Sportsnaut
President Donald Trump just noticed the NFL’s altered kickoff setup and is not happy with it.
“The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous-looking new Kickoff Rule,” Trump said in a Monday morning post on Truth Social. “How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly. It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell. The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about.
“’Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL! Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas? It’s like wanting to “roll back” the golf ball so it doesn’t go (nearly!) as far. Fortunately, college football will remain the same, hopefully forever!!
Clearly, the President started his Monday morning by catching up on the NFL Week 2 highlights. But what is interesting — and hilarious — about his comments is that the new kickoff rules, where blockers and tacklers are stationary until the ball is caught by the returner, did not start this year. It was instituted in 2024.
Trump obviously missed that while watching games last year, or when he was at Super Bowl LIX earlier this year.
The goal of the 2024 change to kickoffs was to hopefully increase returns, create more excitement, and try to minimize injuries from the high-speed collisions that often occur during kickoffs. A similar version of what the NFL uses was actually first brought to the masses when the XFL returned in 2023.
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