Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, found himself in hot water after a social media mishap exposed his limited football knowledge. “Coach” Walz attempted to connect with younger male voters through a Twitch stream, playing “Madden 25” alongside Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
The stunt was part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign strategy to attract young male voters, with a little more than a week to go until Election Day.
The stream featured the duo selecting their respective home teams—Walz chose the Minnesota Vikings, while Ocasio-Cortez picked the Buffalo Bills. The conversation quickly turned political as the two criticized former President Donald Trump, hoping to rally support among the viewers.
However, the flub came during the stream, when Walz posted on X (formerly Twitter): “@AOC can run a mean pick 6 – and I can call an audible on a play. And we both know that if you take the time to draw up a playbook, you’re gonna use it.”
This was a real deleted tweet from alleged football coach Tampon Tim.
“Can run a mean pick 6” Lmfao pic.twitter.com/5EQ6ZwA4Rb
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 28, 2024
The tweet, meant to sound relatable to football fans, backfired spectacularly. A “pick-six” refers to a defensive interception returned for a touchdown—a term that exposed Coach Walz among actual football aficionados. The post was widely mocked, with many pointing out the irony of Walz’s frequent references to his time as a football coach in Mankato. Dubbed “Tampon Tim” by detractors, the gaffe further fueled jokes about his political stunts and apparent lack of knowledge about the sport.
Walz’s team quickly deleted the tweet, but not before screenshots went viral.
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REACTIONS:
You don’t “run” a Pick 6, it’s not a system of offense
Tim “Swan Lake” Walz is supposed to be a football coach? pic.twitter.com/yejEfubpmw
— James David Dickson (@downi75) October 28, 2024
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
“AOC can run a mean pick 6 – and I can call an audible on a play.”
And they wonder why they can’t get men to vote for this ticket. pic.twitter.com/WWVTYyvROK
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 28, 2024
Tim Walz, former football coach and avid hunter, can’t load a gun and speaks like he doesn’t understand football – you don’t “run” a pick 6. pic.twitter.com/WoPTUUR0GF
— amanda (@amandatalks__) October 28, 2024
“Run a pick 6.”
No football coach talks like this. Ever.
A creepy dude who likes to hang out with boys in the locker room does. pic.twitter.com/Sxyg8PuZpj
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) October 28, 2024