Saquon Barkley’s Day With The President

And The Hysteric Meltdown On The Left

In sports, one tradition for championship teams is the White House to meet the President of the United States. Every year, champions from major sports; professional and collegiate, go to the White House and meet with the President of the United States, spending the day with him celebrating their grand achievement.

The origins of the special visit are unclear, although it can be traced back to 1865, it was not until 1924 that the “Big Four" sports teams (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) visited the White House. A tradition once deemed a symbol of patriotism and even unity, has evolved into a toxic, political frenzy that has divided the nation, all because of who is in power at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley was spotted golfing with President Trump on Sunday at Trump’s golf course in New Jersey, before the official White House visit for the Eagles on Monday, who defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, 40-22, giving Barkley his first NFL championship. Barkey was drafted by the New York Giants in 2018, setting NFL and team records with his time with the team, as well as achieving Offensive Rookie of the Year, solidifying himself as one of the most dynamic running backs in the league.

After a free agency dispute with the Giants, he signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles. In 16 regular season games, he rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 278 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs in one of the best campaigns ever for a halfback, only 101 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single season record of 2,105 yards. In the postseason, he rushed for 499 rushing yards with five touchdowns, averaging 124.8 yards per game, leading the Eagles to their 2^nd Super Bowl in 8 years, also winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.

Barkey found himself in some hot water after his day with the President, as many fans took to social media to express their opinions of discontent with the RB’s decision to spend the day with POTUS. The running back went on X to give his response:

There were notable Eagles players who skipped the visit, including Eagles QB and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason for their absence, as well as other players, including star WRs AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, amoung others. This is not the first time athletes and teams have skipped the White House visit, as this has been occurring since the early 1980s for either of the following: political reasons, personal reasons, or even certain events that occurred during that time that the incumbent administration at the time took urgent priority over. However, it seems that the recurring trend of skipping the White House visit has occurred most under both Trump administrations, for obvious reasons of course.

Barkley’s response to the backlash for meeting Trump is mature and classy on all fronts. There is no evidence that points to him backing Trump, or any other political candidate during his NFL career but that is irrelevant. He emphasizes the respect of the office of the POTUS, which is something that rational people have always stated, despite agreeing or disagreeing with the incumbent in office. It wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t support Trump, however, his respect for the office supersedes politics, and that should be something Americans should look eye to eye on.

The Saquon Barkley episode has been revealing, mainly from the leftists who came after him: the lack of critical thinking, maturity and reason as they assume that if you meet a person they hate, that makes you by default a supporter of them and their agenda. Meeting with the President and not be a supporter of him or his policies are not mutually exclusive to the slightest.

They are unhinged and triggered by a grown man’s personal decision to meet with the President. Barkley, being a black man, adds to the hysteria as the left finds unspeakable joy in dictating what black people can and cannot do, as if they own them. For the left leaning black folks, the usual insults of coon, uncle toon, sellout, the list goes on when you do not align with go along get along gang.

For certain, had the President been Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, whoever, you would not hear a peep from them, as this would be acceptable in their paradigm. They praised Jalen Hurts and others that skipped, even though the reasons were not stated but perhaps predictable, but in the end, they made a decision for themselves, which too should be respected.

Close to a year ago, I wrote a piece on kicker Harrison Butker and the backlash he received and said that the left will go after you if you do not submit to their agenda. This case with Barkley is no different, however, it will be a very difficult effort to cancel Barkley as he is a popular and very likeable figure in the NFL universe, which means that efforts to put him down will be futile on the spot.

As far as visiting the White House, that is a decision up to each individual on that team, and regardless of the decision it should be respected. But to demonize and mischaracterize someone who chose to spend time with the president despite the public having no knowledge of his political views, and to label him, is hands down the most outlandish and imprudent thing a person can do. Interestingly enough, they missed the part about him golfing with Obama, but that does not fit the narrative they have to push.

At the end of the day, this should not be a serious debate, as these people are athletes, not leaders, as they do not enact policy or legislation. This is not taking away the fact that they do great work in their communities and that should be recognized, but people should not care deeply about who hangs out with the President, vs. who does not as they play a game, and do not directly influence what goes in in Washington.

Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.