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Grading Donald Trump’s 36 hottest sports takes
Donald Trump, the maybe-billionaire with the complexion of a Cheeto running for president who is set to become President of the United States, loves to make bold claims on Twitter. Usually they’re about Hillary Clinton, but there was a time when they were about sports.
Trump, who once helped ruin the USFL, is apparently a big sports fan. He tweets a lot about football and golf, sometimes adding in some basketball and baseball commentary. He approaches his sports takes with the same brash Trumpiness that we’ve come to love tolerate on the campaign trail.
Trump doesn’t tweet about sports these days, instead using Twitter to brag about predicting terror attacks. That’s a bummer, because some of his sports takes were pretty good.
We decided to grade them, both on spiciness and validity, on a scale of 0 to 5 Trump wigs. The more wigs, the better and more respectable the take.
The Take: NFL games are boring!
Are NFL games getting boring or is it just my magnificent imagination? In any event, I'm just not watching them much anymore!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2014
The Grade: 3 wigs
Trump tweeted seven times during the 2014 NFL season about how boring the game is but this is the best one of the bunch, mostly because “My Magnificent Imagination” will now be the name of my My Morning Jacket cover band.
The Take: Deflategate is Benghazi, and also Tom Brady is not a murderer.
You can be an @nfl player with murder charges and not be suspended. Yet with NO EVIDENCE, @nfl targeted Tom Brady. B.S.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2015
They had no definitive proof against Tom Brady or #patriots. If Hillary doesn't have to produce Emails, why should Tom? Very unfair!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2015
The Grade: 1.5 wigs
Friends, these takes are as hot as they get. Has an active NFL player ever been charged with murder? Is Tom Brady the Secretary of State? It doesn’t matter, Don has to get these takes off.
The Take: The 2012 Jets will be good.
The @nyjets are going to have a terrific season. @Mark_Sanchez & @TimTebow will do great things on the field.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2012
Great win by the @nyjets yesterday. If they run the table, they will make the playoffs.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2012
The Grade: 0 wigs
The “great win” Trump references there was a 17–10 win over the historically inept Jaguars, who finished 2–14. And the Jets didn’t run the table. They lost their last three games to finish at 6–10.
The Take: Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame!
Major League Baseball: The best thing you can do is let @PeteRose_14---your all time hits leader---into the Hall of Fame. It's time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2013
Let Pete Rose into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's time, he has paid a big and very long price!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2015
The Grade: 2.5 wigs
The Baseball Hall of Fame has built a big, beautiful wall to keep Pete Rose out and Trump has no fewer than 15 tweets calling for the Hall to open its borders to him. Most of them are addressed to Major League Baseball, which doesn’t actually control who gets into the the Hall. He gets points for persistence, though.
The Take: The Seahawks should have handed off to Marshawn Lynch!
Love that Patriots won - Brady is best ever! Seahawks pass was DUMBEST play in the history of football! Great going COACH B!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2015
I wonder if Marshawn Lynch will now speak and call some coach a moron for not allowing him to run the ball three times for one yard?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2015
The Grade: 5 wigs
He’s right.
The Take: Johnny Manziel “will be a star.”
I think somebody should pick Johnny Football - he will be a star.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2014
The Grade: .5 wigs
He should have retracted this after the Browns took him.
The Take: The Kick Six was pretty good.
That was a great football game.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2013
The Grade: 1 wig
The guy who uses an average of two exclamation marks per tweet couldn’t muster one after the craziest college football play of the millennium?
The Take: The Broncos blew the 2012 Divisional Round game against the Ravens
Peyton Manning should have passed on 3rd down!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2013
The Grade: 4.5 wigs
Trump is totally right about the Broncos’ defensive flub, but Denver was probably smart not to passed on third down right after the two minute warning. They got to run an extra 45 seconds off the clock, leaving Baltimore with just 1:15 to complete the comeback.
The Take: Penn State’s football team should be shut down. Or, wait, no, the deal with the NCAA was too harsh.
The Football program at Penn State should be suspended.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2012
The wimps that run Penn State should be forced to resign (and be sued) for the pathetic settlement they made and destruction of great legacy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2013
The Grade: .5 wigs
Make up your mind, Donny.
The Take: Muslims don’t play sports.
Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who? Is Obama profiling?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015
The Grade: This scene from Billy Madison
Don, my man. You got your hairpiece in a bunch when one of them criticized you.
The Take: I hope old-ass Derek Jeter drags himself back for another year.
I hope that Derek Jeter has such a fantastic year with @Yankees that he changes his mind about retiring. Great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2014
The Grade: 1.5 wigs
Jeter’s farewell 2014 season was one of the worst in history.
The Take: Kevin Youkilis is a good replacement for Alex Rodriguez
.@Yankees Kevin Youkilis is off to a terrific start. He’s less than half the price and a much better player than a drug free A-Rod.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2013
The Grade: 0 wigs
Trump thought eight games were enough to declare that Youkilis was having a “terrific start.” He batted .160 in his 20 games after this tweet, before he needed season-ending back surgery.
The Take: The Yankees are Obama.
Something really bad happened to the @Yankees psyche--much like our President!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 19, 2012
The Grade: 1 wig
Bonus points for having the sense to stop short of demanding a longform birth certificate from Mark Teixeira.
The Take: Alex Rodriguez is a bad tenant, unlike my sweet, sweet boy Derek Jeter.
Asking why my dislike of A-Rod--dishonorable dealings with me on an apartment deal
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2012
Staff at Trump Park Avenue disliked A-Rod--to put it "mildly" -- The staff at Trump World Tower loves Derek Jeter.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2012
A-Rod was a great player when he lived at Trump Park Avenue--- even though he was on the juice!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2012
The Grade: 2.5 wigs
The Donald has more than 60 tweets about Alex Rodriguez. Nearly all of them are about how he’s a “druggie.” That’s boring, give me more details about being A-Rod’s landlord.
The Take: Madison Bumgarner should have started Game 7 of the World Series on two days rest
In game 7 of the World Series tonight, the Giants are making a big mistake in not starting their ace against K.C., even with two days rest.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2014
I told you that the Giants starting Hudson was a mistake. Just got knocked out of the game. I love being right!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2014
The Grade: 2 wigs
Nah. Letting Hudson start, keeping him on a short leash, and having Bumgarner come in for a five-inning save was a much better idea.
The Take: David Wright was very good in 2012
David Wright of the NY Mets should have been on the 1st Team All Stars. He's having a great year.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2012
The Grade: 4.5 wigs
There’s no such thing as “1st Team All Stars” in baseball, so we’ll have to assume he means Wright should have won the fan vote to be the starter at third base for the NL. He’s right. Wright’s 1.004 first-half OPS was 142 points higher than Pablo Sandoval’s .862.
The Take: The president can’t tackle multiple issues.
President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2013
Government is shut down yet Obama is now harassing the privately owned @Redskins to change its name.He needs to focus on his job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2013
The Grade: 0 wigs
The only plus side of Trump getting elected would be shoving these tweets back in his face.
He also made this garbage joke.
Breaking news - The Washington Redskins have just announced that they will be removing the name Washington from their name!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2013
The Take: RG3 is good.
@Redskins QB @RGIII is a very special player. He is exciting to watch and smart on the field. Amazing talent.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2012
.@RGIII & @DangeRussWilson & Luck are very special players--will be great playoff games.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2013
The Grade: 4 wigs
This was true at the time, at least. Make RG3 Great Again.
The Take: The refs missed a pass interference call at the end of Super Bowl XLVII
I picked seven Super Bowl winners in a row & would have been right last night had the refs thrown the flag.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2013
The Grade: 4 wigs
He’s right about the missed call, but I’m docking him points for bragging about his supposed streak.
The Take: Politics = exciting. Football = boring.
So far the Super Bowl is very boring - not nearly as exciting as politics - MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2016
The Grade: 2.5 wigs
Some would say this election is “exciting.” Others would say it’s “emotionally exhausting.”
The Take: World Series should be fun!
Looks like a very good World Series game!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2013
The Grade: 2.5 wigs
A bland take. It’s Game 6 of the World Series, give me some more detail.
The Take: Supporting Jeb Bush cost the Jets.
Woody Johnson, owner of the NYJets, is @JebBush’s finance chairman. If Woody would’ve been w/me, he would’ve been in the playoffs, at least!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2016
The Grade: 1.5 wigs
Johnson supports Trump now, so place your bets accordingly. (UPDATE: One day before his inauguration, Trump named Johnson his ambassador to the United Kingdom.)
The Take: I’ve never played golf with Samuel L. Jackson, who, by the way, stinks at golf.
I don’t know @SamuelLJackson, to best of my knowledge haven't played golf w/him & think he does too many TV commercials—boring. Not a fan.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2016
I don’t cheat at golf but @SamuelLJackson cheats—with his game he has no choice—and stop doing commercials!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2016
Don’t like @SamuelLJackson’s golf swing. Not athletic. I’ve won many club championships. Play him for charity!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2016
The Grade: 1 wig
Jackson was right, by the way. Trump totally cheats at golf.
The Take: President Obama runs the USOC.
Russia beat the United States in the Olympics-another Obama embarrassment! Isn't it time that we turn things around and start kicking ass?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2014
The Grade: 1 wig
Is this when Trump decided to start getting friendly with Russia?
The Take: Give Tebow a shot!
I just don't know why some of these NFL teams with lousy quarterbacks don't give Tim Tebow a chance - what do they have to lose?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2013
The Grade: 1.5 wigs
Games. They have games to lose.
The Take: Jeremy Lin will be a “franchise star” for the Knicks.
So @JLin7 had another game winning shot last night. Looks like the Knicks have not only found a new point guard (cont) http://t.co/YFumzn95
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2012
The Grade: 3.5 wigs
As a Knicks fan, this hurts me. Lin should have been a Knicks icon.
The Take: Andy Murray should have been Scot of the Year.
Glenfiddich is a joke—should have chosen Andy Murray—U.S. Open & Olympic gold winner—as Top Scot instead of a total loser!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2012
The Grade: 5 wigs
This take is bad, but it’s so perfectly Trump. Glenfiddich gave the Scot of the Year Award to a guy who refused to sell his land to Trump. Naturally, this makes him a “loser,” according to Trump. What better place to air your petty grievances than on Twitter?
Scots should boycott Glenfiddich garbage for not choosing great Olympic & U.S. Open champ Andy Murray over total loser Michael Forbes.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2012
How could Michael Forbes get Scot of the Year when he lost—badly—to me & Andy Murray, a true Scot, who won the U.S. Open & Olympic gold?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2012
The Take: The Lakers are looking good!
The @Lakers should have an amazing team next year with Kobe, Nash and Howard. Will be fun to watch.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2012
The Grade: 2 wigs
Dwight was supposed to be a Shaq-like partner for Kobe. Kobe came to regret his choice of a partner. Hmm, where have I heard that before?
The Take: Mike Trout is good!
"@Ben24h: @realDonaldTrump what do you think about Mike Trout?" One of best young players EVER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 17, 2013
The Grade: 4.5 wigs
Actually, he’s the best young player ever.
The Take: The Cowboys made a good draft pick.
@dallascowboys Jerry, GREAT pick - you will have a really good season!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2014
The Grade: 5 wigs
The pick he’s referring to is guard Zack Martin, who was a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selection as a rookie. Trump knows a thing or two about offensive lines.
The Take: Stephen Strasburg will resent the Nats’ decision to shut him down.
When Strasburg leaves @Nationals for another team for more money, will Washington still like the decision to shut him down for his good?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2012
The Grade: 1.5 wigs
Strasburg signed a seven-year extension with the Nationals this year.
The Take: The NFL should let me buy the Bills! Actually, no thanks.
"@NCBillsFan The Bills need someone that will not take piss poor performance! Mr. Trump is the man! Great things will happen!" @nflcommish
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2014
Wow. @nfl ratings are down big league. Glad I didn't get the Bills. Rather be lucky than good.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2014
The people of Buffalo should be happy Terry Pegula got the team but I hope he does better w/the Bills than he has w/the Sabres. Good luck!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2014
Even though I refused to pay a ridiculous price for the Buffalo Bills, I would have produced a winner. Now that won’t happen.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2014
The @nfl games are so boring now that actually, I’m glad I didn’t get the Bills. Boring games, too many flags, too soft!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2014
The Grade: .5 wigs
Trump spent a few weeks in 2014 retweeting Bills fans who wanted him to buy the team and tagging @nflcommish. Then he tried to pretend he was alright with losing out to Terry Pegula.
The Take: I have totally normal reasons to root for the Heat.
As one of Miamii's largest landowners, I am pulling for the @MiamiHEAT in the @NBA finals. Lebron's time is now! @KingJames
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2012
The Grade: 1 wig
Give me a break.
The Take: LeBron is clutch.
Great shot by @KingJames yesterday. Lebron is a tough competitor who delivers under pressure.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2015
The Grade: 5 wigs
This is the only evidence that Trump’s Twitter feed is not run by Skip Bayless.
The Take: Kevin Garnett loves me.
I was standing with @SHAQ when a young high school star, Kevin Garnett @Celtics, said to a crowd "Forget Shaq, I want to meet Donald Trump."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2012
The Grade: 2 wigs
I hope it was just so KG could talk trash.
The Take: Roger Goodell gave a dumb press conference.
Roger Goodell must stop apologizing to everyone who will listen and toughen up. His street smart players are laughing at him and the NFL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2014
The Grade: 4.5 wigs
Goodell is a clown. NFL players mocked the hell out of that press conference, too.
Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).