Dateline 1992. The event is Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly’s “Stargaze Shootout.” Many NFL quarterbacks took part in the celebrity/athlete charity event in which a football was to be thrown through an opening barely larger than the size of the ball itself.
Troy Aikman was in attendance. As was Joe Namath. Jim Kelly, of course. Dan Marino. Warren Moon. The list goes on and on.
But the crowd witnessed a legendary football toss made on the field that day by … Donald Trump?
Trump took part in the event and tossed a laser through the target, qualifying him for the million-dollar shot later in the evening. The crowd was ecstatic over the performance.
In banter prior to the throw, Trump indicated he was “nervous as hell” and even endured a quip about his airline.
And that’s when he calmly, coolly, like he’d been there before, laced that pigskin right through the target, cheers rained down from the stadium, and Trump mid-celebration turned to the emcee who joked about his airline and said, “I got you, bastard.”
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Trump’s Throw Was No Fluke
After completing the difficult throw, Trump was uncharacteristically humble about his performance.
Cris Collinsworth asked the future President how he was able to pull off the feat.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I have no idea. Who says there’s no luck in football?”
After qualifying, Trump moved on to the $1 million portion in which he had to put the football through the same-sized target from 30 yards away.
But alas, according to Wikipedia, no celebrity in the history of the charity event ever won $1 million by doing so.
Football Throwback: Donald Trump nails the $1M qualifying throw at the 1992 Jim Kelly Stargaze Shootout!
pic.twitter.com/Rv1L8aB2gv
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) February 12, 2023
The Buffalo News at the time reported that Trump also took part in the All-Star Softball game and wowed onlookers there as well.
“Besides hitting the target in the football throw, Trump snared a hot grounder off the bat of Hartman at first base,” they wrote.
“I played a little ball in school,” Trump told reporters. “This was fun today.”
Video of Trump’s throw at the NFL charity event shows how the former President once held the league in high regard, at a time before they decided to shift to producing political garbage rather than worrying about the sport itself.
Now, however, he has a long history of criticizing the NFL for their woke politics and allowing players to kneel during the real National Anthem.
REMEMBER —- Donald Trump blasts NFL anthem protesters: ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field’ | NFL | The Guardian https://t.co/47W9O02CPb
— Judd Apatow
(@JuddApatow) June 4, 2020
ESPN reported that Trump also threw out a pitch between games of a doubleheader at Fenway Park on August 18, 2006.
“Standing on the mound with two kids, wearing a Red Sox shirt over his suit and trademark red tie, Trump let loose with a grimace and a hint of the arm he once had,” the outlet described the scene.
Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy was impressed by the effort.
“I mean, not many guys with a tie and a suit and a shirt on top of it can throw strikes,” said Remy.
Trump played first base at the New York Military Academy where his former coach Col. Ted Dobias described him as a “good-hit” and “good-field” player.
“We had scouts from the Phillies come to watch him, but he wanted to go to college and make real money,” Dobias said.
It certainly worked out for Trump, but what a funny thing to hear nowadays when even a below average baseball player can make millions in the Big Leagues.
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