There were many feelings about and around the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl win this year. Some people said that watching the Patriots win in a stunning fourth-quarter comeback felt a lot like watching Donald Trump win the presidency on Election Night. The Pats’ win was especially politically-charged because Tom Brady was and is a Trump supporter, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick wrote a letter of support to Donald Trump shortly before Election Day. While it’s not shocking to learn that two white, super-privileged dudes would be Trump supporters, the Trump-association did taint everything about the Patriots in the lead-up to the Super Bowl and beyond. It’s also a problem when Trump’s Nazi champions, like Richard “Nazi Who Got Punched In the Face” Spencer was openly reveling in the Patriots’ win by saying it was a “victory for the AltRight” and calling Tom Brady an “Aryan Avatar.”
Now, all that being said, of course we know that many Patriots fans are big ol’ liberals and progressives. Hell, many within the Patriots organization are big ol’ liberals and progressives. Two of Tom Brady’s teammates have apparently chosen to NOT make the trip to the White House this year following their Super Bowl win. It’s tradition that the Super Bowl winners get to visit the White House, regardless of the president’s party and regardless of the political affiliations of the players/owners/coaches/fans. George W. Bush had Democratic athletes to the White House, and Barack Obama had Republican athletes to the White House. But two Patriots are like “nope” on Emperor Baby Fists.
It’s tradition for the team that wins the Super Bowl to visit the White House after their victory. But at least two members of the New England Patriots are turning down the invitation this year because of President Donald Trump.
“I’m not going to the White House,” the Patriots’ Devin McCourty told Time in a text message Monday. “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 joined tight end Martellus Bennett, who confirmed on Sunday that he also would not make the White House trip, after first announcing his decision to skip it the week prior.
“It is what it is,” Bennett said after the Patriots’ victory, according to the Dallas Morning News. “People know how I feel about it.” Bennett has previously told reporters, “I don’t support the guy in the [White House].”
Bennett and McCourty’s decision to refuse an invite from the president diverges sharply from their organization’s most prominent white members. Quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft are all good friends with the Trump. In late 2015, Brady was filmed with Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” in his locker.
Bennet and McCourty — both of whom are black — have engaged in political demonstrations before. They made headlines in October when they expressed solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was protesting police violence against black people at the time by kneeling during the national anthem before games. The two Patriots players raised their fists in support during the song.
Good for them. If it was a more traditional Republican administration, I might believe that this kind of boycott is little more than a symbolic gesture. But in the Brave New World of Baby Fists’ Fascist America, this needs to happen. It’s not enough to merely acknowledge that Donald Trump is an ignorant racist and a deplorable fascist – people need to also take pains to not engage with his bullsh-t. To engage with it is to normalize it.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Hope this trend spreads among the rest of the team. I would looooove for the Pats’ visit to consist only of Kraft, Brady, and Belichick. How fantasticly awkward would that be??
would be great, I agree.
note also that Brady attended the three years when Dubya was prez, but not when Obama was prez. he said he wanted “family time”, which I don’t begrudge him but it’s strange he only needed that “family time” when it was a black, Dem prez in the WH. to add, he was then photographed wandering around a MA mall when the rest of the team went. ALONE.
Wow. I didn’t know that. Looks like we’ve got a new douchelord to coronate.
I didn’t know that! I was trying not to hate him, but that seals it. He’s a permanent resident of my shitlist now.
Wow, I had no idea. I already though Tom Brady was a mega douche lord for having the MAGA hat and then refusing to talk about it at all. This just seals the deal.
I didn’t know that either. Bigger dick than I thought he was. Hope the team boycotts. White and black. Except for that asdhole.
Devin McCourty and Martellus Bennett, two true patriots.
May more join this opportunity to boycott.
Brady was also photographed stretching at the stadium the day the team met Obama and the day after he was photographed at a store in NYC. So yeah, he totally was doing his own political protest during Obama’s presidency. He is such a right-winger, which is fine (I guess? If you’re into that.), but he’s scared as s*&% to admit it because he works with all black people and in a majorly blue part of the country.
Ha! Love this.
more Heroes for my list.
SAME. Please let more players turn this down. I would love, love, love for it to be a big thing.
Yes.
Ummm…no mention of how Tom Brady skipped out on a White House visit when Obama was President? There is precedent for their actions on their own team.
Yeah, with a shit excuse too. Couldn’t even be bothered to lie properly. Could he be any more obnoxious?
What was the excuse?
He said he had family commitments, but he was apparently training instead then travelled to New York to shop at Apple store:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25165546/did-tom-brady-skip-visit-with-obama-because-hes-mad-at-the-white-house
And he’ll still be considered and American hero even though he covers his very sketchy politics with a completely calculated veneer of hurr durr. I can’t stand him.
I feel for his black nieces, who are probably subjected to microaggressions that chip away at their self image courtesy of their deified uncle. Yuck.
Oh no, I hadn’t heard that. Sigh.
I hadn’t heard that either.
Why do “liberals” like Damon and the Afflecks hang with this guy? I mean I dont expect to agree politically with all my friends but some people have such retrogressive views that being around them makes you a bell end by association. I’m guessing that the answer is that Damon and the Afflecks dont really hold their own political views with conviction,p.
Because what doesn’t get reported here is that Brady spends a lot more time with the Shriver family than he does with Trump.
I’m not sure why you’d think their political views aren’t genuine just because they “hang with this guy” occasionally (not sure they’re exactly besties). My political views are the complete opposite of a number of people, including my parents, I know yet I can’t avoid them. Just because I keep my views to myself when I’m around them to avoid confrontations doesn’t mean I feel them with any less conviction.
I just searched a definition for bellend, and will be sure to make room for it in a conversation very, very soon. Many thanks!
oh, just mentioned that above. and what Anitas said as well.
Tim Thomas (starting goalie) also boycotted the White House visit in 2011, when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. He was rather obnoxious about it too.
He was, unfortunately. I have a soft spot for him in the player department but not so much in the as a person department. He struggled to get into the NHL for years and once he was there, was an amazing goalie and impressive to watch. I don’t agree with his politics, and that’s ok, I just really am not a fan of how he conducts his dislike.
His career kind of drifted after that if I remember rightly, and he was so good at what he did. I didn’t like the guy, but he was flat out amazing in front of that net.
I don’t hate the rest of the team or their fans, but oh man do I despise Brady. He’s a good player, obviously, probably one of the best. He just has such a derpy veneer and comes off as a sourpuss, spoiled child. Belichick seems like a human form of grumpy cat.
I’m sorry his mom is sick and I will acknowledged he is talented, but I will still dislike the blockhead.
Despite Brady and the Coach, I don’t understand how conservatives were rooting for a blue state team, while progressives were rooting for the red state team. Most Patriot fans on my TL were democrats. Weird.
*not american*
Georgia is red on the big mapptiy map, but in reality there are some shades of purple. Atlanta itself is a solid island of blue. During the election campaign, it was insane to drive from an hour outside the city into the city itself. You go from Trump signs and bumper stickers everywhere to Clinton Kaine signs in every other yard.
The whole signs and bumper stickers thing is weird too.
Yeah check the Liz Warren thread from today. She’s one of Massachusetts senators and Ed Markey is the other one: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2017/01/25/ed-markey-donald-trump-nuclear/
Hatred of our local football team doesn’t change the fact that we are liberal territory. Also, very proud to call Boston a sanctuary city.
And I think our Republican governor is going to catch some flack for being so visible on the stage at City Hall yesterday after being invisible for the Women’s March. the pro-Muslim march, and the airport protests.
@Kitten: Not defending your hero Brady today?
All professional sporting events champions get an invite – NBA, NHL, MLB. It will be interesting what happens with the other leagues because so many are immigrants and foreigners. Whereas almost all football players are American.
It certainly gets interesting with the NHL – about half the players in the league are Canadian, a quarter are American and almost all of the rest are European. All of the players get invites, regardless of nationality.
The last Canadian team to win the Cup was in 1993 – the Montreal Canadiens. I have no idea if they were invited to the White House.
The bigger security issue for any of team visits to the White House are criminal records. Most teams (NHL, NBA, NFL & MLB) have at least one player carrying a criminal record, ranging from DUI (most common) to domestic violence to various gun possession charges.
The Canadiens were invited to Visit the White House in 1993 but did not attend. I am not sure why, but I know that they did not go.
For those who are hockey nuts, or just want to see the breakdown, here is the nationality breakdown of the NHL. This is up to the 2015-2016 season:
http://www.tsn.ca/canadians-do-not-make-up-the-majority-of-nhl-players-this-season-1.380861
@eden75 – I have become a hockey nut in the last few years. My daughter plays – she’s a goalie. I spend a lot of time pacing in the stands and watching from between my fingers. It’s been incredible to watch the growth of girls’/women’s hockey, even since she started playing in 2012.
I don’t mind the women’s hockey and am happy that it is taking off. The Canadian and American women’s teams hold training camps around the world for other women who do not come from powerhouse hockey countries. It will be much more exciting to watch once the other nations catch up and can play at the level that the North American ladies play at.
Neither one of my kids was into playing hockey. My daughter use to watch the occasional game but my son has no use for it what-so-ever. I grew up with a hockey nut dad and grandmother, so I watch a lot of it. I have to admit that the last decade or so of the NHL has not been it’s best but I’m hoping that some of that will change with rules changes, etc.
I can definitely see lots of NBA players refusing (LeBron for one if the Cavs win) and possibly some MLB players as well.
Right on.
I just watched “Race,” about Jessie Owens, earlier on Superbowl Sunday. My heart went cold when Hitler “left early” from the Olympic Games after Jessie won his first medal. He was essentially refusing to shake hands with a black man, and Josef Goebles’ character said, “Do you think he would allow himself to be photographed with that?” I was disgusted.
So this feels especially like poetic justice to me, like the black men are now refusing to shake hands with Hitler. Good.
But as Jesse Owens himself said, Hitler didn’t shake his hand,but neither did FDR. I think the later hurt him a lot more.
Right in the feels. I didn’t know that. Again, disgusting. And it feels fitting that now these successful black men have a chance to say “f*ck you” to prejudice in the White House.
FDR was garbage. Eleanor Roosevelt was the real MVP of that administration.
Yup i hope others boycott too. But to be honest, lord dampunuts only cares about Brady, belichick, and kraft anyways. If the rest of the team didn’t show, would he even notice? Or would it be like the inauguration part 2? “So many team players showed up. The entire NFL was there. It was yuge. Believe me.”
Didn’t Brady skip going to the White House to meet Obama?
Trust me, the more players turn down the invite, the more he’ll notice – if for no other reason than the press making hay of it. We can all see how obsessed he is with his popularity and the news, and anything negative being reported gets on his nerves. So – I say, keep it up guys! Kudos to Martellus and Devin and hope more athletes join them.
I suspect he noticed that the crowds attending the Patriots parade in a snowstorm were larger than his.
I’ve liked Bennett since his Broncos and Bears days. I appreciate that he is open with his mental health struggles. Good for him!
You are mistaking him with Brandon Marshall who has done a great job trying to get rid of the stigma of mental health struggles.
The silver lining for the Falcons losing is that they don’t have to go to the white house and hang with baby fists.
Exactly. In fact, maybe there’s a reason they lost, lol!
I’m just glad the Cubs got to slide into the White House while Obama was still there!
My sister and I were commenting that the Packers lost on purpose so they didn’t have to go the White House under Trump, annoying my father who bleeds green and gold. She’s even fine with her beloved Michigan Wolverines taking longer to rebuild so they don’t have to pay a visit to the current administration’s White House if they win a college football championship. He understood where she was coming from after that comment, and agreed with her about the Packers.
It is very telling that the Cubs moved up their White House visit while Obama was still there. Given that the family that owns the team are Trump supporters, that’s interesting.
Hi Kelly, My understanding was that it was the Ricketts sister, the only sibling who is anti-Trump, who pushed the visit through.
I LOVE DEVIN MCCOURTY!!! Also, his protest earlier this year was done with much thought and consultation with his family members who are serving in the military.
YES. He is such a thoughtful guy.
And he does a lot of community work.
I also have to say that I just love those guys on defense when they get an interception. The little celebration dance he does with Chung and Hightower and the others is just so joyous.
These guys know they will take some heat for this, and still decided to do what they felt was right. I applaud them for that, it takes guts.
If this were a more traditional Republican administration, there would be no need for a boycott. This is not normal.
I think most Pats fans will totally support anyone who bails on meeting Orange Julius Caesar. People in New England can’t stand the moron either.
I would agree most of their fans will support their decision, but people from all over the country are sure to weigh in on it and feel the need to whine about it.
They are getting lots of heat from the same idiots who went nuts when Kapernick sat out the national anthem. This die hard patriotic USA USA USA, Merica, YOU NEVER DISRESPECT OUR MILITARY OR VETS, don’t you dare disrespect our flag unless you are willing to be buried under it, I bleed red, white and blue fools are so flipping embarrassing.
yeah, the local-to-NE fans will support Bennett and McCourtey – and hopefully the many others who join them – in their protest. it’s the alt-right/nazi trumpers who only like the Pats because of their connection to the current administration who will be pissed.
i totally agree. If you are in the position to set a sign, you have to do this. ‘Regular’ citizens do not have this opportunity and have to protest differently.
I am expecting a LOT from the actors/musicians and other artists when the time comes.
You have to go with your conscience and they did. Good for them.
There were a few actors who refused to go to the White House and meet with W. Bush back in the day, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell if I remember correctly. So this sort of thing us not unheard of.
I also love the fact that Martellus talks about his love of reading and the fact he has thousands of books in his library.Also instead of having football camps,he wants to have film camps and coding (computer) camps for kids.Too many kids,especially boys, focus on sports being their only road to success.Only a small percentage of them will make it to a professional team.
I support him for not wanting to be in the presence of Trump.
He had a great tweet storm yesterday. Really cool guy, with a smart plan for life after football.
oh, that makes me like him even more.
I am a born and raised Giants fan. Hatred of the Patriots is in my DNA. But I really like this guy! The clip of his daughter at the post-game interview was adorable, watching him try to figure out what she was talking about and then realizing it was “the dog peed on the carpet” was hilarious.
Hey @Liz I’m from Boston, so NY dislike is in my DNA. It’s normal.Glad to hear you like one of our guys. We have others like him as you do too. I loved the clip of his daughter. So cute
I generally loathe the Patriots, but that guy sounds awesome. Good for him for using his position and success in such a wonderful way.
Good for them!
ON THIS Our 8th Day Of Black History Month, Our Strength is STILL at a COMFORTABLE “Ancestral” * Fists Up for my very Proud very excellent VERY Real *ss KANGGGSSS
Normally when I hear about things like this I think “Dude, it’s a chance to go to the White House and meet the President, which is something most people will never get a chance to do.” But these are not normal times, and I’m glad these guys are being open about saying “No thanks.” I’m sure Tinkles will have something insulting to say about them, but what else is new?
Good for them! They have principles and integrity!
Not all of the Ricketts family are Trump supporters. Laura was/is a huge Hillary supporter, and news here in Chicago said she was pretty forceful in getting the cubs visit in before Obama left. Couple players didn’t go, Lester, Chapman, and Arrietta, some others I think too. Who knows why. Their loss. Bennett is a good guy, and I imagine washing his hair would be a better way to spend his afternoon than visiting Trump.
Good for these men to take a stand and stand up for what they believe in. They would not be the first or the last to protest the bigoted orange one that is POTUS at present.
I applaud them for that. The Falcons have so much talent and are no joke, so there is no doubt this team will be back in the Playoffs next year and they deserve respect for that.
Still in shock the Patriots won after that first half and still enjoying watching all the haters continue the hate.
Have a great day, CBers.
Respect! They will get taunted by the social media for it! So..respect to them!
Only playing devils advocate here (as I’m not a trump supporter) but Tom didn’t attend the White House meeting previously, over jokes they made on Deflategate: “According to the Boston Herald, it’s very possible that Brady’s still bitter about a Deflategate joke the White House made after a Brady press conference in January — and because of that joke, he decided not to attend the April 23 festivities” —-not specific to the president. I’ve seen other reports that he and Obama were close prior to this event.
DMac and Maaahhhhhhty!! I really, really, REALLY hope Julian Edelman doesn’t go…because, you know, Bannon.
If Julian is Julian, he will go and have sex with at least three women while he is there, one of whom might be Ivanka, and the women will post selfies of it on Twitter. Because that’s what happens around Julian.
Good for them. I’d love to see more players take a stand and refuse to meet that idiot.
I still will point out that the big orange baby had so little faith in the Pats comeback ability, that he sulked and whined and left his super bowl party early. He is a complete bandwagon fan because he likes Belichick and Brady for their winning records. So let the rest of the team give him the respect he has given them.
Martellus and Michael Bennett (Seahawks) are both fantastic. They build each other up publicly, are dedicated to their families, promote great things in their communities for children… I am a huge fan. I loathe the Pats, but I’ve got love for Martellus and I’m glad he is boycotting the WH.
Beyond the stupid hat in his locker in 2015 (long before Cheeto was the Repub nominee and was more of entertaining distraction during the primaries), is there any other evidence that Brady supported Trump or even voted for him? Gisele definitely did not and supposedly is on record as saying neither of them did.
TB is not Einstein, he’s a football player, so daft political notions wouldn’t be out of sort. I’m just doubting all this rhetoric that he “loves Trump” when there’s little to no evidence that’s true…if we’re going to go in on ‘AltFacts’ it’s fair to question.
Kraft and Belichik are another deal unfortunately. But they’re hardly the only NFL coach or owner who are Republican or support Trump. I guarantee you there are other owners out there (Woody Johnson, anyone? Yes Jets fans) and other high-profile coaches/players who supported Cheeto.
No. Nothing.
Good on them.
I’m glad! I hope it winds up being only Brady who goes. I wonder how much tension, if any, there is on their team because of Brady’s friendship with dickhead.
I hope nobody goes, but maybe Trump has a secret plan to defeat everybody including ISIS, so while you are there don’t get caught on the cross fire. Perhaps the Patriots will promote him to water boy and do the country a favor.
Brady is not a Trump supporter and Bill Belichick did not write a letter of support to Donald Trump. He wrote a letter, but it wasn’t a letter of support to Trump.