Donald Trump has had several notable differences with the NFL. Trump recently sent a message to the league and warned that the end of their multi-billion dollar business model might be close.
Trump criticized the league during his presidency in 2017. He was unhappy with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other league players taking a knee during the national anthem.
Donald Trump wanted to own the Buffalo Bills
Part of his ire might have been the league’s owners’ coordination to keep him from owning a team.
Per an Associated Press article in 2023, Trump wanted to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014. However, Trump’s past as an owner of the USFK’s New Jersey Generals returned to haunt him. Trump and the USFL wanted to bring a lawsuit against the league for having a monopoly on professional football.
The NFL won’t let Trump in their club
Per the AP report, internal emails brought up during Trump’s civil fraud trial indicated there was heavy skepticism surrounding Trump’s inclusion into the league owner’s club:
“Trump has little chance of being approved by the NFL,” given that he had owned casinos and had a role in the rival USFL’s 1980s antitrust suit against the NFL, then-Morgan Stanley executive K. Don Cornwell wrote to colleagues in April 2014. “That being said, his strong show of support doesn’t hurt the process.”
“He probably does have the dough” and claimed he’d been courting the NFL, another Morgan Stanley banker, Jeffrey Holzschuh, wrote back, adding: “but never know the real facts with him.”
Trump isn’t afraid to criticize the league
Most politicians try and cozy up to the league, as potential voters love the product. Trump, being the iconoclast that he is, doesn’t have an issue with criticizing the sport.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump took a shot at the NL for changing their kickoff rules. He warned the league might be embarking on the “beginning of the end,” for their sport.
“I can’t believe the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of Football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!,” Trump wrote.
There’s one problem with Trump’s concern.
It’s not real.
During Thursday night’s Kansas City Chiefs/Baltimore Ravens matchup, the league shattered its record for a most-watched season opener. The league has had tremendous success with postseason ratings in January and February.
The league may or may not tinker with the kickoff rules before next season, but it won’t kill the sport. The league is growing, whether people call for a boycott of the league or not.
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