NHLSoccerSports & Politics

Apparently Hockey And Soccer Aren’t Big Enough For The Champions To Get Their Own Separate Days At The White House

Among the perks of being a championship U.S. sports team: you go to the White House. Granted, not everyone views this as a perk, as is their right, but most people take the opportunity to go and photobomb where they have never photobombed before, and also meet the president and stuff. For the reigning Stanley Cup champ Los Angeles Kings, that day will come next Tuesday. They’ll present Obama with a jersey, receive a speech praising them to the heavens, and also… not be the only team there?

On Tuesday, March 26, President Obama will welcome the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings and the Major League Soccer champion LA Galaxy to the White House to honor their 2012 championship seasons in a ceremony at the White House.

Wait, hockey’s now down to “share the day with the MLS champs” status in the White House visit importance pecking order? We’re not the only ones who see this as a demotion:

How far has hockey fallen in US sports world post lockouts? POTUS hosting LA Kings together with MLS champions LA Galaxy on Tuesday

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 21, 2013

Maybe Tim Thomas was really skipping out of protest that the White House didn’t value his sport as highly as he thought it deserved. Maybe the White House really just wanted an L.A.-heavy day. Maybe it’s a new rule that teams that win championships with “Cup” in them don’t get their own day.

Or maybe… Barack Obama is just trying to prove how American he is to the doubters that remain. They’re still out there, you know. If the long form birth certificate didn’t get the job done in their eyes, you might wonder, what will? Well… what’s American? Giving hockey second-class sporting status. What’s even more American than that? Giving soccer second-class sport status. Relegating both sports to the second tier at the same time? If that’s not American through and through, we don’t know what is.