Former Major League Baseball pitcher and New York Yankees legend David Wells has made it clear that he is not afraid of cancel culture.
“When I played the game, when I came in, none of that was even an issue,” Wells said Tuesday on “Mornings with Maria.” “And now with these companies coming on board and trying to change the game and put a lot of politics into the game, to me I think it’s confusing a lot of players because they’re afraid to speak out. »
“But you know what? If I made 30, 40 million a year and it’s guaranteed, I’m going to express myself, say what I think, “he continued. “But for me, these companies put a very big drag, I think, on the sport because of the political stance they take towards these guys.”
Wells was part of the Yankees’ 1998 World Championship team, where that season he pitched the second perfect game in franchise history.
He told host Maria Bartiromo that “there’s no doubt” that things have changed in the sports marketing landscape.
Recently, the former MLB pitcher made headlines after covering up the Nike logo on his Yankees jersey during the team’s Old Timers’ Day game.
The Yankees great drew parallels to Nike’s support of Colin Kaepernick’s anti-anthem stance and Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“Be whatever you want to be. I don’t have a problem if you want to be transgender, you want to be this, you want to be that, that’s fine. But when you get into marketing, you’re going to push that narrative and those values to the other side and, Wells pointed out, neglecting the everyday consumer. A lot of people are drinking Bud Light, and to me, that’s just not the right message to send.
“They are sending the wrong message. They are doing it badly,” he added. “You’re going to lose customers, which Bud Light has already done… But to me, Bud Light, they made a big mistake and they lost it.”
He further expressed support for outspoken sports activists, such as former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has embarked on a media and political effort to protect the integrity of restricted competitions. Women’s.
“She’s absolutely right about transgender in sports, men playing women’s sports. You just can’t do that. It’s not right and it’s dangerous,” Wells said. “If I said, I’m going to change sports and I’m going to play women’s sports, I’m going to hurt somebody, especially if I throw 95… they need to create their own league, if that’s the case, if that’s what what they want to do, and that it is fair.
Wells is also the founder of the Perfect 33 Foundation, a veteran organization.
He said his appreciation for American servicemen and women was what inspired him to plaster the Nike logo on his jersey on September 9.
“When Kaepernick took a knee to our national anthem, and I’m a very big supporter of the military, that’s the purpose of my foundation, and for Nike to come on board and reward this guy for that and things that happen. “I figured if I played today’s game,” the former Yankees pitcher said, “and we had a Nike jersey, I’d tape it up.” .I would make a hole in it.
Anheuser-Busch, parent company of Nike and Bud Light, did not respond to FOX News Digital’s request for comment.
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