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The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl on February 3rd. Yet, as a new N.F.L. With the season approaching in two weeks, it is almost certain that they will not have the customary congratulatory ceremony at the White House, an event that has often been tense or divisive under President Trump.
The lack of a ceremony, which both sides regard as not political but bad planning, is all the more curious because the team's owner, Robert K. Kraft, is a friend and supporter. Coach Bill Belichick wrote a letter of support to Mr. Trump a few days before the 2016 election. And Tom Brady, the star quarterback of the team, is also known to maintain a relationship with Mr. Trump .
Yet, according to team and White House officials, scheduling conflicts have reduced the chances of visiting the Patriots, who defeated the Los Angeles Rams for a record sixth Super Bowl victory. . Both parties said they were unable to find a suitable date despite the president's eagerness to bring in the Patriots.
"We would welcome them to the White House in the future if a later date was appropriate," said a White House spokesman.
At this point, the rigors of training and pre-season games make it almost certain that the Patriots, famous for their particularly disciplined training under Mr. Belichick, would not find the time to make a detour for a visit.
The Patriots will face the Washington Redskins in Washington on October 6 and the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore on November 3, but N.F.L. teams are not known to change their carefully timed schedule in the days leading up to regular season games.
This should be the second year in a row for N.F.L. champion did not visit the White House. In 2018, the The president disavowed the Philadelphia Eagles after most players and coaches announced plans to boycott the tour in response to the president's demands that players be present during the national anthem during games.
After the Patriots' victory in February, three players – Devin, Jason McCourty and Duron Harmon – announced that they would avoid visiting the White House if they were invited.
The Patriots visited the White House five times after the Super Bowl wins. Four of these trips took place in April and one in May. The teams are usually together for training in the spring, which makes it a good time.
(At the ceremony in 2017, shortly after the inauguration of Mr. Trump, at least Two dozen players jumped the test, including Brady, who said he was spending time with his sick mother. Mr. Harmon and Devin McCourty were not present either. Jason McCourty was not yet a member of the team.)
Both parties had chosen a date for the Patriots' visit in April, but when that decision failed, the White House proposed several solutions to the team. The Patriots chose from this list a date in May. But the President's calendar has changed and the visit has been canceled. Team practices resumed in June, followed by players' vacations.
Mr. Kraft had legal trouble in February when he was accused of soliciting a prostitute in Florida. The case was dismissed in May for lack of evidence. The White House official said the case had nothing to do with snafus planning.
The Patriots are unlikely to visit the White House this season, but Kraft has been there recently. In July, the President invited him, along with other business leaders, to a dinner in honor of Shaykh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Emir in power, Qatar .
The visits of sports championship teams to the White House have become problematic during Trump's tenure for criticizing the events at the national anthem as well as for his rhetoric and immigration policies condemned as racist. Recently, the US Women's National Team was not invited after their World Cup win in July, and team captain Megan Rapinoe made it clear that she would not leave.
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