Ex-Navy SEAL Republican Dan Crenshaw pops out of glass eye to celebrate congressional football game victory
Ex-Navy SEAL Republican Dan Crenshaw pops out of glass eye and falls into team trophy as umpires protest congressional football victory
- Crenshaw was injured in a bomb attack in Afghanistan more than a decade ago
- He made the bizarre protest over a disputed penalty that referees refused to award
- The game took place late Tuesday at MLS team DC United’s Audi Field
Football officials are used to being criticized by players for their supposedly bad decisions.
But a U.S. lawmaker had his own way of expressing his feelings about a disputed penalty kick not awarded Tuesday at Washington DC’s 9th Annual Congressional Game.
Dan Crenshaw expressed his feelings about the level of umpires at D.C. United’s Audi Field on Tuesday evening
Dan Crenshaw, playing for the Republican team that defeated the Democrats 4-2, removed his glass eye to complain about the standard of umpires in the game.
“The umpires have two eyeballs, but they don’t use them, so I just give them one of mine,” Crenshaw said before it in the winner’s trophy.
The Texas congressman, a veteran of the elite Navy Seals. lost his right eye and suffered damage to his left eye in Afghanistan in 2012 when a bomb exploded.
The 39-year-old served two more tours after the injury.
The congressman usually wears an eyepatch over his glass eye when appearing in the House of Representatives
He had appeared alongside fellow housemates Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and former GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota.
Valadao also complained that the referees did not award a goal that he said had crossed the line.
In line for Democrats, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).
Organized by the US Soccer Federation, this year’s game took place at Audi Field of DC United, the MLS soccer team coached by England legend Wayne Rooney.
Last year, it was the Democrats who emerged victorious over their GOP rivals, beating the Republican team 5-3.