It's always been an American thing for championship sports teams to visit the WH, been like that since beginning of last century with the Baseball teams.
Under the Trump presidency, black athletes (NBA MLB NFL, Olympians) never turned up.
Four NBA championship teams under Trump presidency never went to the WH, Warriors (twice) Raptors and Lakers.
Hopefully the heat is turned up City and NUFC owners now, i hope it highlights the Yemen atrocities by those two teams owners at what they have done in Yemen for the last 7 years, i'm sure those living Abramovich defenders in social media will be lamenting why nothing is being talked or done about Saudi and UAE warmongering.
Football needs to be sportswash free, despicable owners using the world game to deflect from their human rights abuses, warmongering and thieving a nations wealth and natural resources from the fellow country men women and children for their own lavish lifestyles.
So given that black athletes rightly point out, with a fascist in the White House and business very much not as usual, would you say sports teams who chose to break those calls and pose for pictures with him were engaging in sports washing? You didnt seem to give a definitive answer on that.
I think more broadly, it's clear politicians and American Presidents who have all presided over a racist country try to use sports stars to soften their image. That is sports washing isnt it? Or is it only sports washing when it's a brown person doing it?
As for turning heat up on owners, I hope the heat is turned up on American owners the most (particularly those who have made donations to the political parties who have caused the destruction from warfare).
But in truth, the game needs to start again. Independent regulation, 50+1, golden state for an independent arbiter and a commitment to make the game more equal from taking from the haves, and given to grass roots and womens football. The whole system has to change.
We have allowed the capital that has been built up in football to be purchased by American, Russian, Middle Eastern etc individuals, who try to wield soft power. The money theyve given has just gone to make agents and footballers richer. It's a disgrace really, and it's time for a reboot.
I hope we are not bought off again (as we were after the super league debacle) with highlighting a couple of the brown owners for some sanctions while pretending the rest of the game is fair and working well.
