Ideally, a football/soccer player shouldn’t have to field questions about the American gun violence epidemic, and what could be done about it but here we are.
Christian Pulisic, at a media opportunity during Chelsea’s preseason tour in his home country, was asked by a journalist what can be done about the gun situation in America, and that’s a legitimate, honest question, given how he signed an open letter, with his United States National teammates, calling on the US Congress to take action on gun control.
Pulisic asked about the gun situation in America, his reaction, bemused. pic.twitter.com/mqrycRNPig
— Pys (@CFCPys) July 19, 2022
His response to the gun control question was very disappointing. The reaction from his team’s press officer was even worse. See the video above.
Pulisic looks more than just surprised here by this reporter’s query- he appears annoyed and angered. The rolling of the eyes, the gesturing of the head indicate that he feels above fielding this question. The Chelsea press officer then comes off as even worse, stating:
“That isn’t something for Christian to answer in this press conference.”
Mass shootings are such a uniquely American epidemic, and so notorious worldwide that it even comes up in football/soccer discussions.
From page 27, the Christian Pulisic chapter of my book.#endgunviolencenow #GunControlNow #StopGunViolence #USMNT #USA #Chelsea #chelseafc pic.twitter.com/vgScrEYlFG— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 7, 2022
Christian Pulisic is certainly no Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors head coach and strong gun control advocate. He really gets it.
Pulisic is not even at the level of Sacha Kljestan, the LA Galaxy midfielder, or Liam Hendriks, the Chicago White Sox closer, who both know how to properly prioritize their public platforms. They also get it.
(And again, press officers/media relations people, get off your high horses- you do not get to decide what reporters ask, full stop.)
Sure, Pulisic is no lawmaker, and he has a right not to answer questions he feels uncomfortable with.
However, much more was expected of him here, as it should be.
Because, as the Daily Mail put it;
He wore one of the orange armbands which the American national team have adopted as an emblem of the fight to ensure the fifth graders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, did not die in vain. He even threw in a few of his own words about the open letter, placing himself on the right side of the argument.
Gun violence, this widespread and pervasive, is a uniquely American epidemic. You don’t have to be a politician to have a stake in this debate.
You just need to be human. It affects all of us deeply, this worst of all the American scourges.
Thus, the man nicknamed Captain America, the face of the sport here in the USA, really should step his social awareness up. And Chelsea need to let Christian Pulisic do just that.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.