Pearl has faced scrutiny within the sports media for his public support of former President Donald Trump and his strong defense of Israel.
The mainstream sports media has made slow but noticeable progress toward a more balanced middle ground. For years, industry figures who expressed even modestly conservative views were quickly marginalized. Notable examples include Sage Steele, Sam Ponder, and Ashley Brewer, all of whom faced professional consequences for statements that diverged from prevailing media orthodoxy. While the sports media landscape remains far from ideologically even-handed, identifying as conservative is no longer as taboo as it was even one year ago.
Bruce Pearl provides a timely example.
Last month, Pearl stepped down as the head basketball coach at Auburn University. Earlier this week, he signed a full-time contract with TNT Sports to provide color commentary and studio coverage for the network’s NCAA Tournament broadcasts. Pearl had previously appeared as a part-time contributor, but TNT’s decision to expand his role represents a notable commitment at a time when his political views have drawn increased attention.
Pearl has faced scrutiny within the sports media for his public support of former President Donald Trump and his strong defense of Israel. In a viral post on X last year, he wrote: “President Trump won big because more Americans believed he will fix inflation, secure our border, support legal immigration, bring peace to the world through strength, and put America first. I pray and I believe he will work for all Americans, uniting us as one nation under God.”
Reporters pressed Pearl to elaborate on his stance. He responded that his focus is on substance, not partisan politics: “I spend more time on issues and policy than I do politics, really. Sometimes, they do get political, but it’s more about policy and issues.”
Pearl later praised Trump’s handling of Israel’s conflict with Hamas, telling the Jewish News Syndicate: “There’s been no greater president in the history of our country than Donald Trump supporting the state of Israel. He’s made every right move, and he’s got elements in his party that don’t always agree with him — the America Only folks versus the America First folks. He’s fighting that battle, and he’s winning that battle, thank God, you know, for Israel.”
Last week, Trump helped broker a ceasefire agreement that led to the release of all 20 surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Auburn’s Bruce Pearl is retiring (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
As expected, Pearl’s open alignment with Trump and Israel has stirred backlash among his peers. Last month, ESPN host Michael Wilbon said he “hope[d] there was pressure to just get [Pearl] out” of Auburn because “he had become a divisive person.”
In a recent interview with Fox News host Will Cain, Pearl responded to Wilbon graciously but firmly.
“I love Mike Wilbon,” Pearl said. “A dear friend of his reached out and said those comments were probably political. I was a regular on Pardon the Interruption, and I love Tony [Kornheiser] and Mike. If there’s anything I’m not, it’s divisive. I’ve tried to bring people together my entire life. Maybe it’s an example of why we can’t agree to disagree when it comes to politics.”
Wilbon, one of the most respected commentators in modern sports media, spoke to OutKick earlier this year in a wide-ranging interview. His standing in the industry is significant, which makes his criticism of Pearl noteworthy. It is also worth noting that Wilbon publicly supported NBA players who promoted Black Lives Matter, yet described Pearl as “divisive” for his own expressions of political belief.
Wilbon’s comments could have complicated Pearl’s future in broadcasting, particularly given that CBS and TNT have previously leaned heavily into progressive political commentary. In 2022, the two networks selected Rex Chapman—one of the biggest left-wing nutjobs in sports media—to join their NCAA Tournament studio coverage.
Chapman’s presence was widely viewed as emblematic of the industry’s ideological tilt. Nothing says vibe shift more than going from Chapman to Pearl.
That shift, however gradual, is significant.
Read the full article here
