Champion Athletes Continue to Boycott Trump White House

The NCAA men's basketball champions Virginia Cavaliers have declined to visit the Trump White House, saying it would be difficult to schedule the visit.  Nobody is buying that, however-- final exams are still three weeks away, and the White House is a mere two-hour drive from campus.    The NCAA women's basketball champions Baylor Lady Bears, however,  have somehow managed to schedule a White House visit-- despite having to travel over 10 times the distance as UVA. 

The Villanova Wildcats, who won the 2018 NCAA men's tournament, didn't visit the White House either.

It used to be that visiting the White House was an honor for winning athletic teams, and reports of players boycotting such visits was a a rarity.  But with a jerk like Trump in the Oval Office, things are much different-- and there is a long list (in just over two years) of athletes boycotting the White House to avoid association with the Orangeman and becoming a political prop.

• The 2016 Chicago Cubs moved up their 2017 White House visit to occur pre-inauguration in order to avoid Trump

• A visit of the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles was canceled after only 10 planned to attend

• Over half of the 2017 Super Bowl winning New England Patriots team refused to attend their White House ceremony

• The 2017 NCAA men's basketball champs North Carolina Tar Heels did not make a visit to the Trump White House

• The 2017 NCAA women's basketball champs South Carolina Gamecocks declined a visit after not hearing from the Trump White House for over six months

• The 2017 WNBA champions Minnesota Lynx  were never even invited by the Trump White house for a visit (the team was invited for a visit after its 2011, 2013 and 2015 championships)

• A visit of 2017 NBA champion Golden State Warriors was canceled after Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and a number of other players refused to attend

• Two Puerto Rican members of the 2017 Houston Astros refused to attend the White Ceremony for the World Series Champions

• The 2018 NBA champion Golden State Warriors also refused to visit the Trump White House

• Several major players for the 2018 Washington Capitals refused to attend the Stanley Cup champions' visit

• Mexican pitcher Hector Velázquez, American League MVP Mookie Betts and several other players for the 2018 World Series Champions Boston Red Sox are refusing to attend the team's White House ceremony next month.

As Trump becomes mired in impeachment and obstruction of justice allegations (and his popularity continues to sink), the list of boycotting athletes is sure to grow even longer over Trump's remaining 21 months in office (or shorter, depending on circumstances).