Team's AOC Video Creates Backlash Among Sponsors

A California Minor League Baseball team is feeling the financial hurt after bumbling its way into politics with a video the team played in its stadium on Memorial Day.

The Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate club of the Washington Nationals, have lost three corporate partners after airing a video depicting New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “an enemy of freedom,” and showed her alongside the likes of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

The blowback to the mishap was immediate, and the team quickly issued an apology via its Twitter account.

We're embarrassed we allowed this video to play without seeing it in its entirety first. We unconditionally apologize to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) in addition to our fans, community and those we hurt. It was a mistake and we will ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.

— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) May 28, 2019

The apology, however, wasn’t enough for some sponsors as USA Today reports. Last week, raisin company Sun-Maid ended its relationship with the team, and was joined by beer sponsors Dos Equis and Tecate.

Dos Equis, in announcing its decision to pull its sponsorship, wrote on Twitter: “We are disheartened to learn of the views expressed in the video that aired during Monday’s Fresno Grizzlies game, as they do not reflect our core values. We have ended our relationship with the team, effective immediately, and have informed them accordingly.”

Tecate, for its part, wrote on Twitter: “Tecate has always been about togetherness and we do not support the views expressed in the video, that was aired during the Fresno Grizzlies game on Memorial day. We have ended this relationship effective immediately and have let the team know of our decision.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez chastised the team in a series of tweets of her own, writing that “words matter, and can have consequences for safety.”