Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th United States President. He is all set to return to the White House after defeating Kamala Harris in US Presidential elections. Once in office, Trump will be only the second president to return to White House for a second non-consecutive term. Trump before the election results were announced ripped off country's most popular sports American Football over its new rule. Here's the new rule that was the talk of the point and Trump's reaction on it
During a rally in Raleigh, N.C. on Monday, former President Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, used a football analogy to comment on the current state of the country. His speech quickly turned into a critique of the NFL.
"Speaking of football, maybe we can get the NFL to drop that ridiculous kickoff s***, I watched the game the other day, I said 'What the hell happened? They just kicked off and nobody moved.' Oh well. That's up to them," Trump said.
Kickoff rule
The remark comes amid the NFL's new kickoff rule, introduced for the 2024 season, aimed at improving player safety and encouraging more returns. The rule has faced backlash, especially after a lackluster performance in Week 1, and has drawn complaints from fans. By Week 4, 19.8% of kicks had landed in the new "landing zone," while 80% went into or past the end zone, resulting in over 75% of kicks ending in touchbacks. As of Week 10, the Detroit Lions have posted the best kickoff return yards average at 34.9, and only three kickoff returns for touchdowns had occurred.
Trump didn’t stop with the kickoff rule. He also criticized the NFL's introduction of guardian caps, additional padding worn by players to reduce head injuries. During an interview on Bill Belichick and Jim Gray's "Let's Go!" podcast, Trump expressed his strong disapproval of the caps, calling them a threat to the sport.
"That'll be the end. You know, those big, massive pads or pillows they put on the outside of the helmet. All of a sudden they'll be saying you have to do that. No, it's a violent game, and, you know, you either have it or you don't have it," said Trump.
NFL rules
This season, players have been permitted to wear the guardian caps, which are designed to protect the head. Following research and testing, the NFL made the caps mandatory for certain positions during preseason games and full-contact practices, while also allowing players to wear them during regular-season games. According to the NFL, the caps have been shown to reduce concussions by 25%. However, the caps have received mixed reactions from players, including Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who, after recovering from a concussion in Week 2, announced that he would not wear the cap for the remainder of the season.
It’s also worth noting that Trump has previously mentioned his dislike for playing tackle football, explaining that he wasn’t fond of being tackled by someone who had been "lifting weights all day long" and came from "a bad neighborhood."
