A reader writes:
Per your reader's context for Sarah Palin's alleged satire of sports/battle conflation, it's worth noting that Miami tight end Kellen Winslow's "I'm a soldier. I'm a warrior" rant earned him immediate, near-universal, and long-lasting mockery even within the context of football (which is a significantly more violent sport than college basketball, and a sport where he, unlike Palin and the NCAA Tournament, is an active participant). Perhaps the sports world has a better sense of who can plausibly use "battle imagery" than does the political world.
And unlike Palin, Winslow apologized for his violent rhetoric:
After speaking with the press, I immediately regretted my comments and felt embarrassed for my family, my team, the University of Miami, our fans, alumni and myself.