President-elect Donald Trump made clear one thing he was no fan of during his re-election campaign – the NFL’s new kickoff rule.
Trump reiterated that point again right after he praised San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa following the star player’s sack celebration that appeared to be an homage to the former president.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 in Mint Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
“The NFL should get rid of the ridiculous new Kickoff Rule!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
It was not the first time Trump had been critical of the rule. He mentioned it as a point of contention when he appeared on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with sportscaster Jim Gray and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
“I will tell you, I watch football now, and I see that kickoff, and it looks weird to me,” Trump said before Election Day. “That thing looks weird, coach. I hope you like it but I think it hurts the game. I think when you have something good, you don’t change it.
“And, I don’t see why it’s safer. Why is it safer? They’re still crashing. … I looked at that a few weeks ago for the first time and I said, what the hell are they doing to football?”
The president-elect mentioned the rule again when he interviewed with OutKick’s Clay Travis during the Alabama-Georgia college football game.
Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders players line up for the kickoff in the second half of the preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 10, 2024 in Minneapolis. The NFL is debuting a new rule on kickoffs this season. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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“Big time college football is as big as the NFL,” he said. “I don’t know what they’re doing with the kickoff return in the NFL. And I don’t want to get involved in controversy, of course, but it looks so bad.
“And I noticed that they hadn’t’ done that in college, and they shouldn’t do it. And I think the NFL should go back. And maybe it is a little bit more dangerous, but I doubt that it’s any more dangerous. It’s football.
“I think they made a terrible mistake in doing that.”
He wrote about it on Truth Social back in early September as well.
Former President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the PPG Paints Arena on Nov. 4, 2024 in Pittsburgh. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“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!”
The NFL is in the first season of its dynamic kickoff rule.
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