Sports and politics ultimately combined in the worst way possible. Spearheaded by POTUS Donald Trump’s “entirely unjustified” tariff hikes against Mexico, China, and Canada, the latter seems to be taking a strong stance—albeit in a rather unusual way. And looks like some NFL stars like San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey have something to add to the discourse. A little heads-up: It’s not what you’re thinking…

But before we hop onto that, the political conundrum reached the hallowed grounds of Ottawa within a few hours of Trump signing the executive order. As Canadian Pop R&B singer Mandia began singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of an Ottawa Senators-Minnesota Wild clash (NHL)—which the latter ultimately lost 6-0—Canadian spectators launched into a massive tirade of boos, expressing their displeasure with US’ trade barriers, while breaking into a raucous applause for their own national anthem. Unfortunately, that was just the start…

Exactly two days later, the crisis presented itself again. This time ahead of an NBA match-up between the Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Clippers (which the Raptors won 115-108) at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. As 15-year-old Kyra Daniel took to the stage, Canadian fans initially cheered for the young singer, before switching to boos yet again, as she began singing the US National Anthem. They applauded Daniel again after she finished.

Reacting to the public opinion, Raptors forward and Baton Rouge, Louisiana-native Garrett Temple opined, “Yeah, of course I noticed it. The reaction (was), ‘Wow.’ And then you just think about why they’re booing. A lot of things bigger than basketball going on in the world right now. At the end of the day, we play in an arena that’s in Canada and they’re Canadian citizens, so they have a certain feeling about the trade situation going on, the tariffs. The people that booed let their thoughts be known.”

“Obviously it has an impact on a lot of people in this country and in this stadium. It’s their opinion. I felt bad for the girl singing but they cheered her at the end, so I was happy for that, … It’s the state of the world right now,” added Raptors big man Kelly Olynyk. Why are we telling you all of this? Well, you’ll get to know that in a while. Meanwhile, it looks like McCaffrey has his heart set on another heartbreak.

After the already clashing opponents, USA lost to Canada 3-2 in overtime to win the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament on Thursday night, the running back couldn’t help but extend an ambitious plan to his neighboring country. Taking to his Instagram Story on February 19, the 28-year-old wrote, “Best Of 3?” while the image background showed the two rivals shake hands after the game concluded. He even took to X to share the same thought.

Obviously, that’s not going to happen. But the loss definitely affected him. Dare we say it was a flashback to Super Bowl LVIII when the Niners lost to the Chiefs in overtime? Just like back then, the RB just found it tough to swallow the loss. Unfortunately though, the loss has reverberated far beyond the realms of the sporting world, as the political significance of the win is not lost on the White House and 24 Sussex Drive.

President Trump reportedly rang up the US team ahead of their clash to offer his best wishes amid the tensions. “Politics aside, when the president of the United States takes the time to speak to our players, it’s an incredible honor. I think it’s an indication, once again, of the impact that this tournament has had on people in the United States,” the team’s coach Mike Sullivan said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on the other hand, didn’t leave any stones unturned once the win was theirs. Taking to X, he wrote, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.” Team Canada’s coach  Jon Cooper, on the other hand, said, “Every player in that team is proud to be a Canadian…Not only our team, but Canada needed a win and the players beared that on their shoulders…This wasn’t a win for themselves this was a win for 40 plus million people.”

Having said that, like the 49ers star, the game ended with a heartbreak for the millions of fans back at home. The Canadian team stood tall in the politically charged encounter. Somehow, they snatched the win from their rivals in the overtime.

Canada edges USA in dramatic finish that disappoints Christian McCaffrey

For Canada, it was a tournament decided by some crucial overtime moments. The first game of the 4 Nations face-off ended with an overtime victory as they defeated Sweden 4-3. Later, Sweden lost another game in overtime. In the end, the overtime victory played a crucial role in helping Canada advance to the finals vs the US.

In the finals, both teams started with a tough game. Though Canadians took the lead at the 4:48 mark, the American team returned and went ahead by 2-1 at the 27:32 mark. Just 5 minutes later, their rivals equalized with another goal. A scoreless third period and the 2-2 score forced them into overtime. Christian McCaffrey and other fans were on the edge of their seats.

In the OT, Connor McDavid established his greatness by hitting a goal when it mattered most. It was a thrilling victory befitting the atmosphere as Canada scored the winning goal at the 8:18 mark in overtime. But football fans definitely didn’t like the showboating that followed.

They started trolling the Canadian fans, claiming they had never won any big tournament. The disappointment of loss was evident.

Overall, it was a great game, full of toughness and intensity. Christian McCaffrey and all USA hockey fans will be itching for revenge.