From time to time, a professional athlete decides to wear the colors of another team in the same league. Rarely does the situation pass without some sort of controversy.
Right or wrong, it’s understandable that zealous fans of one team wouldn’t want to see a player from their favorite team wearing the apparel of a rival. Three years ago, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ruffled feather in San Francisco by wearing a Dolphins hat. More recently, Vikings rookie receiver Laquon Treadwell violated this fairly basic rule by appearing on social media in a Raiders hat.
On one hand, the choice of headgear says nothing about Treadwell’s ultimately loyalty. He’s happy to be a Viking, and he’ll play hard for the Vikings -- regardless of whether they’re playing the Raiders or any other NFL team whose apparel he may own. On the other hand, fan is short for fanatic, and Treadwell should realize that certain fanatics will get a little fanatical about a member of their favorite NFL team wearing the colors or logos of any other NFL team.
While it’s not as if Treadwell opted to don a cheesehead, the Packers have never beaten the Vikings in a Super Bowl. The Raiders have. So some Vikings fans (especially those who recall Super Bowl XI vividly) may be a little sensitive about seeing Silver and Black and the iconic Oakland logo on the head of a Vikings player.
It surely doesn’t change Treadwell’s feelings for his employer or his commitment to his team. But it will cause some Vikings fans to view him a little differently. For the same reason Treadwell has a right to wear a Raiders hat, the fans have a right to be less fanatical in their feelings about Treadwell.
