In the United States, it has been a longstanding tradition for college tournament champions to visit the White House, a practice that was observed by the LSU women’s basketball team and UConn men’s team when they were invited to meet President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden just yesterday. However, the Georgia Bulldogs, who recently emerged victorious in the national championship against TCU, have chosen to break from this custom.
The Bulldogs have decided not to visit the White House this year, despite receiving an invitation on May 3 for the football team to attend on June 12.
The University of Georgia cited scheduling conflicts with the student-athlete calendar and time of year as the reason for their decision. Nevertheless, they expressed gratitude for the invitation and indicated their openness to explore future opportunities for their teams.
How did fans react to the decision of the Georgia Bulldogs?
This decision has drawn criticism from some fans, with one expressing confusion over the link between sports and politics and advocating for their separation.
“I never understood the whole trip to the White House thing. Keep sports & politics separated!”
I never understood the whole trip to the White House thing. Keep sports & politics separated!
— Jetty_HNDRX (@Jetty_HNDRX) May 9, 2023
Another fan deemed the politicization of this decision as unfortunate.
“People making this decision political are just sad.”
People making this decision political are just sad.
— GusBus (@gusthesportsfan) May 9, 2023
A third argued that the team’s decision not to go amounted to opposition against President Biden’s administration.
“By going they would be condoning Biden’s presidency. Someone/something has to start going against this stuff”
By going they would be condoning Biden's presidency. Someone/something has to start going against this stuff
— svp2010 (@svp2010) May 10, 2023
As we witness the continued entanglement of sports and politics, it is important to consider the consequences of these interactions. While some may argue that athletes and teams have a responsibility to use their platform to advocate for social and political issues, others contend that sports should remain a realm of neutrality and entertainment.
Whatever one’s perspective may be, the Georgia Bulldogs’ decision to decline a White House visit highlights the complexity of this debate and the challenges that come with navigating the intersection of sports and politics.
