James Harrison to Skip White House Visit

Throughout the course of recent memory, the President of the United States has hosted major championship teams' visits to the White House. It's become a sort of American tradition. You win the championship in baseball, football, basketball or hockey, you meet with the President.

Apparently James Harrison, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a key cog in the Steelers' Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals, doesn't understand the concept. He's going to skip the White House visit. That's his right and there's nothing at all wrong with not going. His rationale, however, is a bit self-important (and by "a bit," I mean "ridiculously").

"This is how I feel -- if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won," said Harrison.

Um, dude ... that's not just how you feel. That's an absolute fact, and it's common knowledge. The White House visits are for teams who win the championship. If you don't want to go, just don't go. You don't have to pontificate about your selfish and irrational reason. What is the President -- who has a few more things to be worried about -- supposed to do? Just arbitrarily invite teams to visit the White House every once in a while? It wouldn't be special anymore, nor would it serve any purpose. I guess that's the way Harrison thinks it should be, though.

For the record, this isn't in any way related to politics. Harrison skipped a meeting with then-President Bush in 2006 after the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Sounds like he just thinks he's so important, world leaders should routinely clear their schedules for him -- even if his team misses the playoffs.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)

5-16-2009 @ 1:41PM

Hello Xavier said...

Another "me first" self-absorbed athlete; how arrogant.

5-17-2009 @ 9:12AM

Tina said...

Isn't it a good thing for an athlete or an entertainer to keep their political views to themselves. Besides, it saves tax payers on his plane ticket.

5-17-2009 @ 9:22AM

suz said...

He is a man entitled to his beliefs.. People who disagree with others are quick to judge these days. Let the man be.

5-17-2009 @ 1:17PM

ccolotexan said...

he has a right to do as he pleases.

5-16-2009 @ 1:51PM

wats up new york said...

This guy is the sole.. AND I MEAN SOLE REASON WHY I hate the Steelers. I mean no disrespect for Ward and Roethlesberger. They're great players, and Troy is also awesome, and all these guys don't want to create controversy. This thug on the other hand is arrogant. And he is. He is so self absorbed he actually thinks he can probably play on offense at every position. This guy should be counting his blessings that he is Defensive MVP... or in the NFL at all since he was an undrafted rookie and went from league to league trying to get a chance.Instead he has the arrogance to not see the president because he thinks he's the most important player in the world.

5-16-2009 @ 10:08PM

mm3rdeye said...

While I do disagree with Harrison I ask myself why do you refer to him as a thug. Sounds a bit racist to me. Is he a thug because he will not attend the invite to the White House? Surely you have more evidence to claim he is a thug.

5-17-2009 @ 8:38AM

Pimp Daddy said...

wats up new york said...This thug on the other hand is arrogant. What makes him a thug.You have yet to explain this. I will give you the definition of thug so you and all the other "thug lovers" can tell me what makes him a thug."The English word thug, meaning a violent criminal, comes from the Hindi word thag (and originally from the Sanskrit word sthaga), meaning a thief or villain.

5-16-2009 @ 2:04PM

eyemincogneato said...

What a freakin maroon..Awesome footballer and better be praying every day how fortunate he is to be one. Otherwise, he's a minimum wage earner! Hope he saves the millions he's earning. he's probably gonna need every penny when his glory days are done!

5-17-2009 @ 10:30AM

Phillip's Mom :) said...

'maroon' is a color...I think the word you're searching for is 'moron' or 'idiot'.

Either way, I disagree with you. This man has the right to, either, attend or decline, the invitation to the White House. Last time I checked this is still America, a free nation...though for how much longer is anyone's guess..............

5-16-2009 @ 2:10PM

goldteeth4all said...

Well President Obama has invited teams that have not won a championship to the White House. The Chicago Bulls visited the White House earlier this year when they were in D.C. to play the Wizards.

5-16-2009 @ 4:04PM

claytor said...

Suppose it doesn't hurt that the Bulls are pretty much Obama's hometown team? I mean..wasn't the guy a Senator from -you guessed it- ILLI-FREAKING-NOIS?

Wow, can definitely see why you'd admire Harrison, lol.

5-16-2009 @ 5:05PM

I know where Obama is from i'm from Chicago, I wasn't defending Harrison, I was commenting more on the writers lack of research in which he said:
"The White House visits are for teams who win the championship."

5-16-2009 @ 2:25PM

Janice said...

WHAT A MORON!!!!!!!!

5-16-2009 @ 3:08PM

foustanela said...

Duh...my name is..duh...James Harrison...duh...I want to really prove what an unpatriotic idiot I am, so I am going to...uh..duh...open my mouth and ...duh...talk! I'm...duh...cool, man!

5-17-2009 @ 9:56AM

ZaXXoN said...

wtf makes him unpatriotic? dude doesnt wanna go to the white house. b-f-d! how about if instead Harrison said "i dont want to go to the white house because i fundamentally disagree with Obama on all of his socialist policies, which i feel are contradictory to everything this great country was built on." still unpatriotic there too? get freakin real

5-16-2009 @ 3:30PM

neil said...

Silverback does what Silverback wants .gotta love him

5-16-2009 @ 3:53PM

Brian said...

What a moron! Good thing he wasn't Roethlisberger that wouldn't go, they would be calling him a racist.

5-17-2009 @ 9:28AM

samwise246 said...

I agree Brian. If this had been Big Ben or any of the other Caucasian players on the team, the cries of racism would have been loud and often.

5-16-2009 @ 4:26PM

bigkenbrwn said...

I MUST SAY EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE I AS AN BLACK COUNTRY BOY FROM NORTH CAROLINA COTTON FIELDS CAN TRULY SAY THAT JAMES HARRISON IS ONE DUMB LUCKY AND FORTUNATE RARE COONHOUND WHO BEEN BLESS TO PLAY FOOTBALL WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND FEEL HES TOO BIG IN HIS BRITCHES TO MEET WITH THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF HIS REASON IS STUPID I WONDER IF HE THINK FAR ENOUGH TO SEE THAT PICTURES TAKEN WITH OBAMA IN WHITEHOUSE IS HISTORIC FOR CENTURIES TOO COME THE PICTURES WITH BUSH HE MISS COULD HAVE BEEN EXTRA FOR HIM SHOW HIS GRANDCHILDREN JAMES ONE DUMB NEGRO