The timing couldn't have been better.
Well, actually...it probably could have been.
A day after the Golden State Warriors announced their intention to pass on a visit to the White House as NBA champions (and a subsequent tweet from President Trump saying the invitation was revoked), the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped in with a statement of their own.
Essentially, the Penguins plan to proceed with their visit and believe protests against a president's platform can be handled in a different way. This statement came shortly after Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said his team would be abstaining from the national anthem, an avoidance practice to quite literally "stick to sports."
The Pittsburgh Penguins respect the institution of the Office of the President, and the long tradition of championship teams visiting the White House. We attended White House ceremonies after previous championships - touring the historic building and visiting briefly with Presidents George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama - and have accepted an invitation to attend again this year.
Any agreement or disagreement with a president's politics, policies or agenda can be expressed in other ways. However, we very much respect the rights of other individuals and groups to express themselves as they see fit.
As shown in the image above, the Penguins visited with President Obama in 2016, their first of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
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