Will sports teams visits to the White House be coming to an end?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

On PFT there is a story that NE might not be invited to the WH and/or Trump wants any player that is a no show cut.

Even if none of that happens, football players boycotting won't be a big deal.  The stage will still be crowded and the 3 majors will be there Brady, Belichick and Kraft. 

OTOH, basketball teams are a lot smaller, basketball player are more outspoken politically than football players, and are overwhelmingly minorities.  President Thinskinned is not going be thrilled having the coach, owner and two reserves visiting while the rest of the team boycotts. 

[CF DolFan]

This has always been something that saddens me and shows how far we, as a country, have fallen. There was very little about Obama that I agreed with but I'd have jumped at the chance to meet him at the White House. I never agreed with those who boycotted Obama.  It's the freaking President of the United States and that is much bigger than my opinion. People used to respect the position, if not the person, but it is no longer like that. No one respects anything in this country and pretends that is what we are suppose to love about this country.

[Fau Teixeira]

agree or disagree with someone politically .. you can at least respect them as a human being and respect the position they hold if nothing else.

Trump however isn't someone i respect as a human being. I don't respect those who commit sexual assault. I don't respect those who scam poor people out of money in a "university" .. I cannot and will not respect that.

[CF DolFan]

agree or disagree with someone politically .. you can at least respect them as a human being and respect the position they hold if nothing else.

Trump however isn't someone i respect as a human being. I don't respect those who commit sexual assault.

How do you feel about Bill Clinton? I'm curious if you can look past his assaults? I'm betting it's a non issue since you agree with his politics.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

In general I agree with respect the office, not the person.  But I also believe you reap what you sow. I have yet to see anyone disrespect Trump any worse than Trump's bullshit birther claims against Obama. 

Trump was the one who first tweeted the idea of marching on Washington to protest a fair election, why should anyone be offended that the march did occur 8 years later?

And it is not the first time athletes have declined a White House visit.  Brady skipped 2 years ago.  Obama didn't take offense.

[Spider-Dan]

How many players boycotted visiting the WH when GWB was President?

I think it would be different if we were talking about President McCain, President Romney, or even President Cruz.  The people who boycotted Obama would have been equally likely to boycott Hillary, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren.

Obama is a pretty normal Democrat.  Trump is far from a normal Republican.

[CF DolFan]

How many players boycotted visiting the WH when GWB was President?

I think it would be different if we were talking about President McCain, President Romney, or even President Cruz.  The people who boycotted Obama would have been equally likely to boycott Hillary, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren.

Obama is a pretty normal Democrat.  Trump is far from a normal Republican.

Lot's of people have declined  over the years including Miami Dolphin players. It's still disrespectful.

http://theweek.com/articles/460872/18-athletes-who-refused-visit-white-house

President Obama honored the 1972 Miami Dolphins this week, the only NFL team to complete an undefeated season (sorry, Patriots fans). However, three members of that team — Hall of Fame center Jim Langer, guard Bob Kuechenberg, and defensive tackle Manny Fernandez — declined the invite, citing political differences.

Kuechenberg: "
I just don't believe in this administration at all."

Fernandez: "
[M]y views are diametrically opposed to the president's."

Langer:
"I don't want to be in a room with those people and pretend I'm having a good time. I can't do that."

Yet those three are hardly the first athletes to snub a sitting president's White House invite. And not everyone who has in the past spurned the commander-in-chief has done so for overtly political reasons.

Here, 15 other athletes who were White House no-shows:

Matt Birk
The former Baltimore Ravens center won the Super Bowl earlier this year, but refused to meet President Obama because of the president's support for Planned Parenthood.

"I am Catholic, I am active in the pro-life movement, and I just felt like I couldn't deal with that," Birk said. "I couldn't endorse that in any way."

Tim Thomas
In 2012, Thomas, a noted Tea Partier, posted a screed against the entire government on his Facebook page to explain his refusal to visit Washington with the rest of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Bruins.

"
I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People," he wrote.

"This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country."

James Harrison
Harrison twice declined White House invites after winning the Super Bowl, spurning both Obama and former President George W. Bush — not because of their politics, but because he felt the whole idea of inviting championship teams was hollow.

"This is how I feel — if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won."

Manny Ramirez
Manny, being Manny, didn't show up to meet George W. Bush for no apparent reason other than that he just didn't feel like it.

"I'm sorry [David Ortiz's] running mate, Manny Ramirez, isn't here,'' Bush said. "I guess his grandmother died again. Just kidding. Tell Manny I didn't mean it."

Mark Chmura
A member of the 1996 Super Bowl-winning Packers, Chmura skipped a trip to meet President Clinton, citing a previously scheduled golf tournament. After the Lewinsky scandal broke, however, he said, "
I knew it all along" adding, "It doesn't really say much for society and the morals [Clinton] sets forth for our children."

Tom Lehman
An American golfer known to proudly flaunt his Christian faith, Lehman declined to meet President Clinton, instead referring to him as a "draft-dodging baby killer."

Michael Jordan
Yes, even Air Jordan has had a presidential no-show controversy. When Jordan opted not to meet President George H. W. Bush in 1991, a fuming Chicago Tribune story blared, "Snub By Jordan Undermines Team."

Jordan later defended his decision, saying he wanted to spend time relaxing with his family back in North Carolina.

"As you know, my schedules have been very hectic," he said. "You guys have seen me, I've been every which way, and because I choose to take my private three days somewhere no one can call me, it's my prerogative."

Larry Bird
Bird and others from the 1984 Celtics turned down the chance to visit President Reagan for unspecified reasons, with Bird later quipping, "If the president wants to see me, he knows where to find me."

Albert Pujols, Tony LaRussa
Pujols and LaRussa, who both took part in Glenn Beck's big Tea Party rally back in 2010, did not travel with the rest of the Cardinals to be congratulated by Obama in 2012. Neither cited politics to explain their no-shows, and both were already on their way out of St. Louis by then; LaRussa retired, and Pujols signed a mega-deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols also missed a meeting with President Bush in 2005 while on a humanitarian mission in his native Dominican Republic.

Ozzie Guillen
The oddball (former) manager and friend of the late-Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez skipped a team meeting with President Bush after the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. He did, however, appear on Chavez's radio show after winning that title.

Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart
The handful of NASCAR standouts all turned down an invite from President Obama, citing "scheduling conflicts."

[Fau Teixeira]

How do you feel about Bill Clinton? I'm curious if you can look past his assaults? I'm betting it's a non issue since you agree with his politics.

One consistently denies the accusations and there isn't any corroborating evidence, the other was caught on hidden tape boasting about it.

apples and oranges

[CF DolFan]

One consistently denies the accusations and there isn't any corroborating evidence, the other was caught on hidden tape boasting about it.

apples and oranges

bwahahahahaha.

[Spider-Dan]

Fau, many conservatives think Trump bragging about assaulting women and Bill Clinton admitting to receiving a consensual BJ are precisely equal.

Keep in mind that Trump has been accused of assault by more women than Bill Clinton has.  However, those accusations against Trump are Clearly False while the accusations against Bill Clinton are Obviously True.

[Baba Booey]

Those "visits" to the White House last all of like 5-10 minutes. It's more of a photo opp than anything. Nothing of substance is said or done with them. If a few players on a team don't want to go who the hell cares.

It is rich that Trump has issues with some Pats players not going when Tom Brady refused to go last time when Obama was president.  Go, don't go. Who cares. The President's squeeze these visits in after their lunch and some really important stuff they have scheduled next. It isn't like it's an all day affair or visit. Most of them just read of a piece of paper someone wrote for them because they have spent ZERO time preparing for it and the thing is over before it starts.

And they won't cancel these visits for all sports and teams going forward because a few players don't want to attend. Before social media these things got little to not attention and nobody was taking attendance on who showed up or not. Now people just have a platform to spout off and pontificate on why they aren't going.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^ prior presidents wouldn't cancel the visit because some players didn't show, but there are leaks from the White House that Donnie won't stand for that and is expecting owners to make the trip mandatory or he will not extend an invitation.

[Cathal]

I'm happy for those who decide to not visit this guy in office. It is a complete turn-around to what America stands for. Respect the office, but so far, this guy deserves no respect.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Even Tom Brady is skipping the visit.