| Category: Sports |
NASCAR driver Brandon Brown - who unintentionally sparked the phrase 'Let's Go Brandon!' - says the popularity of the phrase has effectively killed his hopes of signing sponsorship deals.
Brown, 28, started the national anti-Biden chant after NBC sports reporter Kelli Stavast confused the crowd jeering 'F*** Joe Biden' for 'Let's Go Brandon!' at a NASCAR event in Alabama on October 2.
The pro-racing driver has now spoken out on the effect the chant had on his professional career as he has had a hard time finding sponsors, saying he's viewed as a ticking time bomb despite never expressing any political views, beyond disclosing that he is a Republican.
'It got extremely difficult for us,' Brown told Sports Business Journal. 'If you're a national corporation, that means you sell to all consumers … and unfortunately, when you get dragged into the political arena, people want you to take a side.
'I've never been put in a position where it's, "OK, what side are you on? Left or right?" So it’s hard for a brand to want to attach to somebody who might be kind of divisive in their consumer base. If I'm going to divide Coca-Cola, why would they want to talk to me?
'So the short answer is it's been tough to connect with partnerships just because it's kind of viewed as a ticking time bomb: "What is he doing to choose or say and how would that effect our consumer base?" It's too much of a risk. I understand it on their side but it's made it really hard to tie everything down.'
Brown's previous sponsors last year were Trade the Train Crypto company and The Original Larry's Hard Lemonade, but he has yet to reveal his current 22 financial backers.
In addition, he also revealed he is a Republican but is determined to continue focusing on his career in professional racing rather than politics.
Brown also said that he and his representatives have attempted to get something taken down a couple of times in the past that was affiliated with the chant.
NASCAR has also rallied around protecting Brown and the company's name in order to prevent any affiliation between them and the chant.
'NASCAR and I are kind of in the same boat about what to do here, but I don’t think anyone has the right answer,' Brown added.
'The unfortunate part is it's my name and my career that are at stake and the risk is high. If I do something wrong in this arena, my name as a driver falls off very fast.
'Even a career in NASCAR if I didn't make it as a driver, trying to get another job in the community, I'm always going to be the “Let’s Go Brandon” guy. I'm always going to be known for that and how I handled this situation.'
Since the phrase was popularly called out, the chant has reached other professional and college sporting events by trolling conservatives.
Merchandise based around the phrase has also been sold as a 'Let's Go Brandon' store recently opened in Massachusetts as well as around 12,000 listings on eBay for related products to the chant.
A song was even recorded that was influenced by the popular phrase by Bryson Gray which topped the charts on iTunes.
In addition, 23 trademark filings have made for a version for the phrase but none actually belong to Brown, according to the US Patent & Trademark Office.
An Oregon dad named Jared Schmeck even repeated the phrase to Biden during a NORAD Santa Tracker event on Christmas Eve which was being held virtually for children and their families.
'I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas as well. Merry Christmas and Let's go, Brandon!,' Shmeck said after his kids told Biden what they wanted for Christmas.
'Let's Go Brandon, I agree,' the president said in response.
Brown previously said that he wants the phrase to be something positive and productive such as 'Let's Go America!' rather than creating a code word for 'F*** Joe Biden.'
'I don't want it to just be the substitute for a cuss-word. I mean, if it's making it more polite, then, by God, I guess, go ahead,' he said.
'This whole Talladega race win was supposed to be a celebration, and then it was supposed to be something that I was able to use to move up, and I really wanted to capitalize on that, but with this meme going viral, it was more of, I had to stay more silent, because everybody wanted it to go on to the political side. I'm about the racing side.
'The issue is, I don't know enough about politics to really form a true opinion, so I really focus on racing,' Brown added.
~ Via Daily Mail |
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