The video, which was to be a tribute to fallen soldiers, displayed Ocasio-Cortez next to Kim Jong-UnGETTY IMAGES
The Triple-A PCL Fresno Grizzlies are apologizing for including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) among a group of "enemies of freedom" during a video shown between games of a doubleheader yesterday, according to Jay Busbee of YAHOO SPORTS. The video was "supposed to be a moving tribute to fallen soldiers" to coincide with Memorial Day, but it later "tucked present-day figures" like Ocasio-Cortez between images of Kim Jong-Un and Fidel Castro. The video "wasn't patriotic but a not-particularly-subtle bit of propaganda." The Grizzlies in a statement apologized for the "misleading and offensive editing, which made a statement that was not our intent and certainly not our opinion" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/28). NBCSPORTS.com's Bill Baer notes the clip also included what appeared to be a protesting American "wearing an Antifa hat." Baer speculates the "likeliest scenario seems to be that a Grizzlies employee put in charge of this little project was scrounging around the Internet for a Memorial Day tribute video to show on the big screen for the fans and chose the aforementioned video without watching it all the way through" (NBCSPORTS.com, 5/28).
