--- title: Here Are The 7 Most Awkward Moments of Politicians and Sports description: Chris Christie's celebration of the Dallas Cowboys' playoff victory wasn't he first awkward instance of politics and sports. canonical: https://time.com/3653694/politics-sports-awkward/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-05T17:27:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:42.552Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here Are The 7 Most Awkward Moments of Politicians and Sports og:description: Chris Christie's celebration of the Dallas Cowboys' playoff victory wasn't he first awkward instance of politics and sports. og:url: https://time.com/3653694/politics-sports-awkward/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here Are The 7 Most Awkward Moments of Politicians and Sports twitter:description: Chris Christie's celebration of the Dallas Cowboys' playoff victory wasn't he first awkward instance of politics and sports. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Here Are The 7 Most Awkward Moments Between Politicians and Sports > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Obama Throws Out the First Pitch [Watch (HLS stream): Obama Throws Out the First Pitch](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/csA68wMp.m3u8) (0:12)  _Published 2015-01-05. Obama throws out the first pitch before the Nationals' home opener_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 5, 2015 5:27 PM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 5, 2015 5:27 PM UTC When Chris Christie hugged Jerry Jones after the Dallas Cowboys’ victory Sunday night, [he was roundly mocked](http://time.com/3653411/chris-christie-dallas-cowboys/) and criticized for being disloyal to the anti-Cowboys members of his constituency. But this was hardly the first instance of an uncomfortable meeting between politics and sports. Here are seven of the most awkward times the two worlds collided. **Chris Christie’s Three-Man Hug** We’ve all had that moment when our favorite team wins and we feel compelled to jump up and hug the nearest person. Unfortunately, Chris Christie’s celebration with Jerry Jones wasn’t a hug so much as an awkward groping. Even more unfortunately, there is a man stuck in the middle. And worst of all, it was on national television. **Barack Obama’s First Pitch** Barack Obama’s opening pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game got off to a bad start when the crowd booed him for putting on the wrong hat, and it only got worse from there. The pitch is so bad that it literally went out of the camera frame, let alone the strike zone. **George H. W. Bush’s Bowling Blunder** You wouldn’t think anyone could possibly fail this hard at bowling, especially a former college athlete. But then vice-president George H.W. Bush proved that it was possible. **Martha Coakley’s Red Sox Gaffe** If you’re trying to win over Massachusetts, here’s what not to do: claim that Curt Schilling, famous Red Sox pitcher, is a fan of the Yankees. Martha Coakley could only meekly say, “I’m wrong” in the face of the radio interviewer’s disbelief. **John Kerry’s Green Bay Packers Fumble**  Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (D-MA) plays football with his staff in Dayton, Ohio on Oct. 31, 2004. Spencer Platt—Getty Images If you’re campaigning in Wisconsin, you better make yourself an expert in the Green Bay Packers. Or at least just know the name of their field. John Kerry committed the ultimate Milwaukee faux pas when he referred to the venerable Lambeau field as “Lambert” field, and was immediately pilloried by his opponents. **Hillary Clinton’s Baseball Cap Split**  Getty Images (2) Only Hillary Clinton’s choice of baseball cap would spur a media frenzy about her political ambitions. Clinton grew up a Chicago Cubs fan but said she would split allegiance with the New York Yankees once she became a resident and Senator of New York. **Mitt Romney’s Attempt at Normal Speech** Leave it to Mitt Romney to talk about sports in the most awkward way possible. 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