Throughout President Trump’s first time period, his relationship with the N.F.L. was contentious.
He downplayed the severity of concussions in soccer even because the league took steps to scale back head trauma within the recreation, and urged that soccer was declining as a result of it’s not as violent because it as soon as was. Most notably, in 2017, he urged N.F.L. homeowners to fireplace gamers who didn’t stand for the nationwide anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
That led to a leaguewide rebuke of Mr. Trump, with many extra gamers becoming a member of within the protests and even a few of his supporters throughout the N.F.L., together with staff homeowners, criticizing his feedback. After the Philadelphia Eagles gained that season’s Tremendous Bowl, Mr. Trump referred to as off the standard championship celebration on the White Home when it turned clear that the majority gamers would decline to attend.
“They disagree with their president as a result of he insists that they proudly stand for the nationwide anthem, hand on coronary heart, in honor of the nice women and men of our army and the folks of our nation,” he mentioned in a press release seven years in the past.
Instances have modified. On Sunday, Mr. Trump turned the primary sitting U.S. president to attend a Tremendous Bowl in individual. He was within the Superdome in New Orleans to observe the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs because the invited visitor of Gayle Benson, the proprietor of the New Orleans Saints.
He wrote concerning the recreation on Friday morning on Truth Social, praising a number of gamers and coaches (although none by title) whereas additionally taking a jab on the league’s new kickoff rules, as he has achieved earlier than.
“Two nice Quarterbacks on this recreation. Additionally, an unbelievable operating again, and the best possible tight finish in soccer (Ever!). Unbelievable teaching! If they might solely eliminate that basically bizarre wanting new Kickoff ‘deal,’ which really makes soccer extra harmful, they might be doing everyone, particularly the followers, a giant favor. ANYWAY, IT WILL BE A GREAT GAME!!!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Most politicians prefer to be round soccer due to its overwhelming reputation and the variety of constituents they’ll attain simply by showing at a recreation or alongside a star participant or coach. Mr. Trump is an outlier as a result of his reference to the league dates again many years and has ranged from aspirational to brazenly antagonistic.
Starting within the early Nineteen Eighties, Mr. Trump confirmed curiosity in shopping for a staff, together with the Baltimore Colts, the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Payments. Unable to land a franchise, he purchased the New Jersey Generals of the fledgling United States Soccer League in 1984. He pushed the opposite homeowners to sue the N.F.L. for making an attempt to stop the usF.L., a spring league, from enjoying within the fall. After a bitter trial, the usF.L. was awarded three {dollars} in damages. The united statesF.L. collapsed quickly after.
Mr. Trump — who enjoys attending sporting occasions like U.F.C. fights and school soccer championship video games — was additionally an everyday visitor of the Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft earlier than he entered politics. When operating for president in 2015 and 2016, he used his connections to the staff to assist increase his profile with soccer followers. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady briefly stored a Make America Nice Once more cap in his locker and the staff’s coach, Invoice Belichick, wrote a letter in assist that Mr. Trump learn on tv. After he was elected, Mr. Kraft and 6 different N.F.L. staff homeowners every donated $1 million to his 2017 inauguration.
Then got here his criticism and the backlash from the gamers. However the N.F.L. is in a special place now than it was again then. Gamers are now not kneeling in protest. And the league didn’t stencil the phrase “Finish Racism” in one of many Tremendous Bowl finish zones for the primary time since 2021, a choice that comes because the Trump administration has moved aggressively to roll again variety, fairness and inclusion initiatives.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump as soon as once more has an opportunity to talk out about soccer.
“Traditionally, it’s been a time to speak about unity and togetherness and simply rejoice this magnificent vacation in our nationwide civic faith,” Michael MacCambridge, creator of “America’s Sport: The Epic Story of How Professional Soccer Captured a Nation,” mentioned. “It’s difficult to have Donald Trump celebrating soccer, particularly due to his considerably troubled relationship with the N.F.L. and its gamers.”
Vice presidents have attended Tremendous Bowls prior to now, however presidents have restricted their connection to the sport to a conventional TV interview the airs within the hours earlier than kickoff with the community airing that yr’s matchup. These interviews, which date to 2009, are a strategy to attain a large TV viewers, and convey their love of the sport and the notion that the Tremendous Bowl is likely one of the few occasions in American life that pulls various teams collectively. (President Biden opted not to participate in a TV interview the final two years and President Trump declined in 2018.)
Mr. Trump was additionally anticipated to fulfill survivors of the assault within the metropolis’s French Quarter on New Yr’s Day, and the emergency medical staff who helped them. He was proven on the video screens contained in the Superdome.
Many presidents, together with Dwight D. Eisenhower, have performed soccer and spoken of the sport and the N.F.L. fondly. President Richard M. Nixon was notably obsessive about soccer, and despatched performs to coaches, together with George Allen and Don Shula. He additionally referred to as to congratulate Shula after the Dolphins gained Tremendous Bowl VII in 1973.
Like different presidents, Barack Obama invited Tremendous Bowl champions to the White Home. However he said if he had a son, he would “must suppose lengthy and onerous” earlier than letting him play soccer due to the violence.
Three vice presidents have attended the Tremendous Bowl. Spiro Agnew, who had been governor of Maryland, was the primary. He went to Tremendous Bowl III as a visitor of Baltimore Colts proprietor Carroll Rosenbloom.
Vice presidents and presidents have additionally attended regular-season video games now and again. In 2017, Vice President Mike Pence went to a Colts recreation in his dwelling state of Indiana and stood for the nationwide anthem as a counterpoint to Colin Kaepernick and different gamers who have been kneeling throughout the enjoying of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In October, throughout the marketing campaign, Mr. Trump attended a game between the Jets and the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
The Tremendous Bowl on Sunday, although, has a far bigger viewers, with greater than 100 million viewers in the USA and plenty of thousands and thousands extra abroad.
