Alex Ovechkin Finally Faces Some Pushback For Supporting Vladimir Putin

Alexander Ovechkin is probably the single most famous Russian athlete. He is also a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and not a particularly quiet or passive one. This, occasionally, has gotten him into some hot water with the rest of the world, given Putin's corruption and warmaking. In 2017, Ovechkin launched "PutinTeam," a social media movement supporting Putin and his party in the following year's elections, which were widely decried as fixed. In 2022, following Russia's indefensible invasion of Ukraine, Ovechkin said he still supported Putin. "He's my president," the Capitals star said. You do not, in fact, have to support a particular politician just because he's in charge, not even in Russia. Plenty of Russian NHL players have said nothing. Some have even spoken out against Putin or Russia's attack on Ukraine, which weakens the constant refrain from Ovechkin defenders that he's only on Putin's side to protect his family. It's obviously more than expedience; they have each other's cell numbers. But for the most part, Ovechkin has avoided real criticism for his political stances. Part of this is because he is one of the greatest players ever, and sports fans necessarily get very good at separating art from artist. But another part of it is that Ovechkin seems to have a sense of where the line is, and pulls back when public opinion indicates he's crossing it. Since his 2022 comments, Ovechkin has been near-totally silent on politics. Whether or not the rumors about the NHL telling him to clam up are true, his silence has served him well. The league and many fans were able to celebrate his chases of Wayne Gretzky and 1,000 goals without guilt. Ovechkin didn't face any questions tougher than ones about his favorite Italian restaurant.

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