Bears Blitz

Dan Hampton: Former Bear Should Put Politics Aside for Lifetime Opportunity

Published by Eric Bowman on October 7, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman and Hall of Famer Dan Hampton is choosing not to attend the White House celebration for the 1985 Super Bowl win just because he doesn’t like President Obama.

Hampton told The Mully and Hanley radio show that, “It’s my own personal choice. No family, no kids (are allowed at the White House.) Honey’s going to the White House, and you tell your kids and your wife, ‘Oh, I’m sorry. You’re not invited. Secondly, I’m not a fan of the guy in the White House, and third, it was 25 years ago. Let it go.”

Let what go?

The only Super Bowl in the Bears’ history, and he doesn’t want to commemorate it because he doesn’t like the guy who happens to be living in the White House. Can you say selfish?

Hampton should put politics aside here and just celebrate with his former team. Yes, he has the right to choose not to go, but he looks like a fool in doing so.

The Bears never got to visit the White House after their Super Bowl win, and since President Obama is a Bears fan, he had no problem letting them visit.

It’s a harmless act, but Hampton puts a damper on it because of personal reasons. Why can’t he just be a man about it and show up?

After all, he played for the Bears his entire NFL career and was a phenomenal player that helped Chicago reach the top.

A lot of words could be said about Hampton’s choice, but I’ll let his former teammates, Tim Wrightman and Steve McMichael, do all the talking.

Wrightman posted a message on Facebook saying he would never pass this up and doesn’t see how anyone else could.

This is the Bears’ once in a lifetime opportunity that has been given a second chance. Some people don’t realize our initial trip in 1986 was cancelled because of the Challenger space shuttle accident. I think it was a classy thing for Obama to right the misfortune of our team. Besides, the White House is not President Obama’s house; it’s the people’s house.

The tight end also took a direct shot at Hampton, saying “Would you take the wife you had when we won or the newest one?” Burn.

McMichael was also really excited about getting the chance to see the historic building. Per ESPN:

I don’t care who the president is. I don’t care what’s going on in the government, if I’m against a war or what. If you are somebody that the White House wants to honor, and you’re a citizen of this country, it behooves you to show up and look at it like an honor and a privilege.

I told them I’m going to have bells on.

Ring on, McMichael; ring on.

Hampton will stick to his word and not attend, but it just makes him look like a schmuck that didn’t care about the Bears at all.

This is a fantastic opportunity for him to see all the history in easily the most famous house in America.

However, he’ll be stuck at home missing out on something that he would have remembered forever.

Now, everyone will remember him for the guy who let personal reason get between him and a special moment in the Bears history.