Fans came to Twickenham Stadium in London on Sunday to watch an NFL game. But did they also get a lesson in American politics?
It appeared that way thanks to one unusual audible call by Eli Manning. Earlier in the second quarter of his matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants quarterback tried to change a play call by yelling what sounded like “Trump! Trump! Trump!” in an apparent reference to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Of course, we’re not 100 percent sure Manning is mentioning Trump, and the Giants QB steadfastly denied mixing sports and politics after the game.
“Trump? Trump? No, no Trump, no Trump calls,” Manning said, via USA TODAY Sports. “We are using something very similar. But there is not a Trump, not an audible we are using. Nothing there, nothing there.”
Yet we’re calling Manning’s bluff here, as it sounds a lot like he’s saying the name of a certain former reality TV producer. Besides, he wouldn’t be the first NFL quarterback to use a creative audible — just ask Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and, of course, Eli’s own brother, Peyton.
Whatever Manning did, though, it worked, as New York held on for a 17-10 win.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Flynn/USA TODAY Sports Images
