Story perspectives

NFL Owners Bar Macklemore From Ed Sheeran Tour

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 11:26 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

NFL owners, led by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, barred rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour.
Kraft told Ed Sheeran Macklemore could not perform at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 25 and 26.
Macklemore alleged Kraft rallied other stadium owners to bar the tour if he stayed.
Colin Kaepernick said on MeidasTouch podcast NFL owners are colluding against Macklemore, citing his 2017 grievance settled in 2019.

History

Historical Context

During the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists, prompting IOC president Avery Brundage to expel them and sparking over 2,000 protest letters to the U.S. government. The Games coincided with Mexico’s student movement, brutally suppressed after a 500,000-person march. Decades later, NFL owner Robert Kraft barred rapper Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, echoing the pattern of powerful hosts silencing dissent.

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Story summary

NFL owners, led by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, barred rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour.
Kraft told Ed Sheeran Macklemore could not perform at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 25 and 26.
Macklemore alleged Kraft rallied other stadium owners to bar the tour if he stayed.
Colin Kaepernick said on MeidasTouch podcast NFL owners are colluding against Macklemore, citing his 2017 grievance settled in 2019.

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