Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was among the headline guests at a black-tie White House dinner Tuesday night hosted by President Donald Trump for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, underscoring the deepening ties between the U.S.

Trump introduced the 40-year-old Al-Nassr forward by telling guests that his son Barron is “a big fan” of Ronaldo and joked that the meeting made his teenager “respect his father a little bit more.”

The event also served as a showcase of Saudi Arabia’s expanding sports footprint. Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in late 2022 on a contract reported at more than $200 million a year helped open the door for other stars, including Neymar Jr. and Karim Benzema, to join the Saudi Pro League. The kingdom has also bankrolled the breakaway LIV Golf tour, hosted Formula One races and stadium boxing cards, and will stage the 2034 World Cup after running unopposed for hosting rights.

A selfie from inside the East Room, apparently snapped by Ronaldo and shared by tech investor David Sacks, quickly went viral online, showing Ronaldo seated alongside Elon Musk, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, among others.

It is no secret that Donald Trump is extremely popular with UFC fighters. A number of MMA fighters  have openly supported his re-election campaign.

Trump is fully aware of his popularity in the UFC and has used that to his advantage for his re-election campaign. UFC is extremely popular with young men, who make up a majority of the fans. The UFC’s audience is made up of 70% men with a median age of 35 years old. The sport has a fanbase of over 42 million Americans.

Trump had a long relationship with the UFC that dates back to 2001 when he had hosted two UFC events in his former Trump Taj Mahal.

Trump is using outspoken MMA fighters as advocates for his campaign. Welterweight fighter, Colby Covington, has been outspoken in his support of Trump. He had promised a title win and that he would bring the title to the White House – Covington delivered on the promise back in 2018 when he won the welterweight championship. Covington has since made speeches at a Las Vegas fundraiser for Trump and was given a front seat at the presidential debates.

Other UFC fighters include Henry Cejudo, a Hispanic fighter who spoke at a Latinos for Trump rally, Jorge Masvidal, a Cuban-American is another Hispanic Trump supporter. Masvidal claimed that the Black Lives Matter protests led to his decision to support Trump.

UFC President Dana White, who supported Trump in 2016, continues to speak at his rallies.

For his part, Joe Biden has added his own fighters such as professional wrestler Dave Bautista and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to counter Trump and his MMA following.

Last week, the number one golfer in the world Rory McIlroy talked about playing golf with President Donald Trump declaring that he would never play with Trump again, given how the president has handled the coronavirus pandemic. 

During Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief event, where McIlroy was playing to raise money for coronavirus relief, Trump did an interview with Mike Tirico where McIlroy’s criticism was a topic of conversation. Trump took an uncharacteristic approach in responding to Tirico’s question. “A lot of [pro golfers] are very political, actually. Some like my politics very much and probably some don’t,” he said. “I guess the ones that don’t, I don’t get to see as much, but they seem to like it. … I know so many of the tour players and they’re really fantastic people. I can’t think of anyone I don’t like. I can’t say that necessarily in life, but when you meet these tour players, they’re just great people. It’s something very special.” 

McIlroy last played with Trump back in 2017, which led many to believe that McIlroy agreed with Trump and some of his views. McIlroy noted that the way the president had handled the coronavirus pandemic is simply terrible and that Trump has not been the leader he should be during these times. “We’re in the midst of something that’s pretty serious right now and the fact that he’s trying to politicize it and make it a campaign rally and say they administer the most tests in the world like it is a contest – there’s some stuff that’s just terrible,” he said. “It’s not the way a leader should act. And there is a sort of diplomacy that you need to show, and I just don’t think he’s showing that — especially in these times.’’

McIlroy, along with Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Matthew Wolff raised over $5.5 million for coronavirus relief during Sunday’s Driving Relief event.

The White House announced that President Donald Trump has pardoned former San Francisco 49ers owner, Edward DeBartolo Jr. DeBartolo, 73, pleaded guilty in 1998 to failing to report a felony after paying $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards for a riverboat gambling license.

He helped build the 49ers’ dynasty in the 1980s and ’90s, but is notorious for his role in one of the biggest owners’ scandals in sport’s history.

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DeBartolo led the 49ers to five Super Bowl championships before stepping down in 1997 after reports emerged of his indictment for gambling fraud. He served no prison time, but was fined $1 million and was suspended for a year by the NFL.

“He’s the main reason why we won so many Super Bowls,” NFL great Jerry Rice said. “So today is a great day for him. I’m glad to be here and be a part of that. It’s just something I will never forget. This man, he has done so much in the community, has done so much in NFL football.”

“I take my hat off to Donald Trump for what he did,” Rice added.

The DeBartolo family made their fortune in commercial real estate and also owned the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL in addition to the 49ers.

DeBartolo was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and this pardon seems to truly cement his legacy in NFL history.

On Friday, President Donald Trump and his administration rejected a deal between Major League Baseball and the Cuban government that would’ve created a system in which players could sign with MLB teams without having to defect from Cuba. The deal was years in the making as Barack Obama‘s administration tried to ease tensions and improve relations with the neighboring country.

Trump Rejects MLB-Cuba Defection Deal 

The Treasury Department said it wouldn’t allow the deal, through which the major leagues could pay the Cuban Baseball Federation a release fee equal to 25% of each Cuban player’s signing bonus. This would make the Cuba-MLB deal unworkable by eliminating a payment mechanism similar to the ones that the league uses in China, Korea, and Japan.

“The U.S. does not support actions that would institutionalize a system by which a Cuban government entity garnishes the wages of hard-working athletes who simply seek to live and compete in a free society,” National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said. “The administration looks forward to working with MLB to identify ways for Cuban players to have the individual freedom to benefit from their talents, and not as property of the Cuban state.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

While U.S. law still prohibits payments to the Cuban government, the MLB argued that the Cuban Baseball Federation, which oversees the sport on the island, is not part of the government. Critics argued that given the supposed tight control over the lives of citizens in Cuba, the CBF is merely a thinly-veiled extension of the government.

“We stand by the goal of the agreement, which is to end the human trafficking of baseball players from Cuba,” an MLB statement said.

In a tweet, the CBF said, “The agreement with #MLB seeks to stop the trafficking of human beings, encourage cooperation and raise the level of baseball. Any contrary idea is false news. Attacks with political motivation against the agreement achieved harm the athletes, their families and the fans.”

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva surprised his teammates on Sunday when he became the squad’s only player to stand for the national anthem before their 23-17 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

NFL national anthem protests news

The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Villanueva — a former Army Ranger who served terms in Afghanistan — was the only Steeler to emerge from the tunnel despite an agreement made during Saturday’s players-only meeting that the entire squad would stay in the locker room, sources stated.

According to ESPN, players said they wished to accommodate Villanueva, who said during Saturday’s meeting that he did not want to be singled out. The Steelers decided to move their protest off the field as a way to maintain solidarity without isolating any players.

Asked what played into Villanueva’s leaving the tunnel, defensive end Cam Heyward said: “I don’t want to go into that, but we support our guy Al. He feels he had to do it. This guy served our country, and we thank him for it.”

James Harrison told PennLive.com that he did not think anyone was exempt from the pregame plan.

“We thought we were all in attention with the same agreement, obviously,” Harrison told PennLive.com. “But I guess we weren’t.”

Villanueva, 29, has previously said he supports other players’ disdain of racial injustice, although he has added that as a military veteran, he refuses to sit during the playing of the anthem. The lineman, who joined the Steelers in 2014, signed a four-year, $24 million extension with the team in July.

“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year … when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year,” Villanueva once said.

Jersey sales for Villanueva increased significantly after his decision to stand for the anthem. However, Villanueva later said he regretted his decision, and that he felt like he let his teammates down.

Several NFL teams engaged in anthem protests — sitting, kneeling, linking arms with teammates and law enforcement — over the weekend as a way to express opposition to comments made by President Donald Trump, who called on football fans to boycott games until the league or team owners fire or suspend players who “disrespect” the flag or anthem. 

“If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our country, you will see change take place fast,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter early Sunday morning, on the second weekend morning in a row in which he vented over the issue on social media. “Fire or suspend!”

The tweets followed comments Trump made at a rally in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired!” Trump said, alluding to players like unsigned quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who first started the protests when he sat during the national anthem before a preseason game in August 2016.

The President also criticized the NFL for instituting new rules at the annual league meeting earlier this year intended to reduce the occurrence of concussions and other series injuries.

League commissioner Roger Goodell condemned Trump for his remarks, calling his rhetoric “divisive,” and several players also lambasted the President on social media.

“The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and our culture,” Goodell said in a statement. “There is no better example than the amazing response from our clubs and players to the terrible natural disasters we’ve experienced over the last month. Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”

“The way we reacted today, and this weekend, made me proud,” Goodell — who is reportedly finalizing a contract extension — added Sunday evening. “I’m proud of our league.”

Tom Brady, a renown close friend of Trump, said in an interview Monday morning that he disagreed with the President’s comments, and even locked arms with wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and placed his other hand over his heart before the New England Patriots’ 36-33 home victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

“Yeah, I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive,” Brady said on the Kirk & Callahan show on WEEI. “Like I said, I just want to support my teammates. I am never one to say: ‘Oh, that is wrong. That is right.’ I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust. Those are the values that my parents instilled in me. That is how I try and live every day.”

The protests have not been limited to the NFL, however. On Saturday night, Oakland Athletics rookie catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first MLB player to kneel during the national anthem when he did so before the team’s 1-0 home victory over the Texas Rangers.

“My decision has been coming for a long time,” Maxwell, the son of a U.S. Army veteran, said after the game. “I know I was on the fence for a long time because I know no one in baseball has ever done it. I finally got to the point where I thought the inequality of man is being discussed, and it’s being practiced from our president.

“The point of my kneeling is not to disrespect our military, it’s not to disrespect our Constitution, it’s not to disrespect this country. … My hand over my heart symbolizes the fact that I am and I’ll forever be an American citizen, and I’m more than grateful to be here. But my kneeling is what is getting the attention because I’m kneeling for the people that don’t have a voice.

“And this goes beyond the black community, and this goes beyond the Hispanic community, because right now we’re having an indifference and a racial divide in all types of people. It’s being practiced from the highest power that we have in this country, and it’s basically saying that it’s OK to treat people differently. My kneeling, the way I did it, was to symbolize that I’m kneeling for a cause, but I’m in no way or form disrespecting my country or my flag.”

CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 24: Alejandro Villanueva #78 of the Pittsburgh Steelers stands by himself in the tunnel for the national anthem prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 24, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs visited the White House on Wednesday and took photos with President Donald Trump, and one member of the 2016 World Series-wining team has denied accusations that he subtly directed an obscene gesture at the commander-in-chief.

Defending World Series Champion Cubs visit White House

Albert Almora Jr. vehemently denied flipping off President Trump after photos surfaced of the Cubs meeting with the leader of the free world in the Oval Office. In one of the pictures, the 23-year-old outfielder appears to be displaying an upside-down middle finger while putting part of his left hand in his pocket.

After close-ups of the image began spreading on social media, Almora quickly insisted the gesture was unintentional and that he was holding two fingers upside-down, although this is difficult to see in the photo:

“Guys were giving me a hard time about it,” Almora said, “but I pointed out the second finger. We’re all good.”

One of his teammates defended him. “There was two fingers! Look closely, there was two fingers!” the player said, according to CSN Chicago.

Almora then called the incident “unfortunate.”

“I would never do that to the president of the United States,” he said per the Chicago Sun-Times. “I respect everybody. It is what it is. We laugh about it now, but there’s definitely two fingers out there.”

The Cubs — who are 39-39 thus far this season and second in the NL Central — previously visited the East Room of the White House in January with former president Barack Obama to celebrate their first national title in 108 years. On Wednesday, the team primarily visited the West Wing before losing to the Nationals 4-8 in Washington, D.C.

“This is a great team,” Trump told reporters of the 2016 World Series champions as he talked to the team in the Roosevelt Room along with the Series trophy. “They were actually here, but they wanted to be here with Trump.”

The former real estate mogul and reality television star then made a slight joke. “Your team’s doing ok?” he said. “But you’re going to do great starting now, right?”

The Cubs presented Trump, the 45th U.S. President, with his very own customized jersey with the No. 45 and his last name on the back, as well as a “45” scoreboard placard.

Trump also made an unexpected request: he asked for Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to pose with him and the Cubs. This seems particularly strange and awkward because the Cavs lost this year’s NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, while the Cubs defeated Cleveland’s MLB team — the Indians — to win the 2016 World Series in November.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 28: U.S. President Donald Trump is presented with a personalized baseball jersey during an event in the Oval Office to honor the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs at the White House, on June 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in last year’s World Series ending the team’s 108-year championship drought. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The New England Patriots visited the White House on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate their Super Bowl LI victory, although seven players, including Tom Brady, skipped the trip.

Tom Brady, Six Other Patriots Skip White House Visit

Brady, 39, cited “personal family matters” as his reason for missing the event.

This is hardly the first time professional athletes have made strong social or political statements in elaborating their reasons for not visiting the White House.

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas refused to visit the Obama White House in 2012, and said in a statement: “I believe the federal government has grown out of control, threatening the rights, liberties and property of the people.”

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk also declined to visit the White House in 2013 after the team’s Super Bowl win, citing his opposition to abortion as his reason.

The United States’ opportunity to host the 2026 World Cup would be gravely damaged should President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions are fully enacted, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin says.

UEFA President Says Trump’s Travel Ban Could Hurt U.S.’s 2026 World Cup Hosting Bid

Ceferin, installed last year as Europe’s top soccer official, stated measures that could prevent players, fans or journalists from attending the tournament would count against any bid. The U.S. is a clear favorite to host the 2026 World Cup, either alone or as part of a joint North American bid with Mexico and Canada.

However, in an interview at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland last week, Ceferin stated immigration policy would be among the areas considered during the assessment of a U.S. bid, and he implied that it would “not help” the country’s case if Mr. Trump succeeded in placing stricter restrictions on travel to the United States from certain countries in the short term. Although the American President’s initial 90-day ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim-majority nations was overturned by a federal court following its enactment in late January, he has vowed to issue a second executive order that would limit travel from those same nations, at least temporarily.

“It will be part of the evaluation, and I am sure it will not help the United States to get the World Cup,” Mr. Ceferin said. “If players cannot come because of political decisions, or populist decisions, then the World Cup cannot be played there. It is true for the United States, but also for all the other countries that would like to organize a World Cup.

“It is the same for the fans, and the journalists, of course. It is the World Cup. They should be able to attend the event, whatever their nationality is. But let’s hope that it does not happen.”

 Ceferin’s warning carries significance: in addition to his UEFA post, the 49-year-old Slovenian is also a vice president of FIFA, world soccer’s governing body and the organizer of the World Cup. Bids for the 2026 tournament must be submitted by December 2018, before the beginning of a 13-month evaluation phase. FIFA will select the host at a congress in May 2020.

The Trump administration’s executive order drew concern from FIFA officials because three of the seven countries on the ban list have national teams that could be affected should the policy become more than temporary. One of them, Iran, has played in the World Cup three times since 1998, and two others — Iraq and Syria — have joined Iran in the later rounds of Asian qualifying for next year’s tournament in Russia.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to have 48 teams competing after FIFA unanimously agreed last month to expand the tournament from its current 32-team format. On March 30, the governing body is expected to decide how many spots each confederation will be given. However, Mr. Ceferin insisted that Europe’s conditions are clear: UEFA will demand 16 places, an increase of three teams, and request a guarantee that only one European team will be placed in each three-team group.

Mr. Ceferin added that stricter immigration policies could also harm Britain’s hopes of hosting major finals once that nation exits the European Union. The semifinals and final of the 2020 European Championship are set for London.

“If ‘Brexit’ happens, everything changes,” Mr. Ceferin said. “But football was played before, and it will be played in the future. Now, with free movement in the European Union, it is much better.”

Mr. Ceferin, a former president of Slovenia’s soccer federation, insisted that UEFA’s commitment to staging the final matches of Euro 2020 in England remained “firm.” However, he added that the organization may have to discount Britain as a potential venue for showpiece games should ‘Brexit’ make it harder for players and fans to enter the country.

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 08: UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin speaks on stage during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 Final Tournament Draw held at the Luxor Theater on November 8, 2016 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has said he respects some of his teammates’ decision to skip the White House visit following the team’s Super Bowl LI victory.

Tom Brady Says Patriots Teammates Skipping White House Is ‘Their Choice’

Brady and President Donald Trump are reportedly close friends who have played golf together, although six other Patriots have said they will pass on the visit because they don’t support Trump.

Martellus Bennett,  Devin McCourty, Chris Long, LeGarrette Blount, Alan Branch and Dont’a Hightower have each confirmed that they will not be at the White House, although not each cited Trump as the reason.

“With the President having so many strong opinions and prejudices,” McCourty said previously.  “I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.”

Brady did not attend the Patriots’ 2015 visit to the White House when Barack Obama was president, although the quarterback has stated his decision to skip that visit had nothing to do with politics.

“Everybody has their own choice,” Brady said on ProFootballTalk Live on Tuesday. “There’s certain years, like a couple years ago, I wanted to go and didn’t get the opportunity based on the schedule — we didn’t get told until I think like 10 days before we were going, and at that point I had something I’d been planning for months and couldn’t get there.”

The Patriots won three Super Bowls during George W. Bush’s tenure as president, and Brady also went to the White House in college during the Bill Clinton era when Michigan won the national championship in 1997.

“It really is a great experience,” Brady said. “Putting politics aside, it never was a political thing. At least, it never was to me. It meant you won a championship and you got to experience something cool with your team, with your teammates. Everyone has their own choice. It’s an offseason. These days are valuable for everybody. You only get so much time with your family and friends, and if people don’t want to go they don’t want to go and that’s their choice.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft– who along with Brady and coach Bill Belichick were mentioned as close friends by Trump in speeches during the 2016 presidential campaign– remarked on this year’s White House visit on The Today Show on Monday.

“Every time we’ve had the privilege of going to the White House, a dozen of our players don’t go,” Kraft said on the show. “This is the first time it’s gotten any media attention.”

No date has been set for the Patriots’ visit to the White House, but it figures to happen sometime between late-April and June.

Brady, 39, also said recently in an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated’s The MMQB that he would like to continue playing football until his mid-40s.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry is the latest athlete to comment on President Donald Trump, and the Golden State Warriors guard was prompted by a remark made by Kevin Plank, the chief executive of Curry’s primary sponsor Under Armour.

Steph Curry Slams UnderArmour CEO Over Trump Comments

Plank called Trump “a real asset” to America in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday.

Curry responded with a witty retort in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News on Wednesday: “I agree with that description, if you remove the ‘et.'”

The MVP, one of Under Armour’s highest-paid endorsers — expressed surprise at Plank’s remarks, adding he had spent all day Tuesday speaking with representatives from the sports apparel company and his own advisers, “trying to understand what was going on and where everybody stood on the issue.”

Plank’s comments on the President also led to backlash on social media. Many consumers and others began voicing their disapproval of the brand by tweeting their opinion on the remarks and using the hashtag #boycottUnderArmour.

Following this back-and-forth between Curry and Plank, Under Armour issued a statement Wednesday in the hopes of clarifying its CEO’s words. The statement said Plank’s remarks to CNBC addressed Trump’s business policies, not his social opinions.

“We engage in policy, not politics,” the statement read. “We believe in advocating for fair trade, an inclusive immigration policy that welcomes the best and the brightest and those seeking opportunity in the great tradition of our country, and tax reform that drives hiring to help create new jobs globally, across America and in Baltimore,” the company’s headquarters.

Curry, who endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, appeared satisfied with the clarification. The point guard is under contract with Under Armour through 2024.

Curry affirmed his preparedness to leave a company that did not reflect his values by stating:

“There is no amount of money, there is no platform I wouldn’t jump off, if it wasn’t in line with who I am.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he was proud of his players for speaking out about political and social issues. “This is a time when people are speaking out,” Kerr said. “This is a time when activism is into the forefront, all over the map.”

Kerr and the Warriors had reportedly considered planning protests similar to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest during the NBA preseason.

On Thursday’s episode of Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe, Chris Broussard and Skip Bayless reacted to Curry’s remarks.

“Well this is a very volatile political time that we’re in right now,” said Sharpe. “We’re seeing athletes take more of a stance. No longer will they stand by silently while they see things affecting them, our society.

“You see normally what happens is that we see brands drop players. We saw when Tiger Woods went through his scandal, AT&T, Gatorade, Accenture … they dropped Tiger because it seemed like his values didn’t align with theirs. Well Steph Curry just drew a line in the sand.”

Broussard said that athletes should take the opportunity to engage with the president for the good of the community.

 MIAMI, FL – JANUARY 23: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on January 23, 2017 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Robert Kraft is looking to get a prized piece of jewelry back from a renown world leader – namely his Super Bowl ring.

ROBERT KRAFT Super Bowl Ring

The New England Patriots owner is likely one of the few who hopes his friend President Donald Trump can maintain a strong relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, so that he can retrieve one of his Super Bowl rings.

“I do have an emotional attachment to that ring,” Kraft told Fox News Sunday.

Putin reportedly stole Kraft’s $25,000 ring during their meeting in 2005. The Patriots owner let the Russian President simply try it on, but Putin instead pocked it and took off.

“I could kill someone with this ring,” Putin remarked.

Despite several attempts to retrieve it during Barack Obama’s tenure as president, Kraft was unsuccessful in getting his ring back. The Pats CEO even said he’d be willing to make a new one for Putin in exchange for getting the second of his four Super Bowl rings back, and that Trump could be the courier.

“I was willing to have one made with his name on it. Maybe we will have the new president bring it to him when he connects with him,” Kraft said.

The subject was not mentioned in FOX’s pre-game interview with Trump, so we will have to wait and see how the president responds to his friend’s plea.

Kraft also praised Trump, whom he said was very compassionate when his wife died in 2011.

“I believe in loyalty to friends, and the president has been a great friend of mine for over 20 years. And one of the most difficult times of my life he was there for me,” Kraft said, noting Trump called and checked in on him every week for a year.

The Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 38-24 in overtime in Super Bowl LI on Sunday in Houston. The win marked Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick’s fifth Super Bowl title.

DENVER, CO – JANUARY 24: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft looks on from the sideline before the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado.  (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Aubrey Huff experienced great success throughout his MLB career: he won the World Series twice, and finished in the top-25 of his league’s MVP vote three times. Since his retirement in 2014, he hasn’t been heard from much.

MLB World Series Champ Aubrey Huff To Muslim Ban Protesters: ‘Get A Job’

Now, however, the 40-year–old former San Francisco Giants infielder has taken to social media to express his opinion on the recent protests against President Donald Trump’s executive order barring Muslims from seven countries to enter the United States.

Trump’s order, signed Friday, ignited a series of nationwide protests across America over the weekend, and Huff seemed irked by dissenters’ reactions, to say the least. He conveyed one particular message to protesters, among other messages, on Twitter in an angry rant late Sunday: “Get a job.”

“I mean, seriously, what the hell is going on? If you have time 2 march, protest and riot. Maybe it’s time for something called a job!” Huff tweeted.

Huff also replied to those who attempted to argue with him, including one Twitter user who criticized him for being incapable of seeing how many people the order will affect because he is “a white man in America right now.”

“Come on man seriously there are plenty of white people struggling out there. Why does this have to be about race? U a racist?” Huff tweeted.

The former MLB star also seemed to clearly express support from Trump, as he tweeted: “So refreshing 2 see a president follow through with his campaign promises. God bless the future of this great country and keep it safe!”

Huff also joked that he believed Trump would likely be blamed for the result of next week’s Super Bowl LI if the New England Patriots won, as the President and quarterback Tom Brady are allegedly friends.

“I can c next weekends Super Bowl headlines: ‘Protests ensue and Trump blamed after Patriots win Super Bowl because Tom Brady endorsed him’,” Huff tweeted.

In response to someone who called him overpaid, Huff tweeted: “correction. I used to be overpaid. Now I’m just chillin not having to deal with rush hour traffic.” Huff also bragged about his “big house, hot wife,” called a fan a “looser,” and referenced his two World Series rings.

Many Twitter users also noted that most of the protests Huff was referencing were held on Sunday, which is not a work day for most people.

Huff responded sarcastically, “Yeah there hasn’t been any protests or marches Monday thru Friday. My bad.”

Huff apologized on Monday and deleted his tweets.

Here is his apology statement:

“I fight nasty and I use words I shouldn’t use. I think in the case of last night, I used words that, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have. Honestly, with 10,000 followers, I didn’t think it would be that big a deal.

[…]

I don’t apologize for my political views, but I do apologize for rubbing this fancy little life in people’s faces — making millions of dollars, retired, not having to sit in rush-hour traffic. That was childish. I’m sorry.”

At the end of a phone interview with Daniel Brown of the Bay Area News Group, Huff added: “But like I said, what I believe in — the way I view my political stances and the way I see my faith in God — that’s never going to change. Nobody is going to ever tell me any different.”

Huff played 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. He won World Series rings with the Giants in 2010 and 2012.

The designated hitter was a career .278 batter with a .342 on-base percentage and 242 home runs.

The NBA has reached out to the U.S. State Department in an attempt to understand how President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending immigration for citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries could potentially affect the league in terms of player travel.

NBA Demands State Department Clarify Trump’s Immigration Ban

“We have reached out to the State Department and are in the process of gathering information to understand how this executive order would apply to players in our league who are from one of the impacted countries,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “The NBA is a global league and we are proud to attract the very best players from around the world.”

Two NBA players — Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng and Milwaukee Bucks rookie Thon Maker — were both born in Sudan, one of the seven nations affected by the ban, along with Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. This could pose a problem for them, as Sudanese citizens have been denied entry into the United States for three months, according to the order. The NBA does a significant amount of work abroad through its Basketball Without Borders program.

Former NBA player Hamed Haddadi is from Iran, and could also thus be affected by the ban.

The Bucks, as it happened, played in Toronto on Friday night, although Maker– who left Sudan as a small child and has an Australian passport, was able to return to the U.S. with his teammates without a problem.

“No,” Bucks Coach Jason Kidd told reporters in Milwaukee when asked if Maker had issues getting back into the country. “He’s starting. There are no issues.”

Meanwhile, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a second-year Brooklyn Nets forward who is Muslim, slammed Trump’s decision before his team played in Minnesota on Saturday night.

“We try to teach people not to point the finger, blame a whole [group],” Hollis-Jefferson told reporters in Minneapolis before the game. “You can’t judge a whole group by one’s actions at the end of the day. And I feel like that’s not right. That’s definitely not right. You can’t speak for all Muslims, because all Muslims’ hearts aren’t like that. Most of them are pure, really believe in a different way and a different livelihood.

“I kind of feel like things could be handled differently. Me being Muslim, me knowing a lot of Muslims, it’s definitely, definitely heartbreaking to see. A lot of my college friends are Muslims, and their families are in some of those countries. Just seeing that, my heart goes out to them, how they feel about it and everything. It’s definitely a tough situation to put people in.”