This weekend was the kickoff (no pun intended) of the intersection between sports and politics as campaign ads ran rampant every other commercial and politicians began their statewide tours. In North Carolina, ads featuring Roy Williams played before the UNC vs. Duke rivalry game much to the disdain of Tar Heel fans who wanted to see their team beat their rival from Durham.
The Kamala Harris campaign has jinxed North Carolina teams for two weeks now. Last week, the campaign tweeted a graphic suggesting people should watch local North Carolina college games rather than a Trump rally. North Carolina teams proceeded to go 0-5 that weekend including some embarrassing blowout losses. This week, with the Roy Williams commercial broadcasted nearly every commercial break, UNC ran up a 20-0 lead only to completely choke and end up losing to Duke 21-20.
Many sports fans, myself included, scoff when political commercials come on during our Saturday and Sunday time watching football. The constant inundation of local candidates and national races typically leads to an in-one-ear and out-the-other situation. The two presidential campaigns tried to combat that problem this weekend by attending major football games and giving visibility to their candidates in front of tens of thousands of fans.
President Trump attended the Alabama vs. Georgia flanked by Senators Daines, Britt, and Tuberville as well as noted celebrities Herschel Walker, Kid Rock, and Clay Travis. By all accounts, Trump received a hearty welcome from the rambunctious crowd and was featured on the stadium's big screen to a round of raucous cheers. President Trump, in his classy manner, refused to pick a side rather enjoying his time amongst a sea of fellow Republicans.
On the other hand, Governor Walz attended the Michigan vs. Minnesota game played at the Big House to a much different reaction. Upon entering the stadium, Walz was heckled by students who clearly weren't happy to see the radical governor on their campus. Before the game, Walz pranced around like a kid on a sugar high and broke the unwritten rule of sports fandom by seemingly cheering for both teams. Typical democrat move.
After the game, Walz was caught giving the middle finger to a student who shouted, “Trump 2024” at the governor.
Contrast that to President Trump’s experience where students hoarded in lines just to get a view of the President all while chanting, “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2024”. Kid Rock was even caught on camera giving hundred-dollar bills to stadium workers as a gift for handling the crazy scene that comes with a presidential visit.
These two interactions with the public give a stark contrast between the two options for President this November. On the one hand, you have the man of the people in President Trump whose following is die-hard behind 45 in his mission to Make America Great Again. Compare that to Walz, who seemed uncomfortable in public and prone to weird celebrations that X users quickly circulated.
The choice this November will come down to more than public interactions at a football game but this weekend was a clear example of the movement behind each candidate. One gave the middle finger to a college kid and the other was celebrated by tens of thousands. The choice seems as clear as ever to me.
If you are a college student or a reader who needs to register or has questions about the voting process, visit Students for Trump or contact your local Republican party for more information.
