Get ready to read a lot of these stories over the next four (or however many) years. Martellus Bennett was already on the record with his intentions to skip the eventual White House trip, and now Devin McCourty will be joining him.
That’s according to a text message exchange he had with TIME:
“I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty wrote in a text message to TIME from the team bus. “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.”
McCourty said he believed attending the event is a personal choice and “I can’t imagine a way I go there.”
There’s a history of athletes refusing to meet with the President due to ideological or political differences, of course. Including Ravens center Matt Birk, who skipped a visit with President Obama in 2013.
But in the past that’s been seen as a fringe viewpoint, and generally, I’ve agreed with the idea that if the President invites you, you should go. But frankly, how in the world could I judge anyone, least of all any member of an ethnic minority, for refusing to visit this particular White House?
Donald Trump couldn’t bring himself to disavow the KKK. This is not a normal situation. It’s hard to work up a patriotic lather about respecting the office of the President when the guy holding that office so clearly disrespects it at every turn.
This isn’t the 1993 Ryder Cup team threatening a boycott over Bill Clinton’s tax policy (with Tom Lehman calling Clinton a “draft dodging baby killer”), or Ozzie Guillen refusing to meet with George W. Bush due to his close ties to Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. Or whatever crazy point James Harrison was trying to make.
The mixture of sports and politics has never been murkier, and we’re just going to have to get used to that. Because for every person who’s likely to read about this and think “This isn’t the time for political statements!” just know that whenever the Patriots do go, President Trump is going to be taking every opportunity to score political points by touting his relationships with Bob Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady.
If players want to visit, that’s fine. But it’s just as fine if they don’t want to go. This is still a free country, after all.
For now, anyway.
[TIME]
