When it comes/came to sports....

[Luis Flmg]

When it came to sports, Foote always had ‘it’ | Sports, Sports story, Things to come

Oct 5, 2019 - On Nov. 14, 2004, Andrew Foote first realized he was Andrew Foote. The North Andover sophomore caught a booming punt, juked several Wilmington players and sprinted up the sideline for

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When it came to sports, Foote always had it.
Is it ever grammatical to use the verb in the present (When it comes to) when the second clause is in the past?

 

[Ms. Worth]

When it came to sports, Foote always had ‘it’ | Sports, Sports story, Things to come

Oct 5, 2019 - On Nov. 14, 2004, Andrew Foote first realized he was Andrew Foote. The North Andover sophomore caught a booming punt, juked several Wilmington players and sprinted up the sideline for

br.pinterest.com

When it came to sports, Foote always had it.
Is it ever grammatical to use the verb in the present (When it comes to) when the second clause is in the past?

The expression "when it comes to ... " is so common that I think its use would go unnoticed.
"When it comes to gift-giving, Santa was by far the best."

Maybe using the present before switching to the past has a use in a list:
> When it comes to her stage presence, she was perfect; and when it comes to her musical selections, she got it exactly right. But when it comes to her actual singing, she croaked like a frog."
The list uses the expression "when it comes to" as a form of "when I consider."
> When I consider her stage presence, she was perfect ..."
> When I (today) consider her stage presence, I (now) conclude she was perfect (then) ...

The "considering" is being done right now in the speaker's mind, but the thoughts themselves are about an event in the past, so the speaker shifts to past tense.