically prohibit this kind of financial donation, and until the owners create such a policy, it won’t. Generally speaking, it hasn’t been an issue, because owners were wise to keep their personal support separate from their team’s image, one that need appeal to consumers of all stripes and powerful employees with strong opinions and massive public influence. Of course, professional team owners with all their ego and personal wealth don’t inherently always make the best public business decisions.
But it’s important to recognize that one can’t only call foul when it goes against your team. The NBA and other pro sports leagues have endorsed political ideals if not candidates. These are articulated through things like public statements and messaging on clothing at games – including those specifically endorsing a candidate. These have largely been accepted because they fit a historical narrative of player activism and have been viewed as on the right side of issues and history. And while this may be true, it doesn’t ignore the fact that in this larger landscape of politics, sports, and commerce, it might be a losing argument to allow some forms of support and not others, especially if the larger argument is about the importance of free expression. And I’ll accept this ignores the tinderbox of the actual politics of the moment, which falls somewhere between fine to apocalyptic, depending on your persuasion.
Should the Orlando Magic be allowed donate to Ron DeSantis’ super PAC? I guess, even if it’s a really bad idea. But for the NBA, they should hope it remains nothing more than a footnote.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him on twitter at @KeithStrudler
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