Donald Trump Called Kirk Cousins, and NFL Fans are Full of Reactions

John Newby

10/08/2019 04:39 pm EDT

Following Sunday's victory over the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins received a congratulatory phone call. Normally, this would be nothing surprising, but the man on the other end of the line was none other than the United States President. Donald Trump, as a native of New York, was dialing up Cousins to say "congratulations."

According to a representative for the team, this call was simply about football. Although the pair did briefly discuss an upcoming rally that Trump will be having at the Target Center in Minneapolis. For those wondering, Cousins will not be in attendance.

While this call did revolve around football, that did not prevent it from sparking hundreds of reactions on social media. Some individuals were not surprised that the president would be calling Cousins while others thought that it was a really humorous moment.

Of course, given the divisive nature of the president, it was inevitable that there would be some spats based on political opinion. The reactions met these expectations as individuals from both sides of the aisle voiced their thoughts with some added anger or joy.

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What was the reasoning for the phone call after Sunday's victory? Was it simply to congratulate Kirk Cousins, or was there a different agenda? To many, the president was simply trying to get some extra supporters in the state of Minnesota. Although they viewed this strategy as having the potential to backfire.

Early in the 2019 season, Cousins is viewed as one of the more divisive figures in the Twin Cities. He has struggled at times while the Vikings have lost two divisional games and has been called out by one of his wide receivers.

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In late September, news broke that President Trump is under an impeachment inquiry for allegedly asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the son of former vice president Joe Biden. This conversation reportedly took place during a phone call that was since revealed when transcripts were released.

While many are focusing on the content of the phone call in question, there are others that want to know if Zelensky was the only one contacted by the president.

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While the phone call between President Trump and Kirk Cousins certainly sparked a number of reactions based on political beliefs, there were many others that revolved around the NFL and the lack of competition within certain divisions. For example, the New York Giants are now 2-3 after losing to the Minnesota Vikings and don't appear to be destined for a playoff appearance.

Considering the record of Trump's hometown team, there are many on Twitter that want to know why this win necessitated a phone call.

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Obviously, the reactions to this phone call were varied, and a good number of individuals were upset at the news. Considering that Trump is a divisive figure, this was expected, especially on social media. However, there are many that want to gauge the reactions of Cousins' teammates.

According to some, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and other Vikings players will be upset with Cousins after he took this phone call. Will they sit him down and voice some frustrations, or will they simply tease the quarterback?

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One small detail from this phone call that has not been discussed is that the reaction of Kirk Cousins is unknown. Was he happy to receive the call, or was he upset? That part of the story has not entirely been revealed, only that the pair briefly talked.

There is the possibility that Cousins humored the president while on the phone. In fact, some individuals on Twitter believe that he may have simply thrown the phone after finishing the conversation.

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When politics – and the president – are discussed, tempers flare and individuals on both sides of the aisle make comments about outcomes they want to see, regardless of whether or not they are violent. In this instance, one person saw the news of Trump calling Cousins and hoped for an injury to take place.

Back in 1985, New York Giants defender Lawrence Taylor sacked Washington Redsksins quarterback Joe Theismann, breaking his leg. This hit was voted the "Most Shocking Moment in History" in an ESPN poll due to its gruesome nature.

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When the president calls, are you required to answer the phone? There are many on Twitter that wanted to know the answer to that question. In their opinion, Kirk Cousins should have simply hit ignore when the call came in.

Of course, that brings about another question. Was Donald Trump calling from a blocked number, or were the digits visible to Cousins? Does the Vikings quarterback now have the president's number in his phone?

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How much value does one NFL win have in the 2019 season? Is it enough to warrant a phone call from the Commander-In-Chief, or is a bigger accomplishment required? It used to be that the team who won the Super Bowl would earn a trip to the White House to meet the president, but many on Twitter want to know if the criteria changed.

Another side of this discussion is the level of competition. Is the phone call limited only to opponents of New York-based teams, or is the president going to call the first team to defeat the New England Patriots?

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Political affiliations aside, there were many on social media that simply questioned the call for football reasons. Was defeating the New York Giants really that big of an accomplishment considering that this team was starting a rookie quarterback?

Additionally, those reacting to this news want to know what happened to sending congratulations after big moments. Winning the Super Bowl usually warrants a trip to the White House, but a regular-season victory results in a phone call?

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When it was revealed that Trump called Cousins, there was a small detail about the reason for this call being that the Giants are his hometown team. If this truly was the reason, there are some that see a potential issue.

Having the president hail from New York means that the hometown teams are the New York Jets and the Giants. These two teams have combined for two wins and seven losses. If Trump is calling every quarterback that defeats his hometown team, he could be on the phone quite often this season.

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