Like many others around the nation this past October, I was thrilled to see the Washington Nationals’ capture their first world series title in their history. Down three games to two and heading back to Houston, they showed amazing grit and character in taking both games six and seven in incredibly dramatic fashion.
My admiration didn’t last long. Seeing the Nats become the latest in a long line of championship teams to visit the White House made me want to vomit. My first question was, who the heck in the team’s executive offices thought this would be a good idea? Especially after management apparently made it clear the president wasn’t welcome at game five. Someone must’ve undergone some serious pressing to cave to this type of hypocritical behavior. IMO, their legacy reads as:
“We are America’s underdogs! We came all the way back from an awful start and wound up winning our first world championship! A testament to grit, hard work and determination! Now, let’s cap it off by being honored by the most dishonorable man to ever occupy the oval office!” WTF???
Newsflash: This is not your normal White House. These are not normal times.
To see team after championship team standing up there with the hapless fool, who thinks, amongst other things, there are “good” nazis, and who just repealed Michelle Obama’s school lunch program simply because he hates everything Obama, is to betray every principle playing sports, and being decent human beings, is supposed to teach us. After all, has there ever been a bigger sore loser born than Donald J. Trump? Isn’t this man the antithesis of what losing and winning is supposed to teach us? If you answered, “yes,” you’d be correct.
Donald Trump is a bully. Full stop. Donald Trump only wins when everyone else loses. After which, he proceeds to gloat and prance around like some spoiled kindergartener, while berating and cutting you down further for all to see. If these are the values you agree with, Washington Nationals, then bon voyage. If not, what the fuck are you thinking, LSU?
And whether it’s the Astros and Cubs before them, or now the Nationals, this is not just a baseball problem. It’s an entire professional sports problem.
The Penguins and Capitals paid homage. So did the Patriots. So do players on the PGA tour. So do NASCAR winners (I guess that one’s to be expected). Occasionally, there are teams who know the deal and refuse to go - or are uninvited (Go, Eagles! Go, Warriors!), as well as players who individually opt out, but the fact Major League Baseball, as an organization, thinks they can justify these pathetically obtuse visits by saying “We’re not political”, makes it even worse.
Newsflash #2: You may not want to be political, but you have-no-choice.
You are Americans, first, are you not? Beside that small fact, you are looked up to by millions of impressionable, young boys and girls the world over. Being paid millions upon millions of dollars means you are saddled with the responsibility of being role models and setting the right example. Not to mention, you are playing a game which supposedly teaches us character, honor, and dignity. All things void in this petulant man-child, whose praise you now inexplicably seek in order to validate your already validated victory.
Beyond that, many of you are minorities. Some may even have family members who’ve been directly impacted by the horrific policies implemented by this shit show of an administration. Some may know families who’ve been impacted and yet, still, will happily board the bus to Sore Loser Central.
Every mother and father I’ve spoken to about this is appalled nearly all of our championship sports teams see no issue with celebrating with this national embarrassment.
What are we teaching America’s kids when we tell them it doesn’t matter if our president is a crook? Doesn’t matter that he lies with every breath he takes. Doesn’t matter he spends every waking moment working to undermine every principle of fair play and decency this country was founded on. After all, It’s just a photo-op.
Odds are, the Nationals will not be the last clueless bunch of athletes to condone what feels like a thousand-year nightmare of ours. However, it’s one thing for a professional sports franchise to allow its players to embarrass themselves on the world stage. It’s another when our universities do it.
Take the recent visit by the national champs, LSU Tigers. How in the world our EDUCATORS allow their players to participate in the normalization of a child-caging, STUDENT-DEFRAUDING, pornstar-bribing, Justice-Obstructing, Russia-colluding, ambassador-stalking, medical expert-shaming, global pandemic ignorning administration is beyond me.
Colleges like LSU, Clemson, Alabama, and - gasp - Baylor (women, no less), are sending a message to our future stars that it’s perfectly fine to ignore indecency, vulgarity, and intolerance - on all levels - for a polaroid with a paper mache president. Thanks to these obtuse athletes and their superiors, we should see a steady supply of ignorant role models for years to come. Go Tigers!