The New England Patriots visited the White House on Wednesday to celebrate their Super Bowl LI victory, and several players chose not to attend, for one reason or another.
Stephen A. Smith made it clear Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take” he has no problem with players attending or not attending. However, Smith was fired up about President Donald Trump not mentioning quarterback Tom Brady, who was among those absent from the Patriots’ trip to Washington, D.C.
Brady revealed in a statement Wednesday he would not be attending the White House visit due to “personal family matters,” and an Instagram post published later by the quarterback suggests his absence might have had something to do with his parents’ anniversary.
Brady, of course, was named the MVP of Super Bowl LI after helping the Patriots overcome a 25-point third-quarter deficit en route to a 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He’s also the face of the franchise, arguably the greatest player in NFL history and a longtime friend of Trump’s, so it was surprising that the POTUS didn’t give Brady a shout-out in spite of the absence.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
