Dale Earnhardt Jr. Calls Out NFL’s “Cheap PR Game” With Bad Bunny: “They’re Not Building Culture — They’re Buying Attention”

October 5, 2025 | Charlotte, North Carolina

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never been afraid to speak his mind — on the track or off it. And this week, he’s making headlines again after calling out the NFL for what he described as a “cheap PR stunt” involving global superstar Bad Bunny.

In a fiery post that has since gone viral, Earnhardt accused the league of “buying culture instead of earning respect” and warned fans that the entire spectacle was nothing more than “a marketing engine running on hype and hashtags.”

“They’re not building culture,” he wrote. “They’re buying attention. And if we keep feeding it, we’re part of the problem.”

The remarks have set off a nationwide conversation about authenticity, celebrity influence, and how far professional sports are willing to go to stay relevant.

“This Ain’t About Music — It’s About Manipulation”

The controversy started after the NFL launched a high-profile campaign featuring Bad Bunny during a major game weekend, complete with halftime appearances, co-branded merch, and social media blitzes.

Earnhardt, 50, says he isn’t against collaboration — but he’s calling out intent.

“I’ve got no issue with Bad Bunny,” he said in a follow-up interview on his Dale Jr. Download podcast. “He’s a hell of an artist. But what the NFL’s doing? That ain’t celebration — that’s manipulation. They’re using his fanbase like a fuel source.”

He paused, then added one of the lines that instantly went viral:

“They don’t want connection. They want clicks. And that’s the dirtiest race there is.”

Fans flooded the comments, applauding his honesty and old-school integrity. One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “Dale Jr. just said what every fan’s been thinking. The NFL’s turning every game into a commercial break with helmets.”

“The Machine Doesn’t Care Who It Uses”

Earnhardt’s criticism didn’t stop with the league. He went after the media circus surrounding the campaign, saying the frenzy only exposes how “the hype economy” has replaced genuine competition.

“Look around,” he said. “Every sport, every show — it’s not about who’s the best anymore, it’s about who trends. The machine doesn’t care who it uses, it just needs noise.”

When asked whether he thought fans were complicit, he didn’t hold back:

“Hell yeah, we are. Every time we retweet something just because it’s shiny, we’re giving it power. They don’t have to earn attention anymore — we hand it to them.”

That kind of raw candor — half southern grit, half media veteran — hit home for fans who have long seen Earnhardt Jr. as one of the last voices of authenticity in sports.

“It’s a Dirty PR Game, and Everyone’s Playing It”

While the NFL has not responded publicly, insiders say Earnhardt’s comments “didn’t go unnoticed.” Some marketing executives reportedly called them “outdated,” while others admitted privately that “he’s not wrong.”

“Look, every league wants young eyeballs,” Earnhardt said during the podcast. “But there’s a right way and a wrong way to get them. What they’re doing is lazy. It’s a dirty PR game, and everyone’s playing it.”

Then came his knockout line — the one fans were quoting everywhere by Sunday morning:

“You can’t buy cool. You can rent it for a minute, but it always drives off with the real ones.”

That quote alone racked up over 400,000 shares across social media within 24 hours.

Respect for Bad Bunny, Critique for the Circus

To be clear, Earnhardt made it known that he holds no grudge against Bad Bunny himself.

“The man’s talented, no doubt,” he said. “But I feel bad he’s being turned into a brand mascot. That’s not on him — that’s on the suits trying to milk his shine.”

He added that the situation reminded him of how racing sponsors often “take over the story instead of the sport.”

“I’ve lived this,” he said. “You start out racing for passion, and next thing you know, someone in a boardroom decides what colors your fire suit should be. That’s when you lose the soul.”

Fans and Fellow Drivers React

The NASCAR community — usually quiet about crossover controversies — jumped in with surprising solidarity. Retired driver Clint Bowyer tweeted,

“Preach it, Junior. We race for trophies, not trends.”

Fans flooded Earnhardt’s social media with messages like “Finally, someone said it” and “Protecting sports from becoming circus acts.”

Meanwhile, younger sports influencers fired back, saying Earnhardt’s comments reflected “old-school gatekeeping.” One viral post read, “This isn’t 1999 anymore, Dale. Sports and culture are the same thing now.”

Earnhardt responded briefly, with his trademark calm edge:

“If sports and culture are the same thing, then we’ve lost both.”

A Larger Commentary on Media and Morals

Analysts say Earnhardt’s remarks tap into a wider unease among fans who feel that sports are losing their soul in the age of marketing algorithms.

“Dale Jr. speaks from a place of credibility,” said media sociologist Karen Porter. “He’s lived through the commercialization of racing, so when he calls something fake, people listen.”

She added that his criticism “isn’t anti-progress — it’s anti-hollow.”

“He’s saying what a lot of Americans feel: they miss when sports stood for something real, not just for branding opportunities.”

No Regrets, No Filters

When asked if he regretted his comments, Earnhardt laughed.

“Regret? Nah. I’ve driven into walls harder than internet backlash.”

He added one final note — the kind of line that cements legends:

“I’m not mad at the NFL. I’m just tired of the noise. You can’t call it passion if it’s bought. And you can’t call it culture if it’s for sale.”

That quote alone captured the internet’s imagination — reposted on fan pages, sports sites, and even quoted by other athletes.

By Monday morning, #DaleSaidItBest was trending alongside #BadBunnyNFL, proving once again that when Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks, America listens.

In a world full of flash, filters, and marketing smoke, he’s still racing on something rare — the straight track of truth.