Could this be Trump’s way of overcompensating for his already documented small hands? Has his envy of athletes led him to the White House to devise a plan to rally other small handed team owners to work against the larger handed athletes?
OK, maybe not and I’m pretty sure the president is very content with his hand size (this was in no way meant to discriminate against those of the small handed community).
What this is in fact is the top 10 moments Donald has attempted to insult professional athletes.
The introduction of technology has allowed some of the greatest sports trolls and insults to take place and live forever. Imagine if President Nixon was able to trade verbal jabs with Muhammad Ali, or if Ronald Reagan utilized his platform as president to take aim at Magic Johnson, just imagine what could’ve been said.
In the midst of an ongoing nuclear missile dispute with North Korea and catastrophes across the world, President Trump has decided that his energy should be geared at professional athletes exercising their first amendment rights.
So, without further ado here are the top 10 moments Donald Trump has had it out with professional athletes.
10) Trump vs. The WWE
If the president’s performance thus far has been reminiscent of anything, it would undoubtedly have to be the WWE. His brash delivery and utter “Disregard for human life,” as WWE commentator Jim Ross would say, makes him the quintessential WWE villain. He has even perfected the pro wrestler “turn around,” when he called out NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick at a rally in Alabama.
Trump’s stint with the WWE was labeled as the “Battle of The Billionaires” when he took on WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. This led up to the headline event WrestleMania 23 where he won the bout and shaved McMahon’s head. His time with the WWE also included battles with Hall of Fame wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin. While this behavior is acceptable in the realm of entertainment, this is politics; and he shouldn’t be tweeting .gifs of himself bringing CNN to the ground. Come to think of it, there may be no disparities between the two. I mean, he did end up making Linda McMahon the administrator of the Small Business Association.
A link to the showdown:
And to see Donald Trump get stunned
Image courtesy of Slate.com
9) Donald Burns Athletes on ‘The Apprentice’
As if athletes don’t have it hard enough trying to overcome the stigma of being “dumb jocks.” Trump directed this idea at athletes on his now canceled show “The Celebrity Apprentice.” During an interview with WCNC, Trump made a bold statement regarding who he felt would win the show.
“We find that athletes often times don’t do as well. It’s amazing,” Donald told WCNC. “They’re very strong physically. Much superior physically. But they seem to wilt. Let’s see if that happens this season.”
A subtle jab, but a jab nonetheless.
8) Donald Trump vs. The NFL
Image courtesy of USA TODAY
If Nielsen needed a spokesperson to remind television networks when their ratings were down, Trump is the guy. And who would Trump be if he didn’t have a great, logical explanation for why this is: the game is too soft. As if more players have to suffer traumatic brain injuries, which ultimately led to their demise and has most recently been the case with Aaron Hernandez and countless others. C.T.E has affected players at higher rates despite being in good shape, yet Trump calls for more brutality. Sound familiar?
7) Trump vs Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
With Mark Cuban’s “Shark Tank” and Trump’s ‘The Apprentice,” two similar shows on competing networks, it was inevitable that both men would cross paths at some point. Originally, the two had no beef between one another. At the start of Trump’s presidential campaign, Cuban contemplated the idea of becoming Trump’s running mate. “I don’t care what his actual positions are,” Cuban told Business Insider. “I don’t care if he says the wrong thing. He says what’s on his mind. He gives honest answers rather than prepared answers. This is more important than anything any candidate has done in years.” Somehow this idea got lost in translation, as Cuban switched his stance and endorsed Hillary Clinton shortly after. An insult slinging Twitter fest ensued in the following months, and well, this was the result:
6) Hypocritical of Obama’s Football tweets
A common trend in Trump’s presidency, as well as his personal life, is contradicting himself on many levels. This one takes the cake. With the threat of North Korea on the verge of starting a nuclear war, a rather faulty healthcare bill and natural disasters occurring at what seem like record rates, Trump decided to fight the biggest problem in America right now. The National Football League. Even when American citizens were dying in Puerto Rico, Trump used the brunt of his energy towards attempting to ‘tackle’ the issues of NFL players he referred to as “S.O.B’s” not standing for the national anthem. Remember when he told Obama four years prior to focus on his job?
5) Praises Tim Tebow says he should have a job in NFL doesn’t do the same with Kaepernick
I just don't know why some of these NFL teams with lousy quarterbacks don't give Tim Tebow a chance – what do they have to lose?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2013
The controversy surrounding the exhibition of white supremacy and blackballing of Colin Kaepernick’s career makes this next “burn” that much more laughable. Without context, this may seem like a fan simply wanting a player he roots for to find a job, and up until last year, this was the case. But like all things, layers start to unravel. Irrelevant comments resurface and find pertinence again. There’s no debating that Colin Kaepernick has proven himself to be worthy of having a spot in the NFL.
And frankly, protests excluded, Colin is picked over Tebow ten times out of ten. Yet this country has a way of silencing those who have the gall to stand (or kneel in this instance) for what they believe in.
This may be the most thought-provoking comment on this list that Donald has made regarding sports. Not only does it deal with Kaepernick’s situation, but both quarterbacks showcased the same act of kneeling for different reasons. Still, it could be argued that the same way Tebow felt compelled to kneel is the same reason Kaepernick decided to exercise his right to do so. The difference between the two is not only outlined by their playing styles or physical features, but by the way the public perceived the two after their stances.
Ridiculing Kaepernick for kneeling in protest in regards to issues that affect him and those that look like him, would be synonymous to Tebow kneeling for his Christian faith had he been playing cricket in a relatively heavily populated Muslim country. This analogy may sound like nonsense, but hopefully it draws some perspective.
Or one could just say Tebow doesn’t have a job in the NFL because he failed to showcase the same dominance he once he at the University of Florida, and his game simply didn’t translate. Nonetheless, Tebow has since done commentary for the NFL as well as found a home playing for the New York Mets minor league team. Maybe the same is possible for Kaepernick. Probably not.
4) Donald Trump vs. Buffalo Bills
This coming in at number four may be surprising but context will prove why it’s ranked so highly. At Trump’s recent rally in Alabama, he called for owners to get players who did not conform and stand for the flag to “Get that son of bitch off the field.” But what if Trump was the owner of one the team’s those S.O.B’s play for? Well, it almost happened to the Bills back in 2014.
Hard to say this would’ve have been a success, considering Donald almost singlehandedly plummeted the late NFL competitor, the United States Football League, in the ’80s. Also, how would a Trump-owned Bills team react to running back LeSean McCoy’s stretching during the National Anthem?
Image courtesy of YouTube
3) Trump vs. Lebron James
Trump’s relationship with NBA superstar Lebron James has been slightly one sided as Trump has praised James in the past on his on the court performance, with no comments back from James’ side.
It seems as if Trump’s admiration for the athlete couldn’t save him from quite possibly the greatest athlete/president one-liner we’ve ever seen. James’ response comes after Trump ‘rescinded’ his White House invitation to two-time champion and NBA MVP Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
To which Lebron responded.
Checkmate, King James.
2) Trump vs. Stephen Curry
Touched on slightly above, but context paints this picture more clearly. Stephen Curry has done a wonderful job of maintaining the image of a God fearing family man from the Midwest. He’s managed to stay clear of any troubles and allegations, and is focused on his job. Playing basketball. Due to his prominence on the court and winning multiple championships he has been offered the opportunity to visit the White House to meet with the President.
To meet the POTUS is a celebration that recognizes the greatness a team displays on the court. Unless you’re Tom Brady, than you’re excluded without ridicule. Yet like every American, Curry has a voice and right to an opinion. Being a professional athlete doesn’t exclude Curry from being able to express his views freely, so he can respectfully decline such an invitation..
Stephen Curry (right of Barack Obama) along with Warrior teammates during ceremonial White House visit in 2015. Image courtesy of Yahoo! Sports
But again, America likes their whites with their whites and their coloreds with their coloreds, (obviously a laundry analogy) meaning social commentary from athletes is not well received by the public and apparently the POTUS. Rescinding an invitation that wasn’t going to be attended anyway is akin to uninviting a stranger to your birthday party. There is no need to do it.
Tom Brady expressed this same right after his team won.
1) Trump vs. Kaepernick and “The Kneel”
No surprise why this is number one here, Trump vs. Colin Kaepernick is the nucleus to just about every story on this list.
Kneeling in peaceful protest to shed light on the issues that face blacks who call America home today seems to be just as bad, if not worse than the reason for the protests in the first place.
Unable to see the perspective of disenfranchised people in this nation, White America ridicules without firm ground for argument. They call it disrespectful and an act of treason. Yet what is to be said when you have never felt accepted in this country? When you grow up learning that your people have and continue to be considered less than. When these so-called “privileged” athletes go back to visit the neighborhoods they came from, the feelings of turmoil begin to resurface. Although they are making millions of dollars doing what they love, the people in their neighborhoods still struggle with issues that may or may not still pertain to them.
This protest is an outcry to this nation to identify with these people. These athletes took a knee and did not sing the national anthem because this is a country that only praises you as long as you conform to white norms; showing you exactly where to stand in this country if you as so much step out of line. An act as simple as kneeling is being treated like it is a chargeable offense in the court of law. Such irony, as the very reason these protests took place were to delineate the murders of unarmed black men by police and those alike that go unpunished.
The preexisting notion that because an athlete makes a lot of money he should keep his mouth shut is the very rhetoric and ideology that keeps this country divided today. NFL players from all races will continue to kneel as an act of solidarity. They’re not just standing for what they believe in but also bringing back the unity that once allowed sports fans to come together and enjoy being entertained regardless of one’s background.
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