Critics blasted Sports Illustrated over the publication’s tweet about a praying football coach.
The Supreme Court is weighing the case of Joe Kennedy.
Kennedy is a former high school football coach who lost his job after praying on the 50-yard-line.
He accused the Bremerton School District of violating his constitutional rights to free exercise and free speech when he was fired.
On Monday, Sports Illustrated tweeted, “SCOTUS will soon rule on the case of a public school football coach who wants to pray on-field after games.”
It added, “[Greg Bishop] on Joe Kennedy, the machine backing him and the expected result: a win for Kennedy and an erosion of a bedrock of American democracy.”
SCOTUS will soon rule on the case of a public school football coach who wants to pray on-field after games.@GregBishopSI on Joe Kennedy, the machine backing him and the expected result: a win for Kennedy and an erosion of a bedrock of American democracy: https://t.co/H8tEoQauZh pic.twitter.com/XCmjK0qQsO
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 13, 2022
The tweet garnered several strong reactions:
Actually, the Court affirming Coach Kennedy’s right to live his faith upholds the bedrock of our democracy—it doesn’t erode it. https://t.co/VqUtphjwpQ
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) June 14, 2022
Super bad take. Find bigger problems and do better. https://t.co/z7an5l4KFw
— Andrew T. Walker (@andrewtwalk) June 14, 2022
New: Radical leftists at @SINow attack prayer AFTER football game as being against "democracy"– which is reminder they want to ban Christianity. Sports Illustrated, btw, is owned by @AuthenticBrands, which also owns @reebox, @BrooksBrothers, @eddiebauer, and many other brands. https://t.co/odqbIf0ZGu
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) June 13, 2022
Both bigoted and historically illiterate. https://t.co/hoFf5ne7zY
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/1536433730318962689
I know believers and I know non-believers. Hardly anyone actually feels this way.
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) June 13, 2022
What an embarrassing article. https://t.co/InHNvNHHs8
“The machine backing him” is the US Constitution. And it’s telling that Sports Illustrated thinks the Constitution is a threat to “democracy.” https://t.co/wsYROrQS1I
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 13, 2022
Your reminder that Sports Illustrated is a far-left propaganda outfit that occasionally covers sports
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) June 13, 2022
cc: @JakeCrain_ https://t.co/f6M2i3ws9H
During an interview with The Daily Signal, Kennedy shared his one request for the court, as IJR reported.
The one thing he is asking of the court is “that I get to be a coach and I get to thank God afterwards.”
Additionally, Kennedy spoke about the relationship between his faith and career.
“When they told me that I had to pick between my faith and my job, that was a no-brainer and I stood up and fought,” Kennedy said.
The former football coach told the outlet he “decided to file the lawsuit after I realized that I was not going to be able to win this by myself.”
Kennedy explained, “There was no way I could talk to the school district anymore. Their lawyers said I was not to be in any contact with the school or anyone at the school, unless it was through the lawyers.”
Fox News noted a ruling on the case is expected sometime this month.