Alan Clendenin says the Tampa Sports Authority stays out of free speech disputes over Macklemore
Alan ClendeninTampa City Council chairperson and member of the Tampa Sports Authority board
Alan Clendenin, chairperson of the Tampa City Council and a member of the Tampa Sports Authority board, told the Tampa Bay Times that Macklemore's removal from the Loop Tour had nothing to do with the authority. He said the authority does not get involved in free speech issues and called the matter one between other stadiums, the artists and their promoters.
“The Tampa Sports Authority’s position hasn’t changed: We don’t get involved in freedom of speech issues We are a public facility and we’re doing business as the Tampa Sports Authority. This had to do with certain owners that are not in the city of Tampa taking a stance, and they are discussing with the artists involved. This is between other stadiums, the artists, and the artists’ promoters.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Tampa Bay Times report of September 15, 2026 on whether the Tampa Sports Authority, the public agency that manages Raymond James Stadium, played a part in Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour. It quotes several authority board members.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Tampa Sports Authority is the public agency that manages Raymond James Stadium, where the Loop Tour was set to end in November. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Sheeran said his promoter made the decision to remove Macklemore, and it asked whether Tampa leaders had influenced that decision.
After the quotation
The Times reported that board members Patrick Manteiga and Joe Robinson directed questions about artists and their contracts to the authority's staff, and that the authority said it had no records of Sheeran's contract. Robinson said Gillette Stadium is privately owned and that, as a public stadium, Raymond James must follow the laws on the books.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case looks at Macklemore's Free Palestine speech and his removal from the tour. Clendenin did not take a side on either. He said the Tampa Sports Authority does not get involved in free speech issues and pointed to other stadiums, the artists and their promoters as the parties involved, so we labeled it Explicitly stayed out.
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Jewish Voice for Peace says the backlash to Macklemore's removal shows support for pro-Palestine speech
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“Two years into Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine organizing, the backlash against Sheeran shows how little patience Americans have for attacks on pro-Palestine speech. It also demonstrates the shift toward support for Palestinian rights among everyday Americans that our movements have helped propel.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Alan Clendenin says the Tampa Sports Authority stays out of free speech disputes over Macklemore". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3404-alan-clendenin-chairperson-of-the-tampa-city-council