After Nick Bosa came off of the edge to sack Baker Mayfield he stood up and started to dance. A celebration dance is nothing new in the NFL, but this was different. As Bosa swung his arms out you could feel that this dance signified a cultural change in America. Bosa was doing what is now being referred to as 'The Trump'.
The irony is as thick as the fog in San Francisco. This was the same franchise that watched Colin Kaepernick take a knee during the National Anthem before the final exhibition, on Sept. 1, 2016. The controversy of kneeling in the face of America's song sparked then President Donald Trump to criticize Kaepernick and anyone who would kneel. Trump called for him to be fired for disrespecting the flag and the military men and women that it stood for. That led to more and more kneeling and more Trump detractors would call him out for his stance on the protest.
Now we fast forward to this year. Donald Trump has been reelected President and as Nick Bosa began to dance his teammates joined him and began doing 'the Trump' in solidarity. The San Francisco 49ers were watching a cultural change in front of their eyes. There was no question as to why Bosa was dancing and he said his teammates all urged him to do so. When asked what inspired the dance, he simply replied “I think you know the answer to that question.”
Nick Bosa, who was fined by the NFL for wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat in a post game interview dancing was only the tip of the iceberg. The new dance, and cultural shift, spread across the league quickly.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Tennessee Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Detroit Lions defenders Za'Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez all danced like Trump after big plays. More players followed the next week after touchdowns and sacks and the entire league were suddenly Trump fans. The NFL even stepped in as portions of the left wing media had outcries over the new dance craze.
"There's no issue with a celebratory dance such as what took place or the previous week with the 49ers on Nov. 10," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Front Office Sports.
The dancing didn't end in the NFL either. UFC Champion Jon Jones danced after his win, and then handed Trump the belt at ringside, and a few other UFC fighters danced in the post game interviews. Most recently Christian Pulisic, captain of the U.S. Men’s National Team, danced it up after he scored a goal against the Jamaican national football team. In fact the dance has even gone international as members of the English football club Barnsley celebrated by doing the dance and British golfer Charley Hull was seen doing the Trump on the course.
The dance, which is a simple yet fun take on the presidents YMCA dance he does at his rallies, is a fun and smile inducing time. The nation, and really the world, have taken hold of the Trump as a way to celebrate all the good things. In fact you could say that the new president elect has brought the joy back, which is a far cry from the days of a washed up QB kneeling in the face of America's flag.