{"id":2675243,"date":"2026-10-03T21:08:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T01:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-sayed-suggests-football-is-unethical-based-on-toxic-masculinity-but-turns-out-he-was-hs-team-captain\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T21:14:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T01:14:27","slug":"el-sayed-suggests-football-is-unethical-based-on-toxic-masculinity-but-turns-out-he-was-hs-team-captain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/el-sayed-suggests-football-is-unethical-based-on-toxic-masculinity-but-turns-out-he-was-hs-team-captain\/","title":{"rendered":"El-Sayed Suggests Football Is Unethical, Based on &#8216;Toxic Masculinity&#8217;&#8230; But Turns Out He Was HS Team Captain"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fel-sayed-suggests-football-is-unethical-based-on-toxic-masculinity-but-turns-out-he-was-hs-team-captain%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2675243&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article critiques football, describing it as &#8220;unethical&#8221; and &#8220;toxically masculine,&#8221; as expressed by Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el-Sayed. Fox News uncovered El-Sayed\u2019s statements questioning the sport\u2019s ethics and highlighting its association with toxic masculinity. Despite his personal history as a high school football player and team captain, he has publicly criticized the sport\u2019s culture without apologizing. Meanwhile, prominent Michigan politicians emphasize football\u2019s role in fostering resilience and community spirit. El-Sayed&#8217;s remarks appear to be a political strategy, possibly aimed at distancing himself from problematic aspects of masculinity while navigating the electorate&#8217;s love for football. The article also touches upon El-Sayed\u2019s stance on Sharia law,which he claims to practice privately but not impose publicly,contrasting its potential impact on women&#8217;s rights and societal norms with his critiques of football.the piece suggests El-Sayed&#8217;s calls against football might be more about political positioning than genuine concern, given his personal background and the cultural significance of the sport in Michigan.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>American as apple pie? Try \u201cunethical\u201d and \u201ctoxically masculine.\u201d That\u2019s how Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed describes football.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/el-sayed-questions-ethics-football-resurfaced-audio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a> revealed several of El-Sayed\u2019s questionable statements about America\u2019s pastime \u2014 sorry baseball fans, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/05\/by-a-wide-margin-americans-say-football-not-baseball-is-americas-sport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">numbers<\/a> don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is it about this brutal sport that keeps us coming back?\u201d Democratic candidate El-Sayed said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crooked.com\/podcast\/the-fate-of-football-players-with-garrett-bush\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2023 podcast episode<\/a>. \u201cIs there a version of football that\u2019s actually ethical and safe? What would need to change?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fox News also quoted a <a href=\"https:\/\/getcrookedmedia.com\/podcast\/football-on-the-brain-with-dr-kathleen-bachynski\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 podcast<\/a> where El-Sayed claimed that \u201cfootball is very much associated with a particularly masculine and oftentimes\u2026 toxically masculine culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reporting by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themidwesterner.news\/2026\/08\/abdul-el-sayed-claimed-toxic-masculinity-is-at-heart-of-american-football-in-old-blog-post\/#&#038;_intcmp=fnc_outkick-sports_article_main-content_article-body_6_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Midwesterner<\/a> found that later the same year, he doubled down while addressing the resignation of then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Instead of only condemning the bad behavior itself, El-Sayed referenced again the \u201ctoxic masculinity at the heart of America\u2019s most popular sport.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When faced with such a strange claim, we\u2019re forced to judge: Is this a principled proclamation or a political ploy?<\/p>\n<p>You see, El-Sayed played football in high school. He was even team captain!<\/p>\n<p>Has he apologized for participating in and propagating such a toxically masculine and unethical system? Of course not.<\/p>\n<p>It looks like a calculated political move \u2014 a very bold move for a man campaigning to represent 10 million Michiganders who, generally speaking, love football.<\/p>\n<p>Even his fellow progressive politicians haven\u2019t been so reckless as to critique the state\u2019s great love:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGRIT lies at the foundation of the Michigan spirit and drives the Detroit Lions, fueling us to dig deeper, push harder, rise above any challenge, and outplay any opponent, no matter their size or strength,\u201d said Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a January 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/whitmer\/news\/press-releases\/2025\/01\/17\/whitmer-and-gilchrist-proclaim-january-18-as-honolulu-blue-day-ahead-of-lions-playoff-game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lieutenant Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II added, \u201cThis team represents resilience, determination, and the unbreakable spirit of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>El-Sayed\u2019s fellow Democrats realize that football plays a useful role in society \u2014 a very useful role. Pouring our competitive and \u2014 in the case of football particularly \u2014 aggressive natures into artificial tribes lets us exercise away the tribalism and toxic attributes that destabilized society in the past. Even the most liberal of Michigan politicians realize this.<\/p>\n<p>Why on Earth then, given popular support of football, would El-Sayed risk alienating the electorate?<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps his use of the phrase \u201ctoxically masculine\u201d is his way of distancing himself from the clear sexism of Sharia law.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his campaign, El-Sayed has been hounded by this concept of \u201cSharia law\u201d \u2014 the domineering moral, political, and religious system of Islam. Recognizing that supporting Sharia would be political suicide, El-Sayed has been careful to distance himself from the concept.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, during an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/el-sayed-defense-sharia-law-stance-sparks-online-eruption-christians-conservatives-hes-done\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">August interview<\/a> with Fox News\u2019 Jesse Watters, the Democratic candidate revealed that he wouldn\u2019t support a Sharia ban, maintaining that while he practices it privately, he would not impose it publicly.<\/p>\n<p>Sharia, however, is full of commands and expectations that are public \u2014 not private. Muhammad himself clearly taught that <a href=\"https:\/\/sunnah.com\/bukhari:2493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Allah\u2019s law wasn\u2019t just a private matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s the danger of Sharia becoming public law: In practice, it <a href=\"https:\/\/quran.com\/al-baqarah\/282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">degrades the legal standing of women<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/myislam.org\/surah-an-nisa\/ayat-34\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">permits domestic violence<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/sunnah.com\/bukhari:5134\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allows child marriage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But football is the problem? If El-Sayed critiques high school football while minimizing the evident subversion of basic human rights, maybe he shouldn\u2019t be given a position of leadership.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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El-Sayed calls it \u201cunethical\u201d and \u201ctoxically masculine.\u201d Recently, Fox News highlighted his controversial remarks about the sport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2675244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-10-02T211017.009.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4381,5541,55194],"class_list":["post-2675243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ethics","tag-football","tag-masculinity-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-10-02T211017.009.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2675243"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2675246,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675243\/revisions\/2675246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2675244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2675243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2675243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2675243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}