 |
| In a move intended to insult London Bakers owner QCurl Sharif, Donald Trump filmed a campaign video at the gravesite of late Bakers legend Rob Bironas. |
By Ariel-Mutha Tafoya
FSN Sports
In a move that appeared calculated to energize his base and create a firestorm of media attention, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and a small entourage filmed a campaign video at the gravesite of former Bakers placekicker Rob Bironas.
In the video, uploaded on Trump’s TruthSocial site, the smiling former president stands in a thumbs-up pose next to the bronze plaque covering the final resting place of Bironas, who was killed in 2014 in a single-vehicle crash that rumors connected to road rage.
Timed to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the fatal crash, Trump faulted Sir QCurl Sharif in the video, claiming that the reclusive Bakers owner was both responsible for Bironas’ death and had slighted the memory of the player he had once called “the noblest Baker of them all.”
“If Curleycue Sheriff has been a better owner and a better human being, Rod Bananas might be with us still today,” said Trump, butchering the names of both the Bakers owner and Bironas, one of the most beloved players in franchise history. “And he pulls out to London just like his buddy Sleepy Joe pulled out of Afghanistan. Why isn’t he here today like me to pay his respects?”
Reaction around the league was swift and, occasionally, violent. NFFA Commissioner Bernie Sanders issued a statement saying, “This is an outrage and tantamount to a declaration of war against the greatest sports league of all time.”
Said league founder Dr. Jorgé Linardo, “The only reason anyone will visit Donald Trump’s grave is to piss on it, which I look forward to doing very soon.”
As soon as rumors spread of Trump’s presence in Nashville, Baker fans rushed to the crash site, led by superfan Bill Cheatham, who was armed with two assault rifles. But by the time he and others arrived, Trump’s entourage was gone.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of Bakers fans had gathered at the gravesite, as they have done each September 20 for the past decade to mark Bironas’ death. However, by the time Trump’s entourage arrived, only two of the mourners remained, including Bakers Fan Club president and community organizer Roz Tefarian. The other fan, who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for her safety, said Tefarian was shoved by Trump campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski.
On X (formerly Twitter), Cheatham said reactivated members of the Fedayeen Baker militia would keep an armed vigil at the gravesite to prevent future “desecrations.” He added that they would also patrol the gravesite of longtime Baker quarterback Steve McNair, whom Cheatham described as “the heart and soul of the heart and soul of this league.”
In the aftermath of Trump’s visit, police in Brentwood received numerous reports of Trump yard signs being vandalized. Meanwhile, the FBI was investigating reports that cell phones and pagers belonging to employees of the Trump campaign exploded simultaneously, causing an undetermined number of injuries and at least two unconfirmed fatalities.
When reached by phone for comment, Sharif responded tersely, “I know nothing of this,” and hung up.
This is a developing story.
