Garth Brooks‘s Instagram followers had a some criticism for his choice of garb after his concert on Feb. 22. The “Friends In Low Places” crooner, 58, took to the social media platform after his electric performance in Detroit, posting an image of himself from the back, wearing a jersey with the last name “Sanders” and the number 20. “Detroit, You carried me all night long But you always have I’m in love with you! love, g,” the singer captioned the image, which you can see here. But what appeared to be a harmless love note to the city where he performed turned quickly into a convoluted political argument.
In the comments section of Garth’s post, a slew of Instagram users claimed the singer was getting far too political. Many were under the impression that the jersey was in reference to Democratic nominee hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders. “Good grief,” one commenter shared on the post, adding, “Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ???? Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. 😡Thought you were different.” Another fan chimed in with, “Lost some respect w that jersey.” One of the more scathing responses came from a follower who said, “If this is for Bernie Sanders, I’m done with you. I thought you were a true American that loves Our Country?” Yikes!
Unbeknownst to those fans, though, the jersey was in reference to Detroit Lions NFL player Barry Sanders. Garth’s dedicated fans were very quick to point out the mistake that so many had made. “I’m going out on a limb here… he’s a football fan and it’s a Barry Sanders jersey. CRAZY I know,” one fan wrote. Another adamantly added, “Oh Lord help me. Barry Sanders! Barry Sanders! Detroit Lions! Football Jersey! Google! Use it,” one fan said in a Twitter post, referencing Garth’s Instagram snap.
Clearly, the whole situation was a complete misunderstanding. But it only served to show the contentious race for the White House in 2020. Already, Democratic nominee hopefuls have taken the stage to argue their points and even take jabs at one another. Senator Sanders, one of the candidates, has been at the forefront of the race for quite some time. When it comes to Garth Brooks’s Detroit concert, however, politics were forgone for Country music and Garth showing some love to the Detroit city.