When the NHL announced that Kid Rock would be performing at the All-Star game on Jan. 28 in Tampa, Florida, not everyone was cheering.
Some fans just don’t like Kid Rock’s music, while others were more critical of the performer’s outspoken political views and support for President Donald Trump.
In the initial tweet by the league about his All-Star appearance, there were almost as many comments as there were likes. The majority of comments expressed disbelief about the NHL’s choice.
The 2018 @Honda #NHLAllStar Game will feature @KidRock as the headlining entertainment! pic.twitter.com/rhwYqjr4Em
— NHL (@NHL) January 17, 2018
One NHL great is in Kid Rock’s corner and wasn’t afraid to set the naysayers straight. Former Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick doesn’t understand why so many fans are against the musical choice.
Roenick told the Sporting News that he has known Kid Rock for years and has always been a fan. When asked about the politicizing the selection, Roenick dropped the gloves:
See, this is where I get driven crazy by people today. Why does anything have to do with politics or where he stands with politics when it comes to entertaining and singing to people at a sporting event? It drives me crazy. All these people have their panties so hung up they can’t even think straight. They don’t understand the performance. Entertainment has nothing to do with whether he likes Trump or he doesn’t like Hillary Clinton. Let him perform, sing his songs that have nothing to do with politics. All these people have got to stop with this narrative that’s going around and the divide they’re bringing to this country. It’s driving me crazy.
Roenick, who announces for NBC Sports, interviewed Kid Rock recently and said this: “When I talk to people about you, I say, ‘Kid Rock is the most talented musician, I think ever, on the planet, because you can put any instrument in your hand or on your mouth and you can play anything and rock a house and sing any kind of genre.”
NHL executive Steve Mayer addressed the backlash from some fans with ESPN, saying “our sole objective is to choose musical acts to perform at our events and entertain our fans.”
