Billionaire businessman and Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban challenged President Donald Trump on Twitter yesterday (Sept. 24).
The "Shark Tank" star's tweet pertained to the ongoing national debate about NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem - a controversy that originally kicked into overdrive Friday night thanks to POTUS himself...
That's when Trump, at an Alabama rally for Republican Sen. Luther Strange, said players who kneel or sit for the national anthem should be fired.
"Get that son of a b---- off the field right now, out," Trump said of players who kneel. "He's fired. He's fired!"
A growing number of NFL players, most prominently former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have knelt to shed light on the treatment of African Americans in the United States.
The president then pressed the argument all weekend.
Then, on Sunday morning, Mark Cuban jumped into the fight, but he didn't argue for or against protesting during the National Anthem. Instead, he brought another controversy - political campaign donations - into the ring with him...
Mark Cuban: Don't Take Money from Sports, Mr. President
Cuban tweeted the following proposition on Sunday...
The multibillionaire seemed to be hinting at Trump's financial ties to the NFL world.
It is true that Trump's presidential campaign got a nice financial boost from NFL bigwigs last year. Here are a few major donors, according to Sports Illustrated on April 17:
- Dan Snyder of the Washington Redskins
- Shad Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots
- Woody Johnson of the New York Jets
- Stan Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams
Even the NFL's marketing division, NFL Ventures, donated $100,000 to Trump's presidential run.
In light of this information, Cuban seems to be arguing that Trump's acceptance of "football money" during the campaign nullifies his criticisms of the NFL now. Whether or not that's a sound argument to make is left to interested parties' discretion.
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The markets, however, will be siding with the president. Here's how we know...
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Politics and Sports Are a Bad Combination for These Companies
Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald told Stuart Varney on FOX Business Network's "Varney & Co." this morning that he thinks the NFL protest controversy is going to "spill over," because "anytime you combine sports with politics, eventually the audience is going to... go somewhere else."
He sees the fiscal impact hurting broadcasters' revenue, advertising, channel selection, and in other myriad ways that "we don't even know" about.
For example, on Aug. 9 - well before this most recent controversy - Keith pointed out that ESPN (NYSE: DIS) has been a problem for a long time.
"You don't want to touch Disney [stock]," he said, "until they get of [ESPN]."
Indeed, this latest sports controversy may very well make ESPN's situation much worse.
Here's a look at Keith's panel appearance today...
Keith, as a 34-year seasoned market analyst, has a knack for calling fiscal shots well before the rest of Wall Street picks up on the impact.
We can expect to see more fiscal talking heads echoing his statements in the future, only they'll likely be doing it in hindsight.
There are ways readers can capitalize on Keith's poignant market observances, as well.
In fact, Keith just released a report on saving and making money, no matter the short-term political atmosphere...
Easy Steps to Lock In a Comfortable Retirement
Keith's report reveals a wealth of tax tips and tricks you can use to maximize the value of your retirement account, so that you can retire right at the comfortable age of 60.
The report includes long-term steps you can take, such as:
- Taking advantage of underused retirement benefits
- Saving thousands of dollars over a decade with a debt-elimination plan
It also includes tips such as:
- How to harness an extra $6,500 tax-free over the age of 50
- How to reduce your tax burden
Keith's full report, How to Retire at 60: An Action Plan to Make the Most of Your Golden Years, can be accessed by clicking right here. The report has everything you need to get started on a comfortable retirement, no matter how old you are. It's really never too late...
Up Next: Keith has been researching even more aggressive income potential, too. He's found a special class of investments he calls "26(f) programs," which give investors the opportunity to tap into huge monthly income - $2,000... $5,000... or more - every month for the rest of their lives. Click here to learn how it works...
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