May 18, 2009

harrison obama_dbbff.jpg

Okay, I'm confess I'm one of those who rolls her eyes at the sports threads that pop up here from time to time. And I don't like football, so I don't honestly really know who James Harrison is, but this just struck me as everything that's wrong with professional sports these days.

On Thursday, President Obama will welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House to honor the team for its recent Super Bowl victory. But, just like in 2006 when the Steelers had a post-title meeting with George W. Bush, defensive MVP (and Super Bowl hero) James Harrison won't be in attendance. But he has a good reason:

"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."

Usually, when a sentence begins with "as far as I'm concerned," it ends with an opinion, not an incontrovertible fact. Harrison's comment is akin to saying, "As far as I'm concerned, George Washington was the first president."

Of course the Cards would have received the White House invite if they had won. Winners get to go meet the president, losers don't. They also get the trophy, the parade and those hats that say "Super Bowl champs". I don't think James Harrison turned down any of those things, which makes his refusal to go to the White House a tad hypocritical.

Seriously, WTF is this? I'm slightly less offended with the knowledge that Harrison similarly snubbed Bush43, so it's not like the hypocritical ASU or the Notre Dame pearl clutchers, but it is still one of those asinine low-information moments that just make people hate these overpriced divas in the NFL.

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