2017's Jerk of the Year Award Nominations

2017 has been a banner year for jerks.  I'll list a number of the top candidates for the 2017 Jerk of the Year Award, but I want to focus on two of the strongest candidates for a moment.  LaVar Ball and Donald J. Trump.

Since taking office this past January, Mr. Trump has done a lot of things to deserve consideration for this award, but his latest move epitomizes why he is a top candidate for this honor.  

In one of the few good things the LiarInChief has done since being sworn in, he went to bat for the three UCLA men's basketball players (including LaVar's son LiAngelo Ball) who had been arrested for shoplifting while the team was in China for a game.  His intervention was almost certainly instrumental in the players being allowed to return home.  

Naturally he used Twitter to pat himself on the back for what had happened.  "Do you think the three UCLA basketball players will say thank you President Trump?  They were headed for 10 years in jail."

The players indeed thanked him.  Then he sent out these tweets:

"To the three UCLA basketball players I say:  You're welcome, go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made..."

"...your release possible and have, A GREAT LIFE!  Be careful, there are many pitfalls on the long and winding road of life!"

When asked by ESPN about Trump's role in securing the release of his son and the other two players, LaVar Ball said, "Who?  What was he over there for? Don't tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out."

Which caused Trump to retort on Twitter, "Now that the three basketball players are out of China and saved from years in jail, LaVar Ball, the father of LiAngelo, is unaccepting of what I did for his son and that shoplifting is no big deal. I should have left them in jail!"

No, you should not have left them in jail.  If the only reason you intervened was to be able to strut your stuff on the world stage and wait for what you feel is the fawning and gratitude you are entitled to, you've just proven once again you are wholly unfit for your office.  Those players were there as representatives of UCLA and the United States.  Getting them freed was the right move.  Getting into a pissing contest with LaVar Ball is not.

As for Mr. Ball, if it were up to me, I'd hang the nickname "7-11" on him, as Don Cheadle's character does to Chris Tucker's character in Rush Hour 2:

Well, his mouth is always open.  Not that much of any redeeming social value comes out of it.

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Here are some other potential Jerk of the Year nominations for 2017:

The fact that she arranged for the Uber driver to get his tips back only slightly mitigates what she did.

Much better qualified as a candidate for Jerk of the Year than as a member of the U.S. Senate.

The "Pharma Bro" is a natural for this award

There are countless others worthy of being part of the selection process.  Please submit your nominations.