James Harrison Snubs Obama, America

The Steelers' Silverback linebacker has caused many sports fans and journalists to gasp and mutter "you dumb bastard" under their breath after he scoffed at the White House invite.

In an interview with Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV, Harrison went been there-done that when asked about the traditional Super Bowl Champions visit to the White House. "No big deal," he said. And then he added this:

"If you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. So as far as I'm concerned he would have invited Arizona if they had won."

He's right! Had Santonio Holmes' toes not grazed the corner of the end zone in the final minute of play, the Arizona Cardinals would have been invited to the White House. The nerve of that Obama guy.

Harrison continued:

"I don't feel the need to actually go," he said of the visit with President Obama. "I don't feel like it's that big a deal to me."

And this is the line that really set people off. How can you, as a proud black man, James Harrison, not want to go meet President Obama? You are a disappointment to your race. Bear in mind that Harrison also didn't make the trip to the White House in 2006. So it's not an Obama thing but more of a White House thing. Maybe he had a bad experience during a middle school class trip or he doesn't like wearing suit?

And remember back in 2006 it wasn't Harrison's snub of the visit that made news (most likely because it was Bush and probably because nobody asked him) but, as Mondesi's House reminds us, Joey Porter's wayward mouth that had Steelers flacks red in the face:

"Yeah, I got something to say to Bush, I'm going to have a swagger when I walk in there, too. I'm looking forward to it. I have something to tell him, too. I don't like the way things are running right now. I feel like he has to give me some of my money back, so I got something to tell Bush."

Porter actually said nothing to President Bush that day. So much for that famous Peezy swagger. And as this latest "controversy" generates more press, we'll most likely see a similar reconsideration from Harrison this time around. Doesn't he know that Obama appointed Dan Rooney ambassador to Ireland? He can practice his diplomacy skills on Harrison.

James Harrison Plays For Pittsburgh But Won't Be Going To Pennsylvania Avenue [USA Today] Steelers' Harrison Won't Visit Obama [ESPN] Steelers Will Visit Whitehouse Sans Silverback [Mondesi's House]