Second New England Patriot refuses to visit Trump White House

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/318223-second-new-england-patriot-refuses-to-visit-trump-white-house

Second New England Patriot refuses to visit Trump White House
By Jordan Fabian - 02/07/17 09:45 AM EST


New England Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty is joining tight end Marcellus Bennett in refusing to attend a Super Bowl celebration at the White House over opposition to President Trump.

“I’m not going to the White House," McCourty told Time magazine. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."

The Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI on Sunday night, though no official presidential celebration has been announced.

Bennett told reporters shortly after New England's historic overtime victory that he would not be visiting the Trump White House.

The absences are notable, given the personal friendship between Trump and team owner Robert Kraft. Quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick are also known to be friends with the president.

Both Bennett and McCourty have been outspoken on political and criminal-justice issues throughout the season. Both raised their fist during the national anthem before a September game, an act sparked by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protests.

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[HoneyBadger]

1. Time for Brady to step up

Or carry the racist label forever

[babylonsister]

3. Not gonna happen. They're buddies. nt

[HoneyBadger]

4. Then Brady is a racist forever

[spanone]

5. Did Tom Brady skip visit with Obama because he's mad at the White House?

When the New England Patriots took a visit to the White House on April 23 to celebrate the team's Super Bowl win, there was one notable absence: Tom Brady.

According to the Patriots, Brady skipped out on the White House visit because he had a previously planned "family commitment."

As it turns out though, Brady wasn't with his family when the Patriots went to Washington DC on the morning of April 23. According to ESPN.com, the Patriots quarterback was actually at Gillette Stadium getting some stretching in while the rest of the team was visiting with Obama.

Less than 24 hours later, Brady was at an Apple Store in New York City checking out the company's new Apple watch.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25165546/did-tom-brady-skip-visit-with-obama-because-hes-mad-at-the-white-house

[babylonsister]

6. I read he was peeved someone from the Obama admin

mentioned 'deflategate'. Boo hoo.

[heaven05]

7. the trump loving members of this team, management and coach

are liked by the boy-potus who would be fuhrer....says something to me about their private conversations....brady? To hell with that racist pig.

[DK504]

14. Racist forever

Purposely refusing an inventation from the WH 'cause the guy in Office and a douche nozzle forever. Was he the MVP that year too?

[jaxind]

2. I want...

I want some of the white players to refuse to go to The White House! That would make an even stronger statement!!

[Liberal In Red State]

8. We need to show Devin and Bennett some love and support for stepping up!

[Fritz Walter]

9. Bennett and McCourty should go to Disney World

...where diversity is cherished and practiced.

And the villains are defeated.

Yeah, I know: Disney/ABC helped put Drumpf in the lily-White House, but still.

[randome]

10. "I went to the White House and all I got was this white supremacist t-shirt!"

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[zipplewrath]

11. Not particularly comfortable with this

I've seen this all the way back to the Clinton years. I'd rather see these people show up, and if Trump says anything objectionable, then speak up. If he does something objectionable, take action. And if given a chance to confront him, do so. Don't let yourself be used as a political prop, but as long as it says within the sports realm and congratulations, be gracious.

[LudwigPastorius]

13. if Trump says anything objectionable, then speak up. If he does something objectionable, take action

That ship has sailed for me, and apparently, for these gentlemen as well, as they are taking action.

I didn't see anything particularly ungracious in their public statements about staying home either.

In fact, declining the invitation and refusing to rub elbows with a man of Trump's character (a man who appears to be hell-bent on shredding the Constitution and undermining the stability of our country and the world) is a form of peaceful protest that is to be admired.

And what could be, dare I say it, more Patriot-ic than that?

[babylonsister]

15. I agree with you totally. nt

[zipplewrath]

17. Might have waited until actually invited

Yeah, we're all pretty sure that the invite is coming, but none the less, on the "ungracious" scale, refusing an invitation you haven't received yet is fairly high up on the scale. It's probably also something that should have been discussed with teammates first (and maybe they have), although I do wonder if there is some friction here playing out over Brady not coming last time.

But the real point is that this is ostensibly not a political invitation, not anymore than any of the previous examples. It's basically like the Turkey pardon, just one of the duties of the office. Like it or not, he holds the office and there are processes that we go through.

I will say though, if I found myself in a similar situation, I would be very uncomfortable going knowing that there was a high likelihood that something was going to said, or be done and I'd have to act. Quite honestly, Miss Manners might actually say that I SHOULDN'T go if I thought that kind of thing was probable.

[snort]

12. Fuck the Bigot Brady,

Fuck his cheating team and Fuck the NFL. If I want to see endless images of 'warriors' practicing killing other humans, I'll hang out at the local recruiting office.

[lame54]

16. The Cubs did it right

[hughee99]

18. Lots of predictions about Brady. Today's the day.