San Francisco 49ers top defensive end Nick Bosa made sure fans know that he is backing former President Donald Trump on Monday.
Bosa stoked liberal ire after the team’s victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, when he briefly flashed a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Bosa’s stealthy move came as Brock Purdy was preparing to speak with NBC’s Melissa Stark on the field after beating the Cowboys 30-24.
He approached Purdy from behind, showcasing the white hat emblazoned with gold lettering that spelled out “Make America Great Again,” rather than the usual red and white design, making it less conspicuous initially.
Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo join Melissa Stark to reflect on the 49ers victory over the Cowboys, and the trio get presented championship belts for National Tight Ends Day. pic.twitter.com/s9O2qLOHxM
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 28, 2024
“I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time,” Bosa commented post-game, declining to give further details about his Trump support.
On Monday, he shared a snapshot of the incident on Instagram, alongside a collage capturing moments from the event.
But Bosa’s support for Trump sparked a major freak out from the left, including journalist Alex Simon of SFGate.com, who flagged the hat as a violation of NFL rules.
Nick Bosa on his MAGA hat statement: “I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time.” pic.twitter.com/NgHx6GJcH6 https://t.co/o9ZGmUse87
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 28, 2024
Regardless of the political candidate Bosa chose to endorse in the upcoming elections, any hat he wore before, during, or after the game is an infringement of NFL rules.
In his article, Simon pointed out the straightforward but lenghty block of text that makes up Rule 5, Article 4, Section 8, which pertains to players’ post-game conduct:
“Throughout the period on game day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office,” the rule reads.
“The League will not grant permission for any club or player to wear, display, or otherwise convey messages, through helmet decals, arm bands, jersey patches, mouthpieces, or other items affixed to game uniforms or equipment, which relate to political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns.”
During the same game, a family alleged that security personnel at Levi’s Stadium barred them from entering the 49ers match on Sunday due to a traditionally red “Make America Great Again” hat.
Holy Sh*t.
This family was denied entry at the 49ers game because they were wearing Trump hats. Security told them to throw away the hat or leave.
They fought back and were eventually let in. Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/eahNuadwBo
— AG 🔥 (@Yolo304741) October 28, 2024
A TikTok video shows a woman recounting how security informed her husband that he couldn’t enter while wearing the MAGA cap.
“We were about to enter, and they stopped us because my son-in-law is wearing this hat. They don’t want to let us in,” she explained in the video.
The woman claimed they were denied entry even after passing initial security checks.
“So, what was meant to be a fun, first-time experience for our kids turned out to be an eye opener to us,” the video’s caption read.
The woman noted that it was actually Bosa’s surprise hat trick that inspired her to share the experience.
“I wasn’t going to share, but even after seeing the field state, ‘vote it takes all of us,’ and [Nick] Bosa flashing his [MAGA] hat in the camera, I felt we were being discriminated against.”
She explained that the family was stopped after they had scanned their tickets and passed through security checkpoints by a man who asked her husband “to either discard the hat or leave the stadium.”
“We were stopped after scanning tickets and passing security checkpoints by a male asking my husband to either discard the hat or leave the stadium.
The incident led to a 30-45 minute argument that caused them to miss the beginning of the game, until a supervisor stepped in and allowed them to pass through.
Another woman from the family argued with security, questioning why no policies were posted at the stadium indicating hats like theirs wouldn’t be allowed inside.
“How can you enforce policies after I’ve bought my ticket?” she inquired.