Even after liberal sports writers attempted to gin up “controversy” over the National Hockey League’s choice of rocker Kid Rock to entertain during this year’s All-Star game, the singer was mostly well received by a cheering audience.
After the NHL announced its choice of the rock-n-roll entertainer to perform during the big game, several sportswriters tried to characterize the choice as a “controversy” because the Detroit-based singer is known for supporting Republican and conservative ideals.
ESPN, for instance, hyped a supposed “backlash” against the NHL’s choice of Kid Rock and used a series of tweets from liberal sports writers as evidence that “fans” were rising up against the inclusion of the conservative rocker at the game. The Comeback’s Andrew Bucholtz also joined the liberal spin that Kid Rock was causing trouble for the league.
But despite the attempt to create enough trouble for the NHL to yank its offer to Kid Rock, the singer nonetheless performed at Sunday’s game. Ultimately, USA Today’s Jimmy Hascup begrudgingly noted that the rocker appeared to “mostly cheers” at the game.
“The boos were heard before Kid Rock stepped onto the ice for his second-intermission performance at the NHL All-Star Game, but the reaction grew more favorable once he was on center stage,” Hascup wrote in his January 29 review o the performance.
“Kid Rock entered to a nonexistent reaction from fans as most at Amalie Arena were away from their seats. He sang two songs, first ‘American Rock n’ Roll’ in which little cheering was heard,” Hascup continued. “But fans cheered when he began singing one of his first hit singles, ‘Bawitdaba’ and grew more supportive throughout.”
So, despite the attempt to torpedo his performance, it appears the fans, those in attendance at the game, were less upset about any “backlash” against Kid Rock’s politics than the liberal sports writers who reported on the incident.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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