By Mr. Right
Copyright dailycaller
Charlie Kirk’s horrific assassination seems to have sparked a great reawakening among pro athletes in America.
In the wake of Kirk’s murder, it is increasingly apparent that athletes are no longer as afraid to express views that might anger the left. Although that does not necessarily mean they are conservative, it is a welcome change. (Subscribe to MR. RIGHT, a free weekly newsletter about modern masculinity)
On Sunday, several NFL teams held tributes for Kirk, with the majority of fan reactions being positive. During the 1:00 p.m. games on Sunday, the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Jets observed moments of silence in Kirk’s honor. Each team displayed Kirk’s image on their video boards, encouraging attendees to stand and acknowledge his contributions as the founder of Turning Point USA after the tragic event at Utah Valley University.
Later that afternoon, both the Arizona Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs also observed moments of silence for Kirk before their respective games against the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Pittsburgh Steelers opted to lower their flag to half-staff.
Tributes have also poured in from other corners of the sports world. The New York Yankees observed a moment of silence before their game on Wednesday, and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson condemned those celebrating inappropriately, urging reflection and respect in somber times.
🚨JUST IN: #Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson on the tragic death of Charlie Kirk — saying celebrating the death of anyone is awful. “Celebrating the death of someone you don’t share the same beliefs as is wild. Seeing it play out in real time is disgusting” pic.twitter.com/qeRFHF6XVn — MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 10, 2025
Before tonight’s game we held a moment of silence in memoriam of Charlie Kirk. Kirk founded the youth activist group “Turning Point USA” and had become a fixture on college campuses. Charlie Kirk, a husband and father of two children, was 31 years old. pic.twitter.com/Fz5xPlmdu0 — New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 10, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen paid tribute to Kirk during Friday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants, taking to the mound wearing a hat adorned with Kirk’s name, flanked by crosses on each side.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen honored Charlie Kirk by writing “✝️Charlie Kirk✝️” on his hat in their game vs San Francisco Treinen was also the only Dodger to publicly oppose his team honoring the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” two seasons ago pic.twitter.com/wzUPcjIlDI — Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 13, 2025
Of course, not all of these athletes share Kirk’s political opinions; however, they do share his humanity.
In a time when young kids, especially, are vulnerable to fringe ideologies and radical weirdos online, athletes setting good examples of decency and moral clarity by condemning political violence is a great thing for this country and its youth.
As a kid, I idolized professional athletes, and though there was no social media at that time, I still loved to read their interviews in magazines like Sports Illustrated or watch their post-game comments on ESPN. I mimicked them, on the field and, to a certain extent, in real life. Their habits, their diets, their celebrations, their trash talk, etc. I truly looked up to them, as all kids do.
Pro athletes do not need to be conservative to be good role models (though that certainly helps!). Simply by not being left-wing lunatics and celebrating Kirk’s awful assassination, which might not have been the case in 2020, is good enough.
And hey, maybe there are more closeted conservatives in the sports world than we are aware of, and perhaps recent events will coax them out of the shadows.
