GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks on prior to Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Given all the hoopla about Tom Brady’s friendship with President Donald Trump, many have expected Brady to attend the New England Patriots trip to the White House on Wednesday. On the morning of the visit, Brady announced that he isn’t going due to “attending to some personal family matters.”

Surely there are plenty of conspiracy theories to believe that Brady doesn’t actually have personal family matters to attend to. Some will believe that Brady may not want to bring up more opportunities for people to bring up his friendship with Trump and gave a fitting non-political reason to not attend. And some will believe that the Patriots are trying to keep their star quarterback away from the media given that Aaron Hernandez killed himself earlier in the morning and didn’t want that to be a distraction from the White House visit.

People are going to believe what they want to believe. Even though the timing is suspicious, until I see or hear differently, I’m going to give Brady the benefit of the doubt and believe him that he’s attending to some personal family matters. The man doesn’t need to divulge any more of his personal life if he doesn’t want to and that’s that.

It also wouldn’t make sense for Tom Brady to not go to the White House for reasons other than what he actually said. For instance, there’s a pretty good chance the Patriots will be winning the Super Bowl next year and I’m sure if they don’t win next year, they’ll at least win one more by the time Brady retires. So Brady knows out of anyone and even mentions it that he wants to win again and be back on the South Lawn of the White House. And most likely, that celebration will include Donald Trump so it’s not like Brady would be avoiding him.

While there’s been some Patriot players who are choosing not to attend due to reasons that include having fundamental differences with President Trump, I’m going to believe Brady is telling the truth and it’s an actual family matter he needs to deal with.

UPDATE: The Boston Herald confirms that Tom Brady is spending time with his mother, who has been sick for the past year. Since this is their only day off from offseason workouts, Brady is using that time to spend with his mother. Can’t blame him because I would do the same thing.

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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