On January 6, the Cincinnati Cyclones will host their annual throwback night. And while the date of the event happens to fall on the two-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, that coincidence apparently didn’t occur to the Cyclones’ social media team as it promoted the red throwback uniforms they will be wearing next week.
“We don’t care, we paint the town red (on Jan. 6),” the New York Rangers’ affiliate wrote in a now deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) promoting the red jerseys.
While “we don’t care, we paint the town red” are lyrics by the pop artist Doja Cat, many were quick to point out the unfortunate timing and potential double-meaning of the post. The Cyclones responded by deleting the post and issuing a statement clarifying that they were in no way invoking the riot at the Capitol.
“Last night we shared a video of our red warm-up jerseys with lyrics to a trending song,” the statement reads. “The tweet was meant to hype people up for our Throwback Night, where we will wear retro inspired jerseys.
“Our Throwback Night is traditionally held on the first weekend of January. This night and these jerseys are in no way a political statement.”
Feel bad for admin but this is objectively hilarious. https://t.co/Ri23MJ7XkK pic.twitter.com/EihVrVI7mx
— Keg. (@GratefulKeg) December 27, 2023
While unfortunate, there’s no reason to think that this was anything but an honest mistake, which wouldn’t have been an issue if the Cyclones’ jerseys had been just about any other color or date. Although many would likely be more careful when making references to the date, itself, considering its significance, it’s understandable how this one fell through the cracks.
Still, the Cyclones’ error should serve as a reminder that it’s always good to get a second set of eyes on something before posting it. That, of course, might be easier said than done when it comes to working in minor league hockey during the holiday season.
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About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.