ESPN Commentator Rips Astros For Accepting White House Invite

HOUSTON, TX — It didn't take long for the cable sports network ESPN to get all political on the Houston Astros accepting an offer to attend the White House to be honored by President Donald Trump for the team's triumphant World Series title last fall.

On the network's show "First Take" on Thursday morning, co-host Max Kellerman slammed the team's decision to attend the White House's customary, and honorary, invitation. When "First Take" moderator Molly Qerim asked, “What does this say about the Astros accepting the invite?," Kellerman chimed in saying the Astros were doing the wrong thing.

"It says they’re making a grave error and they’re on the wrong side of history," Kellerman said. "And I want to be very clear about this: This has nothing to do with where on the political spectrum you fall, left or right. Nothing. It’s not about being progressive or conservative or Democrat or Republican or winning or losing that’s not what this is about. Elections. I say what I say because what has gone on in this administration is abnormal and must not be normalized."

Kellerman went on to say, "To do anything to normalize what is going on right now has nothing to do with being a Republican or a Democrat or who you’re rooting for politically. It has to do with equal protection under the law and constitutionality and being a patriotic American citizen. You do not normalize this behavior with White House visits. Period."

Other co-hosts Will Cain and Stephen A. Smith provided counter punches to Kellerman's theories, with Cain speaking against Kellerman's claims the most. Smith said that although a player goes to the White House for the honor, it doesn't equate to that person being a supporter of the current administration.

Since Trump took over the presidency nearly a year ago, some of the New England Patriots didn't attend the White House while most did. After the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship last summer, most of the players slammed the Trump administration, causing the White House to rescind its invitation.

Astros president Reid Ryan said Wednesday, "This is a tradition and an honor," Astros team president Reid Ryan told the Houston Chronicle. "For many people, this might be their only time to ever be invited to the White House. And as the representatives of baseball and the World Series champs, when the White House calls and invites you to come up, it's something that as an organization we felt both a responsibility and an obligation to be part of."

The Astros won the club's first-ever World Series last fall after a memorable run in the playoffs that included a win over the Boston Red Sox in the AL Divisional Series, a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees in the AL Championship and then a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

The Houston Astros received their formal White House invitation to be honored by the president, a team spokesman said. The date has not yet been determined, but early reports indicate it could happen sometime during spring training.

Image: Jose Altuve (27) of the Houston Astros holds the Commissioner's Trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in game seven to win the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)