There are some members of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots who will treat their invitation to the White House as junk mail.
That's their right.
There is some mild outrage that at least a handful of Patriots players have announced they have no interest in making the trip to Washington in a few months.
Some don't want to be perceived as supporting the current President. Some can't see the value in forfeiting a couple of precious off-season days to put on a size 60 suit and endure a Secret Service pat down.
That's their right.
We're told that it's an honor to be summoned to the White House to be used as a prop in a Presidential photo op. That's for each player to decide. For those who have never been there, maybe it's a bucket list item. Perhaps it's not quite as special for those who have been there and done that.
Anyone who views the White House as some hallowed property would do well to run a web search on the name Monica Lewinsky.
These clumsy meetings require staffers to research and come up with lines appropriate for the occasion. Barack Obama delivered his flawlessly when the Penguins were there last summer. A generation earlier, George H.W. Bush clumsily asked the approaching Mario Lemieux, "...and you are?"
The players present the President with a jersey that gets shipped off to a warehouse, and the TV news has enough footage to kill a couple of minutes on the evening broadcast.
Otherwise, there isn't a lot of value.
If the players choose to skip the field trip, that's their right.
---
--FAMILY FEUD
ESPN thinks the dispute between New York Knicks owner James Dolan and former player Charles Oakley is the biggest story in sports.
It's not, but the footage of Oakley being escorted out of the stands at Madison Square Garden is the kind of freak show video that keeps people watching TV.
Dolan issued a lifetime ban from Madison Square Garden for Oakley, which was rescinded four days later.
That's a shame, because there were so many unanswered questions. Was the ban just for Knicks game? Could Oakley attend a Rangers hockey game with a valid ticket. What about Billy Joel's monthly concerts? Were WWE events also off limits to him? The Red Hot Chili Peppers are due for multiple Garden shows. Would Oakley be OK for the Westminster Kennel Club dog show?
Dolan said the ban is lifted. Oakley said he wants a public apology.
Here's guessing ESPN will have all the details.
---
--THE REAL HARM
There is potentially a drastic consequence to being banned from the Garden.
The Carnegie Deli maintains a food stand there on event nights. Ever since the Deli closed its iconic Seventh Avenue location, the Garden is the only place in Manhattan to get one of the Carnegie's legendary corned beef sandwiches.
Denying access to those qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.
(
No comments:
Post a Comment