Why are we making this a bigger deal than it is. Very few did not attend because of Trump. Same as when Bush was President, and Brady did not attend when Obama was president either. Obama's delegation was bigger because of the support staff.
During a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday, President Trump singled out several members of the New England Patriots, including wide receiver Danny Amendola, calling for them to raise a hand or step forward for acknowledgment. But Amendola was not there, nor were two dozen or more other players for the Super Bowl champions.
The customary White House visit for sports champions has become especially fraught since Trump was elected, with some athletes saying they would reject an invitation for political reasons. The issue was stark on Wednesday, when a relatively small contingent of Patriots players flanked the president.
A Patriots spokesman, Stacey James, said Wednesday night that 34 players had attended, similar to the turnout when President George W. Bush hosted them in 2004 and 2005. He said that more than 45 players attended the ceremonies in 2002, after the franchise’s first Super Bowl, and that in 2015, when Barack Obama was president, the number of players approached 50.
James said that one reason substantially fewer players showed up this time as compared to 2015 was that some veteran players did not see the need to go twice in three years.
James said, however, that the size of the Patriots’ full delegation for each trip to the White House has been roughly the same. Some photos of the ceremonies include support staff, he said, making the turnout appear bigger. That, he said, was the case in 2015.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email inquiring about Wednesday’s turnout.
Quarterback Tom Brady was among those who did not attend Wednesday’s ceremony, citing family matters. Trump did not mention Brady, the Super Bowl’s most valuable player,during the ceremony. Brady had been spotted in 2015 with one of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats in his locker.
Did Not Attend
Brady was the most prominent Patriot absent on Wednesday. He also skipped his team’s visit with Obama, also citing family issues.
Other Patriots who announced ahead of time that they were not going to the White House included running back LeGarrette Blount, defensive end Chris Long, defensive tackle Alan Branch, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, tight end Martellus Bennett and safety Devin McCourty.
BLOUNT in a radio interview on “The Rich Eisen Show,” said, “I just don’t feel welcome in that house.”
BENNETT told reporters after the Super Bowl: “It is what it is. People know how I feel about it. Just follow me on Twitter.” The outspoken Bennett had joked that he might move to outer space after Donald J. Trump was elected.
CCOURTY, a team captain, 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.”
Both Bennett and McCourty last fall raised their fists in protest during the national anthem for one game. At the time, athletes in various sports were protesting racial oppression in the country.
BRANCH told The Boston Globe that he was skipping the event because he was disturbed by Trump’s sexist comments captured in an “Access Hollywood” video.
HIGHTOWER told ESPN, “Been there, done that,” having visited with a championship Alabama team.
AMENDOLA meanwhile, thanked Trump “for the shout out” and said he had a funeral to attend.
