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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