Philadelphia Flyers Making a Political Endorsement For Gov. Palin? I Do Some Digging To Find Out Why
Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin will be dropping the puck at the Philadelphia Flyers home opener this Saturday. While it sounds like a simply political stunt, I did some digging and was surprised at what I found about this event.
First, the press release:
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation’s most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the “Ultimate Hockey Mom” contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.
“Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. “We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey.” - Philly.com
This seemed like a questionable move on the part of the Flyers to me. It will come across as nothing more than a political endorsement from the Flyers for the GOP’s VP candidate.
You’d think that would be the kind of thing a sports team would want to avoid, right?
So I dug around a bit, and it turns out Ed Snider, who founded the Flyers, has maxed out his contributions to the campaign of Sen. John McCain this year, contributing $4,600 to his campaign last June.
Candidate Contributor Employer Date Amount
McCain, John SNIDER, EDWARD M MR
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19147 COMCAST-SPECTACOR 6/30/08 $2,300
McCain, John SNIDER, EDWARD M MR
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19147 COMCAST-SPECTACOR 6/30/08 $2,300
Surprise, surprise. This has nothing to do with the publicity Gov. Palin has brought to hockey and everything to do with her political leanings.
How any reasonable fan can see this as anything other than a political endorsement by the Flyers is beyond me, and that only diminishes the Flyers while interjecting politics into the one place it doesn’t belong: sports.
If I were a season ticket holder, I’d be calling up the sales office of the Flyers and voicing my extreme displeasure at the endorsement of a political candidate.
October 8, 2008 4:20 pm 
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and son Carter.
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By Bruno Wolff III, October 9, 2008 @ 11:19 am
I think that saying “This has nothing to do with the publicity Gov. Palin has brought to hockey” is wrong. I suspect the owner was feeling Palin and his team could both provide each other with some good publicity.
So while the owner backing McCain was most likely necessary for this event to have been scheduled, I do think the Flyers are benefitting as well.
By Go Celtics, October 9, 2008 @ 8:23 pm
Or you could get a life and get over it.