Donald Trump LASHES OUT at league for ‘ridiculous’ kickoff rules
Former President Donald Trump is not a fan of the Roger Goodell and NFL's new Kickoff rules amidst growing fan frustrations.
Follow Us
Donald Trump slammed the NFL's new Kickoff rules (Image via Imago/SS)
This NFL season introduced two significant rule changes: the hip-drop tackle, designed to prevent lower leg injuries but challenging to enforce, and the new kickoff regulations. While the hip-drop tackle has sparked controversy, former President Donald Trump had something to say about the kickoff rule.
The 2024 US Presidential candidate was speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Monday. While talking about his policies and how he sees his opposition, the 78-year-old transitioned to talk about football. Donald Trump does seem to follow the sport well enough as he has talked about it quite a bit.
He was also at a Pittsburgh Steelers game the last time he was in the state. But all that said, something about the new kickoff rule irked him. He went on to talk about what he felt the NFL should do during this campaign.
Speaking of football, maybe we can get the NFL to drop that ridiculous kickoff set, oh what the h*ll are they…… What is that? I watched the game the other day and said, ‘What the hell happened? They just kicked off and nobody moved’. Oh well, that’s up to them.
Donald Trump said
Trump, known for his unabashed comments, might have a point here. Since the introduction of the new kickoff rules, kickoff returns have been at an all-time low. The yards per game may be higher than last season, but most teams don’t attempt to return punts and kickoffs.
One day before the election, Donald Trump rants about the NFL Dynamic Kickoff during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/519zzFpeXx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 4, 2024
That is a result of the kickers exploiting the rules to their advantage or the returning teams preferring to not risk energy and injury and start at the line specified by the rules. But this is something commissioner Roger Goodell and his team need to revisit.
Donald Trump pointing out flaws in kickoff rules could force Roger Goodell to make changes
Once fans started to wrap their heads around the new kickoff rules, they were frustrated as the end product was far worse than what it was. But thanks to Donald Trump, now their frustrations have reached the NFL. If Roger Goodell and his team of decision-makers need to bring back the excitement, they must be pondering whether to scrap this rule.
The other controversial rule change, banning the hip-drop tackle saw some controversy when some players complained that the referees were inconsistent in penalizing them. But officiating inconsistency does not stop there.
For instance, targeting and hits to the head took a different turn when Miami Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer was penalized for his hit on Keon Coleman. But it was a mere penalty flag and not an ejection as it should be on a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Inconsistencies such as this and other calls have been a major problem this season. So far in the regular season, fans might be a bit more tolerant. But if it were to impact games in the playoffs, fans and maybe other celebrities such as Donald Trump, could be louder when voicing their opinions.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2317 Articles Published)