Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once said, “Israel must be wiped off the map.” The former president of Iran also said that the United States was behind the 9/11 attacks and invented al-Qaeda as a scapegoat. Now that he’s retired, he is less interested in destroying the “Great Satan” and has an odd fascination with American football. In one of the weirdest endorsement ever, Ahmadinejad voiced his support for the University of Michigan football team. Instead “Allahu Akbar” it’s “Let’s Go Blue Akbar.”
Back in September Ahmadinejad sent out an NFL-related tweet that was most certainly a shot at Donald Trump:
The #NFL season will start this week, unfortunately once again @Kaepernick7 is not on a NFL roster. Even though he is one of the best Quarterbacks in the league.#ColinKaepernick #NFL
— Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (@Ahmadinejad1956) September 3, 2018
If by “one of the best quarterbacks” he means that Kaepernick hates American the most, then he is correct. If he’s talking skill, not so much. Like I said, this tweet wasn’t an educated opinion on pro-football but rather a silly way for Ahmadinejad to attack President Trump who has been a vocal opponent of Kaepernick’s “take an knee” antics.
That point was lost on some Twitter rando who asked Ahmadinejad what he thought about Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh:
Dear Mahmoud,
We have much bigger problems here. #Michigan is 8-8 in its last 16 games under @CoachJim4UM . #GoBlue
Also, college football is the only authentic football.
Cordially,
Fred
— fredzannarbor (@fredzannarbor) September 3, 2018
Over a month later Ahmadinejad responded with this weirdness:
With a hard work ethic Inshallah the U of M will return to its glory days.
— Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (@Ahmadinejad1956) October 16, 2018
“Inshallah” means “if Allah wills it,” so this isn’t as huge of an endorsement as it seems. Ahmadinejad is saying that if Allah wants Michigan football to be great then they will be great, which is another way of saying maybe they will succeed and maybe they won’t.
Still, I find it very strange that the former Iranian president would even issue this statement. It’s not an attack on the US and it doesn’t serve his brutal Islamic country, so why’d he bother? The only thing I can think of is that Michigan has a sizable Muslim population, especially in Dearborn, so maybe Muslims have an affinity for the Maize and Blue.
Then again, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been a big supporter of former US President Barack Obama. Iran loves them some Obama because he sent them an entire plane full of cash and removed sanctions while allowing the rogue nation to continue to develop nuclear weapons. Maybe that’s why Ahmadinejad is giving Michigan football a big thumb’s up.
Like everything else, Ahmadinejad is wrong about Harbaugh. He can’t beat Notre Dame, Michigan State, or Ohio State and he can’t win the Big 10 or a bowl game. No amount of “Allah power” is going to save his job if he can’t turn that around immediately.
