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Calista241

(5,584 posts)
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 08:29 AM Oct 2020

American cyclist suspended by team after pro-Trump comments

Source: Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) -- American cyclist Quinn Simmons was suspended by the Trek-Segafredo team on Thursday after posting antagonistic comments on social media in support of President Donald Trump.

"Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport," Trek-Segafredo said in a statement. &quot He) will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice."

...

The 19-year-old rider reacted Wednesday when Dutch journalist Jos Been posted on Twitter that she hoped for her American friends that "this horrible presidency ends for you," adding "if you follow me and support Trump, you can go."

Simmons replied by writing "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving.

When a separate account replied "Apparently a Trumper," Simmons countered "That's right" with a United States flag symbol.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-netherlands-cycling-media-social-media-05b5d642bf0ddab40b0c5b95115b2b4c



I'm of mixed opinion about this. All he posted was that he supports Trump, and they suspended him. No insults, no derision, just a confirmation that he supports Trump. And this is in a sport, cycling, that has multiple teams sponsored by criminal regimes as PR campaigns (Astana - Kazakstan, Bahrain McLaren, Israeli Start Up Nation, and Team UAE Emirates).
31 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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American cyclist suspended by team after pro-Trump comments (Original Post) Calista241 Oct 2020 OP
Maybe, but the emoji is at least questionable in its intent hlthe2b Oct 2020 #1
I agree. As a Trumper, Simmons shouldn't mind being cut. Raven123 Oct 2020 #4
Or as the Trumper are so fond of with another sports athletes, "Shut up and dribble" ToxMarz Oct 2020 #19
Yes, it was the choice of emoji that generated the controversy. I'm a bullwinkle428 Oct 2020 #14
He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving. SunSeeker Oct 2020 #26
The article is gone. catbyte Oct 2020 #2
I screwed up the original post, and fixed it. Calista241 Oct 2020 #3
More links. L.Pharmstrong Oct 2020 #20
He shouldn't have been suspended. BlueStater Oct 2020 #5
That's what i thought as well but when i agree with the posterthat as a trumper he probably supports Fullduplexxx Oct 2020 #6
You're right. CaptYossarian Oct 2020 #7
To me, Miguelito Loveless Oct 2020 #8
It has gotten to that. LiberalLovinLug Oct 2020 #24
Agreed n/t Devil Child Oct 2020 #9
Agreed on both counts nt IronLionZion Oct 2020 #10
Sure he should have been suspended Yeehah Oct 2020 #13
He's apparently supported by a private business not fooled Oct 2020 #15
Good. Glad he's gone. Owl Oct 2020 #11
like the recognition.. Maxheader Oct 2020 #12
It's a private team. They can sponsor who they want. Happy Hoosier Oct 2020 #16
I follow a lot of pro cycling... a la izquierda Oct 2020 #17
A lot of Dutch Christianity is Pencian. kiri Oct 2020 #18
To be honest, your post made me think. a la izquierda Oct 2020 #23
unfortunatley that words and actions can have negative impact and WISE people reframe beachbumbob Oct 2020 #21
Very weak move by the team; but it IS a private group so its their right. oldsoftie Oct 2020 #22
He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving. SunSeeker Oct 2020 #25
i've gotten that response before and never thought anything of it. oldsoftie Oct 2020 #28
I have only gotten dark-skinned emojis from people of color. nt SunSeeker Oct 2020 #30
He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving. SunSeeker Oct 2020 #27
One more cause celebre Griefbird Oct 2020 #29
All very interesting. Given that he is a PROFESSIONAL Hortensis Oct 2020 #31

Raven123

(4,716 posts)
4. I agree. As a Trumper, Simmons shouldn't mind being cut.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 08:39 AM
Oct 2020

As a Trumper he likely supports “ Right to Work” , which as we know is code for, the employer has absolute control.

ToxMarz

(2,154 posts)
19. Or as the Trumper are so fond of with another sports athletes, "Shut up and dribble"
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 10:22 AM
Oct 2020

or in this case Shut up and Ride

bullwinkle428

(20,627 posts)
14. Yes, it was the choice of emoji that generated the controversy. I'm a
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 09:42 AM
Oct 2020

follower of pro cycling, and of course, this ignited a shit-storm of comments online. I guess Simmons has a quite a history of lots of questionably ugly RW stuff on his social media. It's a mix of kids being raised up in a rather toxic mix of privilege and ignorance along with easy access to a means of spreading those ill-informed views to literally everyone else in the world with access to the Internet.

SunSeeker

(51,378 posts)
26. He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 02:40 PM
Oct 2020

This dude is mocking people of color. He, like virtually every Trumper, is a racist.

Fullduplexxx

(7,818 posts)
6. That's what i thought as well but when i agree with the posterthat as a trumper he probably supports
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 08:52 AM
Oct 2020

Right to work that means an employer can fire you for any reason with or without cause. And so he was fired by a policy with which he was probably ok.

CaptYossarian

(6,448 posts)
7. You're right.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 08:53 AM
Oct 2020

Let the crowds boo him and the other riders shun him. He can also lose all endorsements except for Goya beans and MyPillow.

Miguelito Loveless

(4,438 posts)
8. To me,
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 08:54 AM
Oct 2020

there are clear lines that one cannot cross and remain a decent human being. Support for Trump is now one of those lines. Trump has clearly signaled he will not accept a loss in November and will order violence to remain in power.

That is what this person is supporting.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,154 posts)
24. It has gotten to that.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 02:03 PM
Oct 2020

"...there are clear lines that one cannot cross and remain a decent human being. Support for Trump is now one of those lines"

Yup. Trump is, rightfully, loathed around the world. In the US it might only be only 55% against him, but much more so in other countries. Maybe its a bit of seeing the forest for the trees. Not only a loathsome person, but places like Europe have history to warn them of emerging authoritarian tyrants.

I like this tweet in the same thread. I sometimes ask this of Trumpsters too. Its like many of them do not even know how to answer questions like this, and they don't. Owning libs is their only goal. I usually also add "What specifically has he done to improve you or your families lives during his term?". They never can answer simple questions like this. Instead of cutting him, I'd rather he answer this.


?s=20

Yeehah

(4,524 posts)
13. Sure he should have been suspended
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 09:41 AM
Oct 2020

His employer made the correct decision to fire an imbecile trump bumpkin.

not fooled

(5,791 posts)
15. He's apparently supported by a private business
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 09:43 AM
Oct 2020

or businesses, so it's up to them whether they want their brands linked to trumpism.

Also, apparently most cycling takes place in Europe, so not exactly a popular stance over there.

Maxheader

(4,366 posts)
12. like the recognition..
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 09:26 AM
Oct 2020

Screw the rightwinger crowd..they give us nothing but trash leaders...

I got rid of my pro-gop relatives, haven't talked to them in years...

Its a clean feeling...

a la izquierda

(11,784 posts)
17. I follow a lot of pro cycling...
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 09:55 AM
Oct 2020

I honestly couldn’t tell you the political beliefs of any cyclists, except this dude.
Considering he rides for a team owned by a private company, 🤷🏻?♀️. Probably keep your views private. But now he gets to play persecuted snowflake.
I spend a lot of time in the Netherlands and have lots of friends of varying political persuasions. They all, to a person, despise Trump.

kiri

(786 posts)
18. A lot of Dutch Christianity is Pencian.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 10:16 AM
Oct 2020

I, too, spent a lot of time in the Netherlands as a "supertech" for MRI, CTs, nuclear medicine, other advanced medical equipment. I was astonished by how so many business meetings began with a prayer of an ultra-conservative type. There are many Dutch ultra-evangelists who believe Trump is the messiah.

a la izquierda

(11,784 posts)
23. To be honest, your post made me think.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 12:41 PM
Oct 2020

I have a good friend who lives in Krimpenerwaard, Zuid-Holland, and you're right, there is a sort of Dutch Bible Belt that exists near there. I guess considering all my friends are city folks (R'dam, A'dam, and Utrecht), religion to them is not remotely a part of their lives. But my friends have commented on what they perceive as backwardness of Dutch Christians. I'll have to ask them about the prayer part, I wonder if they've ever had to deal with that.

 

beachbumbob

(9,263 posts)
21. unfortunatley that words and actions can have negative impact and WISE people reframe
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 10:52 AM
Oct 2020

from making some that can be an issue. Don;t have any sympathy

SunSeeker

(51,378 posts)
25. He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 02:37 PM
Oct 2020

This dude is mocking people of color. He, like virtually every Trumper, is a racist.

oldsoftie

(12,410 posts)
28. i've gotten that response before and never thought anything of it.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 03:41 PM
Oct 2020

but then i've got odd friends. One guy has a woman emoji. Whatever they call them.

SunSeeker

(51,378 posts)
27. He's white but replied "Bye" with an emoji of a dark-skinned hand waving.
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 02:43 PM
Oct 2020





It's the Twitter version of wearing blackface. This dude is mocking people of color. He, like virtually every Trumper, is a racist.

How can you say there were "no insults, no derision"?

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
31. All very interesting. Given that he is a PROFESSIONAL
Thu Oct 1, 2020, 04:50 PM
Oct 2020

biker for a company that depends on sponsorships (developed for advertising purposes by the PR departments of various corporations), we know this action will have broken an important provision of the contract he entered into.

If he wants to be a paid pro on the corporate dime, he'll just have to abide by what is intended to be a mutually beneficial contract. His parents and various others will probably be helping him understand that.

But hey, if this 19-year-old's moral core won't allow that, he's now once again free to race in whatever amateur competitions he can afford, on his own with far fewer contractual obligations to others. Ride free and proud, kid!

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