Tampa Bay Lightning unveil special jerseys for Black Heritage Night and the comments are exactly what you’d expect

The Tampa Bay Lightning have unveiled a special jersey players will wear for Black Heritage Night at the end of February, which is Black History Month.

The team posted images of the jersey, created by artist Clancy Riehm. The design, which features iconic black, green, yellow and red colors, was inspired by Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas, considered the father of African American art, according to the Lightning.

There were plenty of positive comments on Facebook within an hour of the design’s posting. Many asked where they could purchase a jersey or celebrated what they viewed as cultural inclusivity.

But other comments resonated as indicative of the deep polarization facing the country and the creeping politicization of everything from sporting events to musical entertainment.

“Let’s really celebrate black history … I’ll bring the rope,” one comment read, with another commenter responding, “hell yeah brother!”

Numerous comments questioned why there should be a Black Heritage Night but no such celebration of White people.

“This is just ridiculous. Where is the month-long celebration for America? Do any other groups get a month-long celebration? Italians, Asians, Hispanic WHATEVER we are all Americans,” one commenter wrote.

“When is it Straight White People Month or Christian Month,” another asked.

Other comments included:

— “When is white heritage night?”

— “When’s the white heritage month? I want to go.”

— “And Veterans, Presidents and those who died fighting for our country, get one day of recognition. One. Day.”

— “Is there anything in the plans to celebrate white heritage or is that being racist? Why can’t we just leave all that shit out of the game and go back to making it about hockey?”

— “Sad that the teammates have to be subjected to dumb shit like this and LGBT crap. You’re keeping racism and other judgments alive by pushing narratives to sell merch.”

— “Why? Stop all of this,” one commenter wrote, adding with an unfortunate typo, “just play hickey.”

There was a meme wrapping it all into one package.

“Only in America can an ethnic group have black awareness month, Black holiday, Black only colleges, Black only dating sites, Black only bars and clubs and turn around and call everyone else racists.”

PFLAG of Safety Harbor chimed in with a counter punch.

“The comments on this page are exactly the reason night’s like these are important,” wrote the group, which offers support to the LGBTQ+ community. “Celebrating diversity is not anti-American or anti anything. If there isn’t a ‘month dedicated to you,’ consider yourself privileged that you aren’t subjected to discrimination or hate just for existing as yourself.”

There were even comments referencing the stereotype that Black Americans don’t watch hockey.

“Gotta make those 5 fans happy,” one such comment read.

And let’s pause there.

The jersey reveal early Monday comes fresh off the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots Sunday evening, where Bad Bunny’s halftime show sparked outrage and even “alternative” programming. In the days and weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, after Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime show performer, the internet went ablaze with dueling arguments.

On one hand, people celebrated him as an award-winning artist whose music includes deep symbology and represents passionate national pride. On the other side, there was outrage at having a performer whose work is exclusively performed in Spanish, with many incorrectly asserting that the artist is not American.

Bad Bunny, whose name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is from Puerto Rico, which is a United States territory. He is a United States citizen.

Spend any amount of time on social media reading comments about the halftime show and one will find varying levels of vitriol (along with, of course, plenty of praise). That includes from Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who previously directed music videos.

“Having Bad Bunny do the Super Bowl halftime show ENTIRELY in Spanish, in the United States is like playing the national anthem in Chinese at the World Series or replacing hot dogs on the 4th of July with tofu. It’s just not right,” he wrote, adding that the NFL “disrespected the fans and the country.”

But of course the most famous comment criticizing the Bad Bunny performance came from President Donald Trump, who panned it as “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER.”

“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

It’s worth noting that not being able to understand the words to a performance was a common refrain among critics of last year’s Super Bowl halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar.

And as for Trump’s comment about the dancing being “disgusting,” his critics are quick to point out that Kid Rock’s 2001 song “Cool, Daddy Cool” includes the line “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ‘em underage,” followed by “some say that’s statutory, but I say it’s mandatory.”

Those who opted for the Turning Point USA-backed alternative halftime performance widely praised it as patriotic and positive, glossing over the bit of lyrical controversy in Kid Rock’s catalogue.

But those who watched the official halftime performance widely praised Bad Bunny’s show as its own version of deeply American, with imagery and symbolism highlighting long-standing struggles, such as the island’s failing electrical grid, and its place in the American story. It also seemed to debunk common perceptions that conservatives have a monopoly on family values, with a love story and actual wedding as a central theme in the show.

Overall, whether someone enjoyed one performance over the other largely came down to partisan leanings, with conservatives preferring the Kid Rock-featured show and liberals celebrating Bad Bunny’s performance.

Enter the Tampa Bay Lightning with its specialty jersey celebrating Black heritage and the intrusion of politics into sporting events continues, unabated.

And to those who view this trend solely through the lens of manufactured outrage — on any side — I encourage you to consider the concept of marketing.

A Media Culture analysis last year of the Super Bowl audience found that it was predominantly White, and that 60% of the viewing audience are members of Gen X or the Baby Boomers generation. Those demographics are already loyal Super Bowl enthusiasts unlikely to tune out the big game just because there’s a performer they don’t like.

By selecting halftime performers who appeal to other demographics — younger audiences and people of color, for example — the National Football League is attempting to tap into new audiences. Think about how Taylor Swift’s presence at previous Super Bowls featuring her now-fiancé impacted viewership. There was a 24% jump in female viewers between the ages of 18 and 24 in the 2024 game.

The saying goes, “representation matters,” and data clearly shows that to be true in attracting audiences who otherwise might not show up.

Meanwhile, a 2023 study from Statista shows that the stereotype that African Americans are less likely to be hockey fans is actually a statistical fact, with only 10% of Black survey respondents indicating they were avid fans of the sport and 20% saying they were casual fans. It was the lowest level of support among all demographics.

So while supporters will celebrate the Lightning’s recognition of Black History Month as inclusive, it’s also a strategic marketing decision that could attract more attention to the sport among Black audiences. Might some who find offense in the celebration of Black heritage tune out or skip that game? Possibly. But the team is clearly making a calculation that more people will be drawn to the game than pushed away from it.

And buckle up, because with data on their side, there’s no reason to believe controversial Super Bowl performances or themed hockey games honoring a historically marginalized group are going away any time soon.