Alabama football coach Nick Saban was among a handful of sports figures from West Virginia to sign a letter urging Sen. Joe Manchi to support the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act.
“We strongly support urgently needed legislation that will protect both the rights of voters and the integrity of outcomes in all Federal elections,” the letter to Manchin said. “The Freedom to Vote Act, which you sponsored with Committee Chair Senator [Amy] Klobuchar and other colleagues, effectively addressed these goals. Now we also support your leadership in shaping legislation to secure our democracy by protecting election integrity, principled Presidential transitions and our national security during transitions.
“We come from some of our nation’s most popular sports leagues, conferences and teams. Some of us have roots and shaped our lives in West Virginia. Others followed very different paths and some of us have been rivals in sports or business. But we are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field; the referees are neutral; and at the end of the game the final score is respected and accepted.”
The letter did not sit well with South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman. He would take to Twitter and state: “Nick Saban should focus on winning National Championships instead of destroying our elections.”
That was just an horrendous take from somebody who clearly does not know how much Nick Saban has won in his career.
“Imagine going after Nick Saban and telling him to win a championship,” a college football fan said.
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“Politics aside, CFB Twitter, particularly the folks in SEC Country, are about to take off from the free throw on this tweet regarding someone from checks notes South Carolina talking about winning national championships,” another fan said.
The letter, which was made public on Monday, also was signed by NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, former West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck, former NFL All-Pro Darryl Talley and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
This is a big change with Saban who previously steered clear of making political stances for much of his career, telling reporters in 2020, “I’ve never endorsed a candidate, nor will I ever endorse a candidate or get involved in politics in any way, shape or form. I don’t think that’s my place.”
