Rangers Announcer’s “OK”-Sign Like Ignites Social-Media Backlash

On February 24, 2018, Texas Rangers television play-by-play announcer C.J. Nitkowski “liked” a tweet that featured the “OK” hand gesture posted by the far-right organization Proud Boys. The gesture, originally a benign “The Game” signal, had been co-opted by some white-nationalist circles as a hate symbol. Nitkowski’s engagement with the post prompted criticism on social media, leading Rangers public-relations director John Blake to contact him. By Monday, Nitkowski removed the “like,” unfollowed the Proud Boys account, and deleted recent tweets.

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The Proud Boys, founded by former *Vice* co-founder Gavin McInnes, have been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Members such as Jason Kessler helped organize the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville. The “OK” sign’s alleged white-power meaning is disputed; some trace it to a 4chan hoax, while others cite its use by extremist figures like Milo Yiannopoulos and Richard Spencer. The Anti-Defamation League does not list the sign among its recognized hate symbols.

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Nitkowski told Rangers’ PR staff that his “like” was intended to celebrate the U.S. women’s hockey team’s gold-medal victory and that he was unaware of any extremist affiliation. He said he unfollowed the Proud Boys after learning of the group’s reputation and expressed discomfort with any perceived association. Rangers officials confirmed the conversation and noted that Nitkowski’s subsequent deletion of the tweets was intended to mitigate further reputational damage.

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Critics highlight the Proud Boys’ extremist ties, citing founder McInnes’s past remarks that reference racial hierarchies and colonialist attitudes. Observers argue that even if the “OK” sign originated as a joke, its adoption by white-nationalist figures warrants caution for public figures who engage with Proud Boys content.

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• “They asked me what happened,” Nitkowski said. “I explained how I liked a photo of the US women’s hockey team after they won gold and why I liked it… I had unfollowed the group prior to the phone call. And while my like was completely innocuous I didn’t feel good about the organization or myself being even slightly associated with any potential inappropriate organization.” — C.J. Nitkowski

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• “Well, at least they’re not n***ers or Puerto Ricans. At least they’re white.” — Gavin McInnes, *New York Press*, 2002

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• “We brought roads and infrastructure to India and they are still using them as toilets. Our criminals built nice roads in Australia but aboriginals keep using them as a bed. The next time someone bitches about colonization, the correct response is ‘You’re welcome.’” — Gavin McInnes, *Taki’s Magazine*, March 2, 2017

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• “Why don’t we start our own Crusades? That’s what the Crusades were. They weren’t just someone picking on Muslims for no reason — they were a reaction to Muslim tyranny. We finally fought back.” — Gavin McInnes, *The Gavin McInness show*, 2017

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