At some point, it will be news when President Trump does not tweet about the NFL or sports in general. But he got back on that horse Tuesday morning, once again bringing up the NFL’s television ratings plus the events that preceded Monday night’s football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones locked arms and knelt with his players before the playing of the national anthem, with everyone standing for the playing of the song.
[Cowboys owner Jerry Jones kneels with Dallas players before anthem in Arizona]
Ratings for NFL football are way down except before game starts, when people tune in to see whether or not our country will be disrespected!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
It’s unclear how Trump has acquired minute-by-minute ratings for NFL broadcasts, and while early Week 3 ratings again declined from the same time frame in 2016, it should be noted that ratings for the networks’ pregame shows showed big increases, as viewers tuned in to see how everyone was reacting to Trump’s statements bashing the NFL on Saturday.
UPDATE TUESDAY 9:10 A.M. EDT: After ratings from Monday night’s game came in, it turns out ratings for the Sunday-Monday NFL games were up 3 percent from last year’s Week 3. So says Fox Sports Vice President Michael Mulvihill, who keeps close tabs on such things.
The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was loudest I have ever heard. Great anger
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
But while Dallas dropped to its knees as a team, they all stood up for our National Anthem. Big progress being made-we all love our country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
And then one more later Tuesday.
The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can’t kneel during our National Anthem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
The four missives on Tuesday morning put Trump at 22 sports-related tweets since Saturday morning, when he said Stephen Curry and the NBA champion Golden State Warriors were no longer welcome to celebrate their achievement at the White House. Here’s a breakdown of his 37 total tweets since then (as of around 8 a.m. EDT Tuesday):
Sports, whether it be the NFL, the Warriors, NASCAR or the Pittsburgh Penguins’ upcoming visit to the White House (I’m including anything about the national anthem): 22
The deepening humanitarian crisis in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico: 4 (one of these tweets was about how Puerto Rico already owes Wall Street billions of dollars)
John McCain bashing: 2
The vote in Alabama: 2
Recognition of first lady Melania Trump: 1
Mention of apparently erroneous report about Iran test-firing a ballistic missile: 1
North Korea taunting: 1
Latest doomed attempt at Obamacare repeal: 1
Updated travel ban: 1
Nebulous tweets about the “beautiful” White House and Monday’s “important meetings”: 1
Salute to “Fox and Friends” report on Otto Warmbier, who was tortured by North Korea: 1
Read more:
Eric Decker’s wife says he was unaware of Titans’ plan for anthem protest
Roethlisberger, Villanueva regret Steelers’ anthem protest, but for different reasons
MLB still taking cautious first steps into anthem controversy
Brady on Trump: ‘I certainly disagree with what he said’
With protests and displays of solidarity, NFL teams respond to Trump
Jerry Brewer: The NFL responds to Trump by embracing its diversity
Richard Petty is among NASCAR owners saying anthem protests will get employees fired
‘The people run this country’: LeBron James doesn’t regret calling Trump a ‘bum’
‘This is what real locker room talk is’: The NFL’s Joe Lockhart levels a shot at Trump
