National Football League
Daily Buzz: Miami's political football
National Football League

Daily Buzz: Miami's political football

Published Aug. 19, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

On Tuesday, the 1972 Miami Dolphins will pay a visit to the White House that’s more than four decades overdue, but when Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Co. finally hit Pennsylvania Avenue, they’ll be doing so without a few of their former teammates.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, at least three ex-Dolphins won’t be visiting the White House because of their dislike for President Obama, and two more “are on the fence about going for the same reason.”

"We've got some real moral compass issues in Washington," former center Jim Langer told the paper. "I don't want to be in a room with those people and pretend I'm having a good time. I can't do that. If that [angers] people, so be it."

Bob Kuechenberg, the starting left guard on the '72 team, echoed Langer’s opinion, saying, "I want to be careful, because mom said if you have nothing good to say about someone, then don't say anything. I don't have anything good to say about someone.

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"I don't belong there, I'll tell you that,” Kuechenberg continued. “Without being critical, I can just tell you I don't belong. It would be hypocritical of me to be there. I don't want to do that. I just don't believe in this administration at all. So I don't belong. Anyone on the left or the right has to respect one man's opinion."

Defensive tackle Manny Fernandez took a more simplified approach, telling the Sun-Sentinel, "I'll just say my views are diametrically opposed to the president's. Enough said. Let's leave it at that. I hope everyone enjoys the trip who goes."

Langer, Kuechenberg and Fernandez aren’t the first to turn down a trip to Washington out of spite for the president, and they won’t be the last. But it’s a shame that anyone ever does it. You would never see a president — any president — withhold an invite based on political sentiment, and to deny making a visit on that basis seems like an unnecessarily refractory statement to make.

In this case in particular, it’s been a trip 41 years in the making, and any Dolphin who can be there should be there — out of respect for their teammates and an accomplishment that has yet to be duplicated or properly celebrated.

Now, for some links:

• The Arizona Diamondbacks clowned pitcher Wade Miley with a lottery prank.

• J.R. Smith drove a $450K armored truck to dinner in Manhattan.

• Paul Pierce’s baby is like a boss:

• Here’s your MLS goal of the year:

• A Red Sox fan taunted Alex Rodriguez with a misspelled sign.

• A-Rod is making the 1970s Bronx Zoo Yankees look like a petting zoo.

• LeBron James didn’t want to wait in traffic on his way to the Jay-Z concert, so he just got a police escort instead:

• Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy released a statement about his son’s arrest in a murder investigation:

• Ryan Braun reportedly claimed that the sample collector for his past failed drug test was an anti-Semite Cubs fan.

• Gary Kubiak backs D.J. Swearinger after Swearinger's hit ended the season for Dolphins TE Dustin Keller.

• It’s not often the pitcher is the one getting plunked:

• A Georgia high school football player died after collapsing to the ground following a hit in a scrimmage.

• Deron Williams hosted Nets-only player workouts in Los Angeles.

• Blake Griffin did Blake Griffin stuff at Jamal Crawford’s pro-am in Seattle:

• Dale Sveum was not thrilled with what he called the “worst check-swing call” he’s ever seen:

• Football star Geno Smith — no, not that one, another one — was charged with DUI.

• How loyal are your favorite NFL team's fans? One study investigated that very question.

• Here is the latest ridiculous first pitch to come out of South Korea:

• N.C. State had a little fun at practice:

• Monday night will be Cuban night in Miami, as Yasiel Puig and Jose Fernandez meet.

• Michael Vick reportedly paid a PR firm more than $100K to clean up his image after he was released from jail.

• Sometimes you just forget to step on first base:

• Someone put together a gif showing the evolution of James Harden’s beard:

• Maria Menounos got back in the ring at SummerSlam.

• Paul Pierce says Rajon Rondo can be "the man" in Boston.

• Former NHL forward Ian Lapierre finished his first Ironman triathlon:

• The Mets used an upside down P as a lowercase D on Travis d'Arnaud's jersey, but it wasn't an accident:

• A fan won a night out with Kobe Bryant.

• Kennesaw State is giving fans a chance to choose the football team's helmet.

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