The folks who want to leave sports out of politics faced challenges practicing what they preached on Monday. After Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, ESPN aired a politically charged message during halftime of the National Championship Game, making the broadcast anything but apolitical.
In a related incident, Long Beach City College head coach Brett Peabody found himself in hot water following a series of regrettable social media choices, including a threatening message to an independent journalist on X (formerly Twitter). Progressive journalist Aaron Rupar uncovered these unsettling messages and shared them with his followers. After considerable backlash, Peabody commented to the Long Beach Post, showing little remorse and appearing more concerned about the negative attention on his football program than the content of his message.
I get lots of threatening DMs but I usually don’t get them from head coaches of college football programs
(@PitLifeCoachP appears to be the coach at @LBCityCollege) pic.twitter.com/3MNxBLUmlN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2025
Rupar, accustomed to receiving threats online, noted that Peabody’s message was particularly striking, given his position. Peabody’s account is currently private. When speaking with the Long Beach Post, Peabody admitted the message was “clearly not the best decision” and acknowledged it had brought unwanted attention to the college. However, he framed the language as merely “a criticism” of Rupar’s coverage of Trump, labeling Rupar’s online behavior as “unprofessional.”
Furthermore, Peabody downplayed the gravity of his message, asserting, “It was not a threat in any way, shape, or form. If you read it, I’m not sure how it could be construed as a threat… I’d like to see journalists held at a higher standard.” Rupar stated he wasn’t seeking Peabody’s firing but remarked to the Post, “I think people like that need to be a little more accountable for their actions. I think it’s a bit out of line.” He also attempted to clarify the ambiguous nature of Peabody’s non-apology.
I agree it’s a little confusing but sounds like he’s apologizing for bringing negative attention to the school but not for his message to me. He certainly hasn’t apologized to me.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2025
