The start of this week’s World Cup in Qatar—marred by reported human rights abuses that have potentially led to the death of 6,500 workers; the host nation’s restrictions on rights for women and LGBTQ individuals; ongoing strife in participating nation Iran; and more—put a fine point on a dizzying year for the relationship between sports and politics.
At the start of this process, I chronicled how the Washington Commanders, née Football Team, had allowed decades of off-the-field reputational crises to define them, and how their rebranding was an opportunity to strategically rebuild a connection with their audience.
Did they fumble the kickoff?
“I know one question people have is: ‘Is this legit, is this real, is this actually happening or is this a play?’”
This question came from James McNicholas, writer for The Athletic, on Arseblog’s Arsecast Extra Podcast, in light of the announcement Sunday that 12 of the world’s biggest soccer clubs were breaking away from current European competitions to launch their own “Super League,” exclusively closed to them and five guest teams of their choosing.
At the start of this process, I chronicled how the Washington Commanders, née Football Team, had allowed decades of off-the-field reputational crises to define them, and how their rebranding was an opportunity to strategically rebuild a connection with their audience.
Did they fumble the kickoff?
