“Keep politics out of my sports.”
It’s a phrase we hear all the time, but it oversimplifies the relationship between sports and the world around us.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Abdul El-Sayed, and I wanted to ask him about was his experience as a collegiate athlete.
Specifically, I was interested in his perspective on the intersection of sports and politics, and what he learned from being in a locker room surrounded by teammates from different backgrounds and beliefs.
I understand why people want sports to be an escape from politics, but the reality is that throughout history, sports and politics have been deeply intertwined. From breaking racial barriers to fighting for equality and civil rights, athletes have played a pivotal role in pushing society toward meaningful social change.
Having spent much of my life in locker rooms, I believe there's something uniquely powerful about bringing people together who might disagree on what’s best for the country, but still have to trust one another and work toward a common goal.
Sports have always been about more than just the game. And sometimes, the impact they have beyond the field is far greater than anything that happens on it.
Here's a portion of our conversation.
@AbdulElSayed
Taybor Pepper retweeted
Remember when teams didn't want to sign Colin Kaepernick because they didn't want the distraction?
Andy Reid just took five straight minutes of questions for a practice squad kicker who missed more than 25% of his FGs the last time he was in the league.
#Chiefs HC Andy Reid faced five straight minutes of questions about Justin Tucker today, including what message his signing sends to female fans of the team.
"He's done his suspension. Took care of his business there. I'll leave it at that."
Full back-and-forth exchange below:
Kids are so brutal.
I told my daughter my friend was coming over to hang out. Without looking up from her coloring book she says, “but you don’t have any friends”
She got my ass 🥲
Taybor Pepper retweeted
On this date in 2015, Michigan fumbled away a win against Michigan State. 😲
The Spartans would go on to finish the regular season 11-1 and win the Big Ten Championship on their way to their only CFP appearance to this day.
Taybor Pepper retweeted
Meanwhile, here’s @stoolpresidente committing an act of athletic terrorism.
Less pizza, more gym, habibi.
I went 12–5 in the Retro 17–0 Challenge 🏈
Team Score 780/1000
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟥🟩🟩🟥🟥🟥🟩🟥
Can you go 17–0? all22pokemon.com/#retro
Taybor Pepper retweeted
dr. k did such a good analysis abt this case btw its actually pretty sad to see how this been unfolding
Taybor Pepper retweeted
Maplers, save the date! The moment you’ve been waiting for is almost here. 🎉
Global MapleStory Classic World officially launches on October 21, 2026!
Get ready to return to MapleStory as you remember it and relive the adventure from the very beginning.
Stay tuned for more details about the Grand Launch!




























