Staff Reports
Abdul El-Sayed’s 2021 Substack essay calling American football “governed” by “toxic masculinity” is back in the news. The piece is resurfacing now because he just won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan by a hair. That timing matters. Voters care about football and culture in swing states, and opponents smell an opening.
What El-Sayed actually wrote on Substack
In the 2021 Substack post, written after the Jon Gruden email scandal, the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan argued that “the toxic masculinity at the heart of America’s most popular sport” runs deep. He said locker-room culture was full of “racism, misogyny, and homophobia,” and contrasted that world with the fictional coach Ted Lasso, who he praised as kinder and more inclusive. El-Sayed also drew on his own youth football experience, saying he felt free on the field but alienated in the locker room by taunting and “bro” culture.
Why the essay is getting new attention
The essay is being dug up because El-Sayed’s primary win was razor-thin, and critics are asking whether a candidate who criticizes football culture will connect with the broader Michigan electorate. Reporters and strategists are pairing the resurfaced post with other moves that drew headlines — like campaign appearances with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker — to question electability. The likely Republican opponent, former Congressman Mike Rogers, and his allies will almost certainly use this material to craft fall messaging.
Political risk: tone-deaf on football in a swing state
Calling football “toxic” in Michigan is political malpractice. Football is not just a sport where millions live — it’s tied to identity, community, and blue-collar pride in many towns. Voters who watch high school and college games may not appreciate being lectured from a Substack essay written years ago. If the campaign expects Ted Lasso references and progressive theater to win over working-class voters, that’s a gamble. Republicans will likely run ads that make that gamble look foolish to middle-of-the-road voters.
What comes next and why voters should care
Expect the El-Sayed campaign to be asked for a clear answer: does he stand by the phrasing about football culture, or will he soften it for general-election voters? If he stays silent, opponents will fill the gap with TV spots and social posts. This matters because elections turn on small margins and cultural cues. Calling the sport of millions “toxic” may play well to parts of his base — but in a statewide race, it could cost him the center. In short: this Substack post is now campaign ammo, and voters should watch how El-Sayed handles the fallout.
