Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill is facing a backlash for his campaign to support President Trump's new Supreme Court nominee.
For Bidwill, this is all about promoting a high school classmate who's earned a seat on the nation's highest court.
But others see it as an NFL owner playing politics, while telling players to stick to football.
Bidwill helped rally about a dozen classmates from his days at Georgetown Preparatory School, an elite high school near Washington, D.C., to sign a letter to the U.S. Senate leadership.
Among those classmates signing the letter was Brian Cashman, general manager of the New York Yankees.
They urged quick action on their newly famous graduate -- Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Class of '83.
"We were high school football teammates. We've grown up in life together," Bidwill said in an interview Tuesday on KFYI's "Mike Broomhead Show."
"We just knew something was special about Brett and he was going to do something great in life."
(Bidwill's father and two brothers are also graduates of Georgetown Prep.)
News of Bidwill's support was posted on the Arizona Cardinals website and the team Twitter feed.
But after the NFL's crackdown on players taking a knee as a political statement, the court of public opinion is asking why an NFL owner is making what looks like a political statement under his team's banner.
Bidwill, a Republican political insider in Arizona, denies that politics are involved.
"People are saying stick to sports?" he said on the "Broomhead Show."
"You know what? We ask our players 20 days a year—game days—to restrict their statements. The rest of the days, we want our players to get engaged in the community, just like I am and other owners are."
Bidwill isn't the first NFL executive in recent years to campaign for a Supreme Court nominee.
Last year, Denver Broncos head of football operations John Elway wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving his "highest recommendation" to Neil Gorsuch, a Colorado native.
Gorsuch also happened to be two years behind Kavanaugh at Georgetown Prep, which could give the 229-year-old Jesuit prep school two alums among the nine members of the Supreme Court.
Full disclosure: 12 News is the official home of the Arizona Cardinals.