White House visits by championship teams
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In the United States, the winner of a professional championship game, such as the Super Bowl or World Series, often visits the White House after winning said championship. Usually, the championship team meets with whoever the president of the United States is at the time, and the president gives a speech related to the team.
History
[edit]Although the exact start of the tradition of championship teams visiting the White House is unknown, the earliest known time it happened was on August 30, 1865.[1] On that day, then president Andrew Johnson welcomed two amateur baseball teams to the White House: the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals. The Atlantics visited because they had won the championship the previous season, and the Nationals visited because Johnson was a fan of the team.[2]
The first time a professional sports team visited the White House was in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings visited Ulysses S. Grant at the White House. It was not until 1924 that the first "Big Four" sports team visited the White House, that being the Washington Senators.[3]
In 1963, John F. Kennedy welcomed the Boston Celtics to the White House, that being the first time an NBA team visited the White House.[4]
List of leagues, events, and organizations whose champions visit the White House
[edit]| League/organization/event | First visit | First team/group/person to visit |
|---|---|---|
| MLB | 1924 | Washington Senators |
| Little League World Series | 1992 | Long Beach Little League |
| NBA | 1963 | Boston Celtics |
| WNBA | 1999 | Houston Comets |
| NFL | 1980 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| NHL | 1983 | New York Islanders |
| MLS | 1998 | D.C. United |
| Olympians | 1961 | Wilma Rudolph |
| NASCAR | 1978 | 500+ guests (including Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr.[5]) |
| Tour de France | 2001 | Lance Armstrong |
| NCAA FBS Football | 1961 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| NCAA FCS Football | 1995 | Youngstown State Penguins |
| NCAA men's basketball | 1976 | Indiana Hoosiers |
| NCAA women's basketball | 2016 | UConn Huskies |
References
[edit]- ^ "How White House visits became a U.S. tradition". ESPN.com. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Knight, Molly (2023-04-07). "Which Sports Teams Do Get to Visit the White House?". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "When did championship teams start visiting the White House?". Yahoo Sports. 2019-11-05. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "White House championship visits over the years". Yardbarker. 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "NASCAR Visits the White House | Goldmine | UNC Charlotte". goldmine.charlotte.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-02.