Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz took to his Twitter to wish his dog a happy birthday. Sounds harmless enough. He then posted side-by-side photos of the dog as a puppy and full grown. Cute, right? The current picture of his best friend featured the majestic animal posing with some dead geese after a successful day of hunting.
Cue the meltdowns and scrutiny.
While some users saw the picture for what it was, a select few were offended that as an avid hunter, Carson Wentz occasionally shoots and kills things. One user wrote a dissertation on how the photograph is offensive and controversial. There isn’t much anyone can post these days that won’t cause a landslide of hurt feelings, but this takes the cake.
This isn’t the first time Carson Wentz has faced criticism over social media posts. Entire articles have been written about his religious posts. Wentz freely shares his belief in Christianity without apology. However, some don’t appreciate it, fearing that he will alienate certain fans.
Part of the disconnect we are currently having in the United States is that people aren’t listening to understand, they’re doing so to respond.
In response to the uprising that commenced over his hunting photo, Wentz addressed the issue on his Twitter account with the following statement: “Appreciate that, but offensive and controversial? Two of the main things I tweet about are Jesus and hunting. That’s what I’m passionate about and that won’t ever change! When you love something, you talk about it! Stay convicted about it and don’t worry what others think!”
Many social media users have expressed their belief that Carson Wentz shouldn’t use his NFL platform to talk about religion. He even faced criticism for offering prayers in the wake of the tragic Las Vegas shooting. Wentz is a devout Christian who is active in the community and even gives sermons.
Ironically, most of these critics probably have absolutely no problem with NFL players bringing politics to their platforms. The same people blasting Wentz are the same ones supporting players who are kneeling for the national anthem. They’ll show solidarity over something that is politically charged and offensive to a huge portion of the NFL fan base, yet take issue with things like hunting and Jesus.
One user even ridiculed Wentz by suggesting he ask Jesus to help his football skills. Such disgusting displays aren’t even confined to one political group. There would be collective outrage and social media pandemonium if someone mocked a Muslim or transgender person that way, let’s be realistic. Part of the disconnect we are currently having in the United States is that people aren’t listening to understand, they’re doing so to respond.
By the response, you would think that Carson Wentz posted a video biting off the heads of live geese. I find it admirable for anyone to express their opinions and beliefs from their platforms. I would rather see players publicly incorporate their faith into daily routine than a bunch of bandwagoners kneeling for the national anthem.
Those with the courage to express their love for faith in today’s world bring so much more to the NFL.
Speaking of which, is anyone even still watching the NFL?
