Donald Trump recently attended UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York. After Jon Jones won his fight against Stipe Miocic, he paid tribute to the newly elected President by doing his viral dance.
In Week 11, NFL players, including the Las Vegas Raiders’ star rookie Brock Bowers, did that dance, which sparked many reactions on social media.
Fans React to NFL Players Celebrating With Donald Trump Dance
People had contrasting opinions after seeing NFL players like Bowers, Calvin Ridley, and Za’Darius Smith doing the Trump dance. Some were in favor of the players doing the dance, while others emphasized strictly keeping politics out of sports. Here’s how people reacted:
What happened to shut up and dribble
— Jakob (@NestorCaddy) November 17, 2024
“Hopefully an incoming fine,” said one fan about Bowers’ celebration.
They were screaming for 8 years to keep politics out of sports but they win one popular vote and all of the sudden you can’t turn on a football game without running into a trump reference head first https://t.co/A4bjrXnskU
— Tony (@Tonyknowsall0) November 17, 2024
The Trump dance is contagious, look at Jon Jones celebrates his win by doing the Trump dance and pointing at President Trump 😂 pic.twitter.com/jaX2jvtPMk
— Mr Commonsense (@fopminui) November 17, 2024
NO WAY!! ZADARIUS SMITH IN HIS FIRST SACK WITH THE LIONS HIT THE TRUMP DANCE AND GOLD SWING!!! I LOVE THIS TEAM AND COUNTRY!! #onepride #maga #nfl #america pic.twitter.com/LUZAxFgoZu
— Saga (@SagaFraga) November 17, 2024
This is so dumb lol. Just say you voted him like you probably did, no one really cares https://t.co/BnKAMUhUrK
— Khaled (@khaled74) November 18, 2024
The Raiders limited Bowers’ media availability after his celebration, which caused more uproar among people who liked how he celebrated after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
A few weeks ago, San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa was fined $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a postgame interview. There are speculations that players who performed the Trump dance in Week 11 could also be fined.
It will be interesting to see what commissioner Roger Goodell decides to do, as people’s political opinions are more divided than ever, and it is a very sensitive topic.
Brock Bowers Answered Question About Trump Celebration
The star Raiders tight end answered one question about why he did that celebration.
“I’ve seen everyone do it,” said Bowers, as per USA Today’s Safid Deen. “I watched the UFC fight last night, and Jon Jones did it. I like watching UFC, so I saw it and thought it was cool.”
Las Vegas drafted Bowers with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has been their best player this season. The Raiders are 2-8 on the season and will likely finish with one of the worst records in the league, but they have a player in Bowers who has the potential to become an all-time great.
In 10 games, he has 70 receptions for 706 yards and three touchdowns on 89 targets, averaging 10.1 yards per reception. The fact that Bowers has put up such great numbers in his rookie season despite having subpar quarterback play from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell is quite remarkable.
The Raiders will likely draft a quarterback next year, and whichever player they get will be blessed with a reliable target in the form of their tight end. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has continuously been linked with the Raiders. The probability of him getting drafted by the AFC West franchise is relatively high due to his relationship with the team’s minority owner, Tom Brady.