U.S. Presidents calling to congratulate athletes and coaches after winning Super Bowls, World Series, or national titles is an American tradition that dates back decades.
But a call after an early season win over an average-to-poor team nobody predicts to reach the playoffs?
That’s exactly what Donald Trump issued to Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins after the second-year quarterback had one of his highest-rated days as a professional in a 28-10 victory over the New York Giants, according to WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, a report the Vikings confirmed to the Pioneer Press. WCCO also reported the following:
Trump is planning a visit to Minnesota later this week, for a “Keep America Great” rally scheduled to take place at Target Center in Minneapolis Thursday evening.
According to a source, the two briefly discussed the rally, but Cousins will not be attending. The team said the focus of the call was not the rally.
In 2017, Cousins disclosed he had played a round of golf with Trump, which happened as the NFL was embroiled in controversy over players kneeling during the National Anthem, a display of protest Trump spoke out against. Cousins told USA Today, “I’ve tried to listen and learn, and at the same time support my country that I love.”
Cousins completed 22 of 27 for a season-high 306 yards and had touchdown passes of 15 and 9 yards to receiver Adam Thielen on Sunday. It came after a contentious week for the quarterback, in which he publicly apologized to Thielen for missing throws and his other receiver, Stefon Diggs, was fined for missing two days of meetings and practice.
According to WCCO, a pair of Facebook events planning protests against Trump’s visit have seen RSVP tallies of 24,200 and 17,900, respectively.
The Vikings (3-2) host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Noon.
KWSN, 98.1 FM and 1230-AM will carry the game exclusively in the Sioux Falls area.
You can hear daily — usually hourly — Vikings talk on “Sports Talk with Craig & John” from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays on KWSN, KWSN.COM, and the FREE KWSN app.
The Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen joins “Craig & John” every Friday at 4:40 p.m.
Head coach Mike Zimmer’s “X’s and O’s” radio program with Paul Allen airs every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on KWSN.
