As the New York Primary waves hello from around the corner, Donald Trump has found a fan in none other than Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan.
The bombastic coach will introduce (though not necessarily endorse) the Republican front runner at a rally tonight.
Rex Ryan confirms he will introduce Donald Trump at his rally tonight in Buffalo. #Bills.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) April 18, 2016
In a way, this is surprising. While there are certainly exceptions, people in the sports world generally stay out of the political arena. Even the most popular candidates are generally met with disapproval from at least one-third of the country, which is still a sizable portion of a potential fan base.
In a Democratic stronghold like Buffalo, speaking at a Trump rally is even more polarizing.
On the other hand, while Ryan has been fairly quiet in the political world until now, it makes perfect sense that he’d be the guy to introduce Trump. In many ways, Ryan is to the NFL what Trump is to the political world, someone who comes in and brashly says whatever is on his mind, even if it’s probably not the best thing to say or the right time to say it.
It’s also worth noting that Trump tried to buy the Bills when they were for sale in the Fall of 2014. When his bid was unsuccessful, Trump unleashed a series of tweets that took shots at Buffalo’s new owner Terry Pegula, as well as the NFL.
Apparently there’s no animosity from Ryan.