The tradition of the Super Bowl champion team visiting the president at the White House dates back to 1980 when the Pittsburgh Steelers met Jimmy Carter.

This year, even before the game took place, some players said they would not attend the visit if they were to win.

Then New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett voiced his opinion prior to the game, taking to Twitter to say a few things in light of President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

“America was built on inclusiveness not exclusiveness,” Bennett said.

After his championship win, Bennett said he would not be attending the White House, but declined to elaborate stating, “People know how I feel about it, just follow me on Twitter.”

Since the game, more Patriots’ players have said they will not be attending the visit either.

This is not unusual. In fact, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did not visit the White House after his Super Bowl XLIX win in 2014. 

In a statement, Brady attributed his absence to scheduling conflicts, but several other players refused to meet President Barack Obama and George W. Bush for political reasons.

In 2013, former Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk did not visit the White House after winning the Super Bowl due to former President Barack Obama’s pro-abortion policies.

The skipping of the White House visit is just as old as the tradition itself, yet this year, there seems to be a lot more backlash toward the players than previous years. 

This could be attributed to Trump’s freindship with Brady, Chief Executive Officer Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick.

After the Patriots win, Trump took to Twitter to congratulate the three, “What an amazing comeback and win by the Patriots. Tom Brady, Bob Kraft and Coach B are total winners. Wow!”

Brady, who was a known supporter of Trump during the presidential race, will undoubtedly attend the visit along with other players who have not backed out.

The players have the right to their own opinion, so whether they decide to meet the president or skip the visit, it should be accepted without repercussions. Afterall, it is not something new and not all players are skipping for political reasons.

Last year, the Denver Broncos visited Obama in June. There is not a set date for the Patriots visit to the White House yet, but since Brady’s stolen jersey has resurfaced, this could lead to formal chatter of when the event will take place.