Country music star Garth Brooks took heat from his conservative fans after seemingly endorsing Bernie Sanders for president… when he was actually just wearing a sports jersey of an NFL Hall of Famer with the same name.
Some fans were left with the mistaken impression that Brooks was openly backing the socialist Vermont senator in the middle of the Democratic primaries by sporting the jersey at a concert.
“Can’t you just do what you get paid to do? Why why why does it have to involve politics!” one Instagram commenter wrote. “Thought you were different.”
The jersey doesn’t reference the Vermont senator at all, but rather Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, an NFL Hall of Famer. Brooks was wearing the jersey while performing in – appropriately – Detroit.
That didn’t stop the hate from pouring in, with seemingly none of the angry commenters bothering to ask why the sports garb would have Bernie Sanders’ name on it, or why it would bear the number 20.
“Lost some respect [for Brooks with] that jersey,” one commenter said, while another added: “Weird that a millionaire would like a socialist. Hey Garth, are you going to distribute your millions?”
Some Bernie Sanders fans even jumped in to praise the country singer. “Love the Sanders jersey! Feel the Bern!” a Twitter user posted.
The political mixup of both conservatives and Sanders fans has many now simply shaking their heads and laughing.
“Facebook forgot who Barry Sanders is and is freaking out at Garth Brooks for wearing a jersey and I’m dying,” one Twitter user wrote, adding a collection of some of the more colorful comments denouncing Brooks.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be the internet if people didn’t start photoshopping Bernie Sanders’ face onto the body of Barry Sanders while playing in the NFL.
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