The New England Patriots made history this past season after coming back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Now, the Super Bowl champions are making headlines in sports and political media because some players have decided to not attend the annual White House visit.
After every season, the Super Bowl champions earn the honor of going to the White House to meet the president. Every year there are a handful of players on the roster who decide to not go for various reasons, but this year is different.
It seems like nowadays everything is politicized. If you visit the president, you must support him, and if you turn down an invitation to visit him, then you must be a protester. It’s this kind of public ultimatum that places unnecessary pressure on these players.
So far, six players on the Patriots roster publicly announced they will not be visiting President Trump at the White House. Some of the players cited political reasons and others did not.
I am totally against the politicizing of sports and entertainment, but people have to realize that professional athletes have personal opinions on politics, too. From the statements of a couple of players, it is fair to say they’re not the biggest fans of President Trump.
“I will not be going to the White House. I don’t feel welcome in that house. I’ll leave it at that,” Patriots’ running back LeGarrette Blount publicly said.
Another Patriots player, Devin McCourty, expressed similar feelings in his explanation for skipping the White House visit, saying he did not feel accepted and accused the president of having “strong opinions” and “prejudices.”
I may or may not agree with their personal feelings and political opinions, but I do believe they have the right to skip out on the opportunity to visit the White House and meet the president if that’s what they really want to choose.
Blair Lewis, a sophomore communication studies major, shared similar thoughts concerning the players’ decisions.
“I’m okay with their decision. They can do what they want,” Lewis said. “I understand why they can be offended so it’s fine with me.”
If we want to keep politics out of sports, then we should not care so much about who is and isn’t going to the White House. We also shouldn’t be outraged or encouraged by their reasons for skipping.
Sterling Bennett, a junior sports journalism major, understood why this situation received a lot of attention and noted his outlook on the entire situation.
“You have to look at the election as a whole. It was just a crazy year for politics,” Bennett said. “I don’t think people should be shaming the players’ decisions or glorifying their decisions.”
Ultimately, it’s their personal choice and if their personal choices involve political bias, then so be it. To be outraged at a player for their political beliefs only politicizes the situation further.
Obviously, I am not in the Patriots players’ situation. I am not a Super Bowl champion and I did not receive an invitation to the White House. However, I don’t think I would make the same decision as them.
I wouldn’t care who was in office; I could never skip out on a chance to visit the White House and shake the hand of the President of the United States. For me, that would be an honor and an opportunity too good to pass up.
“Whether you like the president or not, you have to respect that he is the leader of the free world,” Bennett said. “Even if I support or don’t support all of his policies wholeheartedly, I’m still going to shake his hand or take a picture with him because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”