Bears Hall of Famer Hampton refuses White House invite.

cobbland
cobbland Members Posts: 3,768 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited September 2011 in From the Cheap Seats
Will he get the Craig Hodges treatment?
Bears Hall of Famer Hampton refuses White House invite

By Chris Chase

Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dan Hampton won't be attending the team's visit to the White House next month. The Hall of Famer told WLS-890 in Chicago that his decision is based on a "personal choice."

President Obama invited the 1985 Super Bowl championship team to visit Washington, D.C., earlier this month. The Bears had been scheduled to meet with President Reagan in January of 1986, but the Challenger disaster forced the White House to cancel the planned meeting.

bears_hall_of_famer_hampton_refuses_white_house_invite.jpg

Hampton gave three reasons for not attending:

1. Wives and children of the players weren't invited.

That does seem like an oversight by whoever planned the meeting. Granted, children of the players are most likely adults by now so it's not like a 5-year-old is getting snubbed, but surely the White House could have pulled out some more folding chairs for the event.

2. He says he's "not a fan of the guy in the White House."

A frequent reason given by those who decline White House invites, whether it be for Obama or any president who came before him. This sounds lame and takes a tremendous lack of perspective. Declining an opportunity to go to the White House and shake hands with the President of the United States because you don't like the guy's opinion on health care seems petty. Does Hampton not have any friends who are Democrats?

3. "It was 25 years ago. Let it go."

I'm sort of on Hampton's side on this one (though not enough to make it a valid excuse for declining). It's not like every Super Bowl team was going to the White House back then; the Bears were only the second team to get the invite. The 25-year-old canceled visit is a thinly veiled excuse to invite the team from Obama's adopted hometown for a visit. What about other championship squads? Where's John Riggins' and The Hogs' invite? The 1974 Dolphins can't get any love?! (And Florida's a swing state, Barack!)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bears-Hall-of-Famer-Hampton-refuses-White-House-;_ylt=AqwCR0fimQOrHuYiyvBquiJDubYF?urn=nfl-wp8216
Posted 9/28/11 1:10 p.m.

WLSAM.com's Adam Zielinski Reports
CHICAGO (WLS) - Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dan Hampton says he will not be joining his fellow teammates when they visit the White House next month.

Hampton, a member of the Bears 1985 Super Bowl championship team, made the comments on Chicago's Mully and Hanley radio show Monday.

"It's my personal choice," the four-time Pro Bowler said. "I don't choose to go."

Hampton said he was bothered that the invitation did not include players' wives and children and added, "Secondly, I’m not a fan of the guy in the White House, and third, it was 25 years ago. Let it go.”


Obama, an ardent fan of his hometown team, extended an invite to the 1985 Super Bowl Champions last week. The team is scheduled to visit the White House on Oct. 7.

Super Bowl champions are traditionally honored with a visit to the White House. But plans for the 1985 Bears to come to Washington were scrapped when the space shuttle Challenger exploded just days after their victory in January 1986.

"It basically just rolled off our backs, and now, 25 years later to say, ‘Let’s put the band back together.’ No, I’m not in,” Hampton said.

Hampton played all 12 years of his professional career with Bears.

http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2297322&spid=

When the Chicago Bulls visited the White House after winning the 1992 NBA Championship, Hodges dressed in a dashiki and delivered a hand-written letter addressed to then President George H. W. Bush, expressing his discontent at the administration's treatment of the poor and minorities.[14]

Hodges also criticized his Bulls teammate Michael Jordan for not using his fame to draw attention to social and political issues, and said Jordan was "bailing out" for not being politically outspoken.[15]

In 1996, Hodges filed a $40 million lawsuit against the NBA and its then 29 teams, claiming they blackballed him for his association with Louis Farrakhan and criticism of "African-American professional athletes who failed to use their considerable wealth and influence to assist the poor and disenfranchised."[12] After he was waived by the Bulls in 1992, he did not receive an offer or a tryout from a single NBA team, even though he was only 32 years old and still able to contribute to contenders. The lawsuit claimed that Bulls assistant coach Jim Cleamons told him that the team was troubled by his criticism of players' lack of involvement in inner-city communities.[14] The suit also claimed Billy McKinney, the director of player personnel for the Seattle SuperSonics initially showed interest in Hodges in 1992, and then shortly after backed away, telling Hodges he could do nothing because "brothers have families, if you know what I mean." While a Bulls official said Hodges was waived as he was getting old and could not play defense, head coach Phil Jackson said, "I also found it strange that not a single team called to inquire about him. Usually, I get at least one call about a player we've decided not to sign. And yes, he couldn't play much defense, but a lot of guys in the league can't, but not many can shoot from his range, either."[12]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Hodges

Comments

  • cobbland
    cobbland Members Posts: 3,768 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2011
    It's odd that some people felt that Craig Hodges wearing a dashiki was disrespectful, instead of focusing on what he delivered to Bush.

    Its pretty obvious looking at a majority of politicians in this country, that they don't give a ? about the poor or disenfranchised.

    The media made it out to be a "black issue" when he was speaking for poor people in general.

    And anything in America that has a "pro-black" stance is seen in a negative light. Especially in sports now.
  • So ILL
    So ILL Members Posts: 16,507 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2011
    cobbland wrote: »
    It's odd that some people felt that Craig Hodges wearing a dashiki was disrespectful, instead of focusing on what he delivered to Bush.

    Its pretty obvious looking at a majority of politicians in this country, that they don't give a ? about the poor or disenfranchised.

    The media made it out to be a "black issue" when he was speaking for poor people in general.

    And anything in America that has a "pro-black" stance is seen in a negative light. Especially in sports now.

    Man, I can't stand that ? .....

    But Obama ain't gonna lose any sleep over this.....? was probably like, "Oh well......" lol