Fittingly, These Patriots are First Champions to Visit Donald Trump's White House

BOSTON - It's fitting that the New England Patriots will be the first champions to visit President Trump's White House. They are a team whose biggest names have been intertwined with Trump throughout his campaign, a topic they won't broach and he won't stop talking about.

The White House has said that Trump looks forward to welcoming the Patriots - the ones attending, at least. Six major players have said they won't be joining their championship teammates.

It's expected quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft - all of whom Trump appears to be pretty chummy with - will be attending.

Tight end Martellus Bennett, safety Devin McCourty, linebacker Dont'a Hightower, defensive end Chris Long, running back LeGarrette Blount, and defensive lineman Alan Branch have said they will not go to the White House.

Devin McCourty, LeGarrette Blount, Chris Long, Alan Branch, and Martellus Bennett, have said Trump's politics have led them to the decision to skip the trip. Dont'a Hightower will also not make the trip, stating in the past that he's gone before as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Bennett said before the Super Bowl it was likely he would decline. McCourty, a team captain, later that he won't be going either. Hightower then said he won't be going, but noted he'd already gone with Alabama. Branch then declined. Long and Blount's decisions came later.

"I don't feel welcome in that house," Blount said.

"It is what it is," Bennett told reporters. "People know how I feel about it. Just follow me on Twitter."

Bennett tweeted, "I'm with her" the day before the election in November but hasn't been very vocal about Trump on his very active account, save for calling him "the president dude."

McCourty, meanwhile, told Time in a text that he doesn't feel accepted at the White House.

"With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't," he said.

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Sometimes there's a morsel of controversy when Boston teams go - Tim Thomas wouldn't attend when President Obama sat in the Oval Office, while David Ortiz not only went, he took a famous selfie - and these Patriots aren't the first Boston athletes to skip the ceremony in recent years.

But the Patriots' trip to Pennsylvania Ave. promises to be a hot topic in coming weeks. Trump purports to be a Patriots fan. He was quick to tweet his congratulations after their epic comeback victory in the Super Bowl.

Trump said the night before the presidential election that he received a call from Brady saying the quarterback voted for him. Trump then read out a flattering note from the usually gruff Belichick.

Brady's relationship with Trump has been in play since he was spotted with a Make America Great Again hat in his locker last year.

The Patriots are an organization that actively avoids any individual player avoiding the spotlight, which makes the absence of some of their biggest names all the more noteworthy. Outside of Brady and Belichick, the focus will continue to be on who won't be going, putting them in the spotlight and in the crosshairs of a potential Trump tweet.

It would have been a loud statement if a dozen Patriots quietly declined the invite, forcing a famously sensitive president to have to deal with most of his apparently favorite team opting out of the first championship visit of his administration.

But that's probably not the Patriot Way.

Trump photo by Gage Skidmore; Bill Belichick, Tom Brady photos by Dan Libon, Patch staff