Well this didn’t workout how the left want.
President Donald Trump’s appearance at Saturday’s highly anticipated Texas-Tennessee football game revived an unusual media and social media narrative surrounding the president and major sporting events.
For days, commentators discussed whether Trump’s presence could create unexpected problems for the teams on the field, with some once again invoking the so-called “Trump curse.”
Then the game was played.
Texas won.
The top-ranked Longhorns defeated No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, handing the latest “curse” speculation an inconvenient ending.
Trump’s Attendance Became a Pregame Story
Before kickoff, much of the attention centered on comments from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian about the logistical challenges that can accompany a presidential visit.
Sarkisian explained that football teams may temporarily lose electronic communications when the president enters, exits or changes locations inside a stadium.
That can include communication between coaches and players.
Sarkisian said teams therefore have to prepare for the possibility of suddenly losing their headsets without advance warning.
His comments drew additional attention because he connected the issue to last season’s national championship game between Miami and Indiana.
Sarkisian Recalled Miami Communication Problems
According to Sarkisian, Miami coach Mario Cristobal had told him about a communications interruption during Miami’s 27-21 championship loss to Indiana.
Sarkisian said the disruption occurred while Trump was leaving the stadium.
The story quickly spread across sports media and social media, with some commentators questioning whether the interruption had hurt Miami during the most important moments of the game.
Former “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd publicly questioned whether Trump’s departure might have affected Miami’s final drive.
Other sports commentators expressed similar surprise.
But subsequent reporting raised significant doubts about that interpretation.
Reports Disputed Claims That Trump Cost Miami the Game
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti later provided a more detailed account of the communications problem.
He said the outage occurred with approximately 6:45 remaining in the fourth quarter while Miami had possession.
Cignetti said communications then returned before the following kickoff.
Other reporting similarly indicated that the outage occurred before Miami’s final possession rather than during the decisive closing drive.
The interruption also affected both teams, not Miami alone.
That distinction is important.
While the temporary communication problem appears to have been real, available reporting does not establish that Trump’s movements caused Miami to lose the championship game.
Indiana ultimately held off Miami 27-21.
Security Was Increased for Texas-Tennessee
Because Trump was scheduled to attend Saturday’s game in Knoxville, fans were advised to arrive early for additional security screening.
Secret Service procedures and the presence of a sitting president can significantly alter normal stadium operations.
Sarkisian said Texas was preparing for any possible interruption to its communications system.
The concern generated considerable attention before kickoff.
But once the game began, Texas managed to overcome Tennessee in one of college football’s toughest road environments.
Texas Defeats Tennessee 20-17
The Longhorns held off the Volunteers 20-17 to remain unbeaten.
Texas defensive standout Colin Simmons delivered one of the biggest performances of the night, recording five sacks and tying a school record.
The game remained close into the final minutes, but Texas was able to preserve its three-point advantage and leave Knoxville with the victory.
President Trump was in attendance for the matchup.
That fact immediately provided a counterexample to the online theory that his appearance at major sporting events brings bad luck to a team.
The “Trump Curse” Has Surfaced Before
The phrase “Trump curse” has periodically appeared online following disappointing results involving teams or athletes that received attention from the president.
Similar claims circulated after high-profile soccer and basketball games.
But the phrase is best understood as an internet and media narrative rather than a demonstrated sporting phenomenon.
There is no evidence that a president’s attendance determines the outcome of an athletic competition.
Saturday offered another reminder of that distinction.
Trump attended.
Texas played.
Texas won.
Pregame Narrative Meets the Final Score
Before kickoff, stories about communications outages, Secret Service procedures and the so-called “Trump curse” helped turn the president’s attendance into a major subplot.
By the end of the night, however, the most important numbers were on the scoreboard:
Texas 20, Tennessee 17.
Whatever speculation surrounded Trump’s visit before the game, it did not stop the Longhorns from earning a major road victory.
For readers who followed the dramatic pregame headlines, the final result delivered a much simpler conclusion.
Texas won.
