It’s officially a fumble on the field of political sportsmanship—or should we say a “pick 6”—thanks to Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz’s cringeworthy attempt at football lingo.
Walz, in a since-deleted social media post, thought he’d make some political hay out of a live stream where he played Madden with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, claiming that “AOC can run a mean pick 6.” That’d be all fine and good, except there’s a bit of a problem: a “pick 6” isn’t a play that you run; it’s when a defensive player intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown. It’s Football 101.
Republican VP nominee JD Vance took no time calling out Walz on the botched sports metaphor, adding a bit of extra spice: “They say Walz was a high school football coach, but I think I know more about football than he does. And it’s fitting because I think my running mate Donald J. Trump knows more about working at McDonald’s than Kamala Harris does.”
JUST IN: JD Vance trolls “Coach” Tim Walz after the governor claimed you can “run a mean pick 6” in football.
“AOC can run a mean pick 6 – and I can call an audible on a play,” Walz’s X account said in an effort to impress young men.
“You don’t run a pick-six, you run the West… pic.twitter.com/fY2J4pmwE3
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 28, 2024
Walz’s faux pas caught fire on social media, too. The Trump campaign even went so far as to mock him with the nickname “Tampon Tim,” pointing out how strange it is that a former coach would blunder such a common football term. Others like Townhall columnist Dustin Grage piled on, observing, “And they wonder why they can’t get men to vote for this ticket.”
Tampon Tim is such a dork.
You’d think a so-called football coach would be aware that you don’t run a pick 6!
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 28, 2024
The whole thing has left people scratching their heads. Was this supposed to make Walz look relatable to younger male voters? AOC may be trying to bridge the gap with younger demographics, but if the plan was to reach young men who actually know the difference between a touchdown and a turnover, maybe someone should’ve gotten Walz up to speed on the sport.
It’s part of a bigger pattern that Republicans are quick to capitalize on. Instead of grounding their campaign in issues that matter, Democrats are apparently more focused on reaching the gaming audience. And while there’s nothing wrong with trying to connect with a younger crowd, it’s hard to take a campaign seriously when it fumbles something as simple as a basic football term.
This playbook error does more than just raise eyebrows; it feeds into the perception that the Democratic ticket is more about symbolism and less about substance. Whether it’s sports, the economy, or real-world policy, voters want leaders who know what they’re talking about—not candidates fumbling through their own script.
