Kolkata: If anyone has been taking the social media by storm in the past few months, it is Donald John Trump, the 45th President of the United States. The newly elected US President’s life has become an open book, courtesy his ‘unique’ personality and unexpected juxtaposition of professions. But does he have any connection with sports? Yes he does!
A latest report by BBC News approves the fact that the Trump once owned a team in the United States Football League (USFL) named the New Jersey Generals. He bought the team in the year 1983, just after constructing the famous Trump Tower in New York.
For those who don’t know what USFL was, it was an American Football league, which lasted for only three years (1983 to 1985). The league is long dead due to fierce competition from the National Football League (NFL). The trend of business tycoons buying stakes in sports teams has always been a long running trend. Jimmy Gould, a veteran sports agent was the one who handed Trump, the ownership of the New Jersey Generals.
However some held Trump guilty of destroying the USFL completely. He wanted to prove it in court that the NFL which was more successful than the USFL had a monopoly on winter football, which was hampering USFL’s success. Although he succeeded in doing so, many believe that this issue dug the graves of the league.
Gould though wasn’t a part of the faction which put the blame on Trump. He says that the losses the owner faced led to the collapse of the USFL. Gould said “He’s not responsible, it wasn’t working in terms of making money.” He further went on to say, “I saw a different side to him. I have never seen a racist bone in his body, he is tough, he is smart, he studies everything, he is not afraid to ask for advice. I don’t agree with everything he says, but from the standpoint of knowing him as a person, I am very fond of him. If he gives you his word, he will live up to it.”
On President Trump he said, “With what we are seeing in the world today, you need somebody with a strong vision who is not afraid to be politically incorrect.” Well, here we go, Trump has one more supporter who wouldn’t write him off, but repose faith in him despite the President being unpredictable.