【2014 Archives】

If you hadn't realized by now014 Archives Donald Trump and Barack Obama are very different people. Here's your latest evidence.

Trump will pass on Obama's annual tradition of filling out an NCAA March Madness bracket, the Washington Postreports. Obama, a basketball fanatic, made his predictions with ESPN each of his eight years in office.

SEE ALSO: Under Armour CEO walks back his Trump praise with full-page newspaper ad

When ESPN invited Trump to complete a bracket on-camera, the White House declined,but expressed interested in working with ESPN down the road, according to the Washington Post.

This shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone who's watched Trump's early interactions with the world of sports. Sure, during his first month in office he's played golf and touted the New England Patriots, even (correctly) predicting them to win the Super Bowl.

But take a look at how his Super Bowl viewing party differed from Obama's.

Compare and contrast: Trump v Obama at their first presidential Super Bowl parties (Trump pic by @jeneps) pic.twitter.com/qhX3hzzZZN

— Amber Jamieson (@ambiej) February 6, 2017

One looks like a posh wedding. One looks like the ultimate sports viewing experience.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

It's still early, but Trump doesn't appear to be the sports fan Obama is.

Obama embraced American sports perhaps more than any other president before him. Of course, he went about the customary traditions of his predecessors — throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game, inviting championship teams to the White House — but Obama took his passion for sports even further.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In addition to his men's March Madness bracket, he also filled one out for the women's tournament. He stayed aboard Air Force One for 10 minutes to watch the 2016 NBA Finals conclude. He could shake hands and talk shop with every member of a team, even throwing in the occasional trash talk.

He tuned in for the nation's biggest games, like the Women's World Cup Final in 2015.

Photo of the Obama family watching the World Cup women's soccer game: https://t.co/coT4ojuqs7" pic.twitter.com/SgWQ7NXTUr

— Cy Savage (@cyrinobond) June 27, 2016

So many times, when politics and sports collide, it feels like a publicity stunt. But with Obama, he genuinely seemed to be just another sports nut. His fandom gave him everyman appeal. Some say he used that as a campaign prop.

Prop or not, it worked.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The jury's still out if Donald Trump will do the same. To his credit, though, Trump's busy first month in office hasn't left many chances to interact with the world of sports.

But with the Super Bowl over and Trump passing on a March Madness bracket, the early results don't look so good.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Finally, you can learn how to be the sexiest dancer in the club

---

Topics Barack Obama Donald Trump

• Tech
• Games
• Social Good
• Science
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Entertainment
• Deals

• How to Lie: Donald Trump, Jr. fails in the family trade
• Nestlé accused of diverting water from San Bernardino National Forest
• LG launches new ultrawide monitor with near
• Hollywood accusers named 'Entertainer of the Year' by the AP
• The Online Culture Wars
• The best comfort video games of 2017
• California's worst fire season now includes its largest fire on record
• The best Netflix show you're not watching is coming back on New Year's Day
• Sweet, Sweet Phantasy
• How to use your Bitmoji on Facebook, Snapchat, Google Chrome, and more

• The Mystery of the Plaster Plimpton
• Christopher Logue’s Poster Poems
• Paramount uploads 'Mean Girls' to TikTok in 23 installments
• 'Wordle' group chats are the latest trend. It's an amazing way to stay in touch.
• On Blood Moons and Singing in Public
• Of Tongues, Teeth, and Mouths: R. D. Laing at Work
• Grimes says Elon Musk 'does not live like a billionaire'
• On Ham, Eternity, and a Quotation of Dorothy Parker’s
• The art of fan edits
• An author and an illustrator talk collaboration—and Melville.

• Having it Both Ways
• NASA's Bruce McCandless gave us one of the most iconic space photos
• Should you upgrade your iPhone to the newest iOS? Depends who you are
• Not done holiday shopping? Time to buy some candles and call it a day.
• Rites of Power
• Fart apps make an unfortunate comeback, thanks to augmented reality
• One 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' scene prompts an unexpected warning from theaters
• Amazon just acquired smart home startup Blink
• Panic in Textopolis
• Carrie Fisher wrote some of her own lines in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

• Unexpected Consequences
• The best comfort video games of 2017
• 'Last Jedi' gets thumbs up from 89% of viewers, says new poll
• The rapid rise and even faster fall of an HQ trivia champion
• If They Are Not Coming For You Today
• Walmart is testing cashier
• Tesla's huge battery gives coal station emergency power 620 miles away
• Bitcoin price drops below $13,000
• Sweet, Sweet Existentialism
• Best TV Christmas episodes to watch today