Seattle Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla is making one thing clear after his Pittsburgh Steelers fandom became a storyline: He wants Seattle to win every time.
Khosla pushed back on Barstool Sports on August 28 after the outlet highlighted comments from his introductory press conference in which he revealed that he became a Steelers fan after arriving in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and still watches the team’s games.
“Reporters will make every molehill into a mountain just to get column inches to write or video minutes,” Khosla wrote on X.
He acknowledged that his time in Pittsburgh while attending Carnegie Mellon got him “excited about the NFL,” but said continuing to watch Pittsburgh does not change where his allegiance lies as an owner.
Khosla wrote that he will “ALWAYS as owner, want the @Seahawks to win and have every edge up, EVERY TIME over every other team!!!!”
The response adds another chapter to an eventful introduction for the family that just completed the biggest ownership purchase in NFL history.
Vinod Khosla Responds After Barstool Calls Out Steelers Fandom
Reveal you’ve been a Steelers fan your whole life and still watch all of their games
Barstool Sports circulated a clip from Khosla’s introductory press conference and framed his admission as something a new Seahawks owner probably shouldn’t say.
“What not to do during your opening press conference as the new Seahawks owner?” Barstool wrote on X, before pointing to Khosla’s Steelers allegiance.
During the press conference, Khosla explained that he came to the United States in 1976, when Pittsburgh was in the middle of its dominant run under Chuck Noll.
“I was originally and still am a big Steelers fan,” Khosla said, adding that he still watches Pittsburgh’s games, according to video from the Seahawks.
Khosla did not retreat from that history in his response to Barstool. Instead, he separated being a longtime fan from his responsibilities as an NFL owner.
He said there are teams he wants “to lose every advantage,” while reiterating there should be “zero questions” about wanting Seattle to win.
That distinction matters because Khosla is no longer merely an NFL fan with multiple rooting interests. His family is taking over the reigning Super Bowl champions following a record-setting transaction.
NFL owners unanimously approved the Seahawks’ sale to the Khosla family on August 26 for $9.612 billion, according to Reuters. Neeru Khosla will be Seattle’s controlling owner, while Vinod and their son Neal are also expected to have prominent roles.
The sale is expected to be finalized before Seattle begins the regular season against the New England Patriots on September 9.
What Is Khosla Ventures?
Khosla’s arrival in Seattle also has fans learning considerably more about the Silicon Valley investor behind the team’s new ownership group.
Vinod Khosla founded Khosla Ventures in 2004 after a career that included co-founding Sun Microsystems and working as a general partner at Kleiner Perkins.
The venture firm describes its strategy as making early investments in technology companies capable of disrupting major industries. Its investments have included companies such as DoorDash, while Khosla Ventures says it became the first venture firm to invest in OpenAI when it led a $50 million investment in 2019.
Khosla also entered the Seahawks purchase with NFL ownership experience. He previously held a minority interest in the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers, a stake Reuters reported must be divested as the Seattle transaction is completed.
Now the more consequential question for Seahawks fans isn’t which team’s games Khosla watched before buying the franchise.
It’s what the Khosla family does with a defending champion.
Vinod Khosla’s response Friday suggests he understands the distinction, and that he has little interest in being quiet when his commitment to Seattle is questioned.
Seahawks Owner Vinod Khosla Claps Back at Barstool Sports Over Steelers Fandom