When you mix politics and sports, the headlines can get messy — and sometimes, they get downright misleading. That's exactly what ESPN New York host Michael Kay is accusing NJ.com of doing after they published what he calls an "incredibly bad" headline about his take on New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart made waves last Friday when he introduced former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Suffern, New York. The rookie signal-caller's decision to step into the political spotlight quickly became a hot topic, with NFL legends like Boomer Esiason and Jerome Bettis weighing in on whether it was a smart move for a young player trying to build a career.
During his radio show, Kay offered a thoughtful, measured take on the situation. He said Dart, as a grown man, has every right to support whoever he wants — but that there could be consequences in the locker room if teammates disagree. "You could do stuff behind the scenes if you like a candidate. You could donate money… But instead, he tried to be front-facing about it. So then you have to suffer the consequence because what you’re doing is that you’re endorsing and appearing at a rally for one of the most polarizing political figures in the entire 250-year history of the United States," Kay said.
NJ.com ran a story with the headline: "Michael Kay says Giants star must ‘suffer the consequence’ of public Trump endorsement." That didn't sit well with Kay, who took to social media to set the record straight. "This an incredibly bad job by @NJ_Sports , taking one part out of sentence in a nuanced take on what went wrong. For those baying at the moon, I don’t think Dart did anything wrong, at all. And I said that," Kay wrote. He clarified that his comment about "suffering the consequences" was about potential fallout in the locker room — not a personal attack on Dart.
Kay also pushed back against anyone trying to paint him as partisan. "Rest assured, I never criticized Dart, and, also, didn’t criticize Carter. Everyone has the right to feel the way they want and land on the side they want. Please don’t paint me as one way and try and pigeonhole me into a 'side.' I take issues one by one and decide which way I feel on the strength of each issue," he said. He stressed that his show is apolitical and that he's not interested in feeding the culture wars. "I do a show that is totally apolitical because I know both sides are angry and dug in."
Meanwhile, the Giants are working to keep the focus on football. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, Dart addressed his teammates in a meeting on Wednesday to clear the air about his Trump rally appearance. "Other team leaders spoke up as well, and Dart and the players worked through it," Garafolo said. "They are moving forward."
The Giants are hoping the whole episode is behind them as they prepare for the regular season. Dart has vowed to play smarter and stay healthier in 2026, and the team is counting on him to lead the offense. Fans will get their first real look at Dart in action Week 1 when the Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
As for the headline controversy, it's a reminder that in the 24/7 news cycle, context often gets lost in the rush to grab clicks. Kay's frustration is understandable — he went out of his way to give a balanced take, only to see it reduced to a sound bite that made him look like he was piling on a young quarterback. For Dart, the best response will come on the field.
