Skip to footer

Tim Thomas: Six other athletes who snubbed the White House

Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins won the NHL's Stanley Cup last June. It's an annual tradition that US championship sports teams receive an invitation from the President to be honored at the White House for their athletic feats.

However, there is a small portion of those ‘privileged’ individuals who have turned down such invitations on political, moral and personal grounds. Thomas, the Bruins goalie, is the latest to join the group.

Here’s a list of six athletes who have snubbed American presidents.

Ray Stubblebine/REUTERS
Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30) looks at his mask during a time out in the second period of their NHL hockey game with the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey, January 4.

Dan Hampton

  • By Michail Vafeiadis Contributor

The indefinite postponement of the 1986 Chicago Bears White House reception, due to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, reached an abrupt end when 25 years later President Obama invited his favorite NFL team.

However, NFL Hall of Famer Dan Hampton declined the invitation.

"It's my own personal choice that I choose not to go," Hampton said, according to the Huffington Post.

“You know, life's about opportunities and seizing the moment. And you know what, I understand why we didn't go the week after the game -- or two weeks or three weeks -- because if indeed it was the Challenger that the White House and the regular administration was dealing with, I understand that. But there were other months -- March, April, May, June -- we could of went,” he said.

1 of 6
You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.