TheGeorgia Bulldogs football teamsays it’s declining an invitation to visit the White House and meet with President Joe Biden this summer.
The team, which won its second-straight national championship in January witha commanding 65-7 win over TCU, announced its decision in a statement Tuesday, citing a scheduling conflict.
“The University of Georgia first received on May 3 an invitation for the Bulldog football team to visit the White House on June 12,” the team’s statement said, according toESPN. “Unfortunately, the date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar and time of year. However, we are appreciative of the invitation and look forward to other opportunities for Georgia teams moving forward.”
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The denial comes after Georgia players and fans have criticized the White House for not inviting the team sooner. The back-to-back national champions were not invited to visit with Biden, 80, after winning the title last season because of COVID restrictions still being in place.
In February of this year, a month after the Bulldogs routed TCU on their way to winning a second-straight title, defensive lineman Warren Brinson appeared to criticize Biden for not immediately inviting the team for a visit.
“No invite to the White House is crazy,” Brinsontweeted, tagging the president.
Eventually, lawmakers from the state petitioned Biden to invite the team for a visit. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, as well as Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, all signed a letter petitioning for an invite, which ultimately came this week.
But the timing, Georgia says, is just not right. According to ESPN, Georgia did not specify in its statement about what part of its summer schedule is causing a conflict with the visit.
source: people.com
