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Sheldon Adelson’s Reported Interest In Mets Could Present Some Fans With Great Moral Dilemma

This article is more than 3 years old.

Update: Sheldon Adelson’s representatives say the billionaire is not interested in buying the Mets.

Previously:

Sheldon Adelson’s reported identity as the mystery bidder for the Mets places the woebegone franchise’s beleaguered fans in an uncomfortable position: rooting for a team funded by the Republican Party’s biggest individual financial backer.

It is the ultimate hypothetical question of whether sports can be separated from politics.

The New York Post reports Adelson is the secret bidder for the Mets, with the 86-year-old casino magnate putting his vast fortune behind a group led by Josh Harris and Dave Blitzer, the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils.

The group is a serious financial challenger to hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, the current front-runner who’s bid $2 billion on the team, Forbes staff writer Mike Ozanian reports. A group led by superstar power couple Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez put in around $1.7 billion for the club, the Post says. (In recent days, several star athletes have joined A-Rod and J-Lo’s bid, including Brian Urlacher, Travis Kelce, DeMarco Murray, Joe Thomas and Bradley Beal.)

Make no mistake: all of the front-runners present their own unique moral quandaries. Rodriguez was suspended for an entire season due to steroid use and involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. Along with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, he is one of the most infamous figures of the Steroid Era.

Cohen was involved in one of the biggest insider trading scandals in Wall Street history, with his former hedge fund pleading guilty to charges and paying $1.8 billion in penalties. Cohen escaped criminal indictment himself, however.

Adelson has a questionable ethical background, too, most infamously being accused of bribing Chinese officials and working with organized crime syndicates to operate his casinos in Macau, which could’ve resulted in his company’s casino license being stripped in Las Vegas.

But Adelson represents an even greater dilemma than unsavory financial dealings: arguably nobody has served as a greater booster to the modern Republican Party. Adelson has long been the party’s largest individual donor, pledging $82 million to Trump and other Republicans in the 2016 election cycle, according to Open Secrets. That was more than three times the next largest singular donor.

In the 2018 midterm elections, Adelson donated at least $112 million to GOP PACs and groups. This year, he is expected to spend $200 million, the Guardian reports.

Since the Citizens United ruling, Adelson and his wife Miriam have been the largest Super PAC contributors of all, giving $292 million since 2010, or approximately 10% of all Super PAC contributions.

It is not rare for Trump supporters to reside in sports executive suites. Nine NFL owners contributed to Trump’s inaugural committee, including beloved Patriots owner Robert Kraft. But Adelson is perhaps the most responsible person in the U.S. for this current Administration, and our entire dark money-fueled plutocracy.

Of course, there are many Republican sports fans who support Trump. According to a 2017 study from FiveThirtyEight, the average NFL team’s fan base is made up of just 6% more Democrats than Republicans. Unsurprisingly, teams in Republican-leaning areas typically have more Republican fans, and vice versa.

But culturally, Mets fans have long represented the left-leaning end of the political spectrum. In a 2006 Quinnipiac study, only 29% of Republicans said they would choose the Mets over the Yankees in a Subway Series, compared to 41% of Democrats (44% of Democrats said they would choose the Yankees).

The Yankees’ polished and corporate image — long hair and facial hair are prohibited — also contribute to their symbolic connection with the right. Legendary owner George Steinbrenner was a longtime GOP donor who was charged with making illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon, only to be pardoned by Ronald Reagan. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a diehard Yankees fan, and Trump called Steinbrenner his “best friend.”

The Yankees count Regis Philbin and Alec Baldwin as some of their most notable celebrity fans. For the Mets, it’s Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Michael Moore. Acerbic left-wing comedian Bill Maher is one of the team’s minority owners.

But outside of team identity, politics are becoming increasingly intertwined in sports, with more athletes using their platforms to speak out. Black MLB players, often less vocal than their peers in the NBA and NFL, have begun speaking out in droves about the game’s racial problems. In his letter about opting out of the 2020 season, outfielder Ian Desmond called out baseball’s deep cultural issues with racial diversity and inclusion.

Is it possible Adelson’s status as an owner — even of the limited partner variety — could drive some players away from the Mets?

For years, Mets fans have been calling for Fred Wilpon and his family to sell the team. But as sportswriter David J. Roth notes, many probably haven’t factored in Adelson’s reported interest in their pleas.

In what promises to be the most divisive election in modern times in the midst of a pandemic and economic depression, Adelson will likely be Trump’s biggest single backer. His potential ownership of the Mets could cause some fans to think twice.

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