Maybe it's time to stop inviting sports teams to the White House. It's not a mandate. It's not a law. And when the mere idea of it launches a slew of political statements, it sure doesn't sound like an honor.
The New England Patriots, fresh off a Super Bowl win, spent last week partying, parading _ and announcing how certain members will not be going to the White House to be congratulated.
"I don't feel accepted in the White House," safety Devin McCourty texted to Time.
"I don't feel welcome in that house," running back LeGarrette Blount told NFL host Rich Eisen.
Four other Patriots _ as of this writing _ said they would not attend. One of them, Dont'a Hightower, who visited when he was a college player, told ESPN: "Been there, done that."
Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm throwing a dinner party and a chunk of my guests make a point of telling people why they're not coming, maybe the dinner party isn't such a great idea.
Yes, the tradition of teams visiting the White House dates back to 1865, when Andrew Johnson invited the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals. But it was an on-off thing for more than a century, until Ronald Reagan in the 1980s began inviting everybody.
After that, teams from football to hockey to women's soccer seemed to enjoy the tradition. Photos were taken. A jersey with the president's name was handed over. Most Americans said, "That's nice," and went about their business.
