There have been many, many embarassing moments from Donald Trump’s presidency, but an unforgettable one came when Trump hosted the national football champs, the Clemson Tigers, at the White House and served them fast food. To avoid that fate, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson had a suggestion for the new NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors’ victory was a long time in coming, as Sports Illustrated explains that it’s been 16 years since any professional sports team from Canada won a major championship.
‘The last time a Canada-based team from one of the four major pro sports leagues won a championship was 1993 – with both the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays and the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens winning in their respective sports. Neither team visited the White House.’
After all that work and triumph, why would anyone then feel that visiting Trump and eating McDonald’s was a reward? The majority of professional athletes who’ve won championships in the past two years have skipped a White House visit, preferring not to be associated with Trump and to take a stand against his racist, xenophobic, sexist rhetoric.
Of the 20 teams that have won a major championship since Trump took office, half have either refused the traditional White House visit or weren’t invited, which is yet another longstanding tradition ruined by the Trump administration.
‘Half of the 20 teams were either not invited or declined the invitation for varying reasons. The ceremonies for the other half either raised eyebrows or were marred by various reasons, including the absence of notable players, the presence of players who looked unhappy, teams that appeared to be embarrassed about the trip, and the growing habit of serving fast food to world-class athletes.’
Twitter was in full agreement with Mayor Watson. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
