NHL stands by its choice of Kid Rock as an All-Star game performer
The NHL knows some people are upset at its choice of Kid Rock to perform during its All-Star game festivities in Tampa. But the league has no intention of changing its mind on the matter.
Steve Mayer, NHL executive vice president and executive producer for programming and creative development, acknowledged the backlash during an interview with ESPN on Thursday, but said our sole objective is to choose musical acts to perform at our events and entertain our fans.”
“Most of the time, our acts are passionate hockey fans,” he said. “It’s all about the entertainment at the end of the day for us, and this selection was purely based on that, and the fact that Kid Rock is a hockey lover. That’s simply the background here.”
Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Richie, has come under fire for using Confederate flags as backdrops at his concerts during the early 2000s. He’s an outspoken supporter of President Trump and briefly considered running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.
Several musical acts will take part in the weekend’s festivities, but Kid Rock is likely the most controversial choice.
Former NHL great Jeremy Roenick, who calls himself “a huge Kid Rock fan,” defended the league’s decision.
“See, this is where I get driven crazy by people today,” Roenick said. “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.”
Twitter: @chewkiii
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