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I really hope Bill turns it down.
I'm going to be really sad when he doesn't.
Why would he? He's a known
Why would he? He's a known Trump fan.
He's not a dumb man ,though,
He's not a dumb man ,though, and has to recognize the extremely poor timing. If he does show up at the White House, I'll look forward to the day he's gone.
VERY happy to eat my words.
Kudos, Coach.
Leaving aside the president's
Leaving aside the president's (slightly controversial) character, what would make sport coach Bill Belichik worthy of a Medal of Freedom? It's a candid question; I don't follow football, I only recognize the guy's name from glancing at news headlines and I don't feel like doing the research.
He’s given it to a bunch of sports figures...
Tiger Woods, Mariano Rivera and other right leaning athletes (Tiger I’m not sure). He’s given out 10 or so.
It’s not just Trump
I believe Obama gave it to MJ, Ellen D, Kareem and other sport and pop culture icons.
Yes, sports and entertainment people get MoF
Usually when celebrities get the Medal of Freedom it is for efforts parallel to their work in sports or entertainment. For example, Kareem is a vocal leader and an important figure in black civil rights history. Ellen was a TV pioneer for being an openly gay woman playing a gay woman at a time when she knew it would cost her personally and professionally.
Bill B’s professional achievements are not in question, but does that alone qualify him for a MoF? If not, is this just a patronage thing where Trump is simply hooking up his old buddy?
The answer to those questions will illustrate if there difference between Kareem, Ellen, etc and Bill B.
The standards are very broad
The official qualifications is that it's given "for especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors" so people in professional sports tend to get the medal periodically, although skimming through the list Trump probably skewed more towards sports than most. You have to figure Trump picked Belichick because of they know each other personally, but sports seems like the area where he's disproportionately comfortable awarding "contributions to American culture."
Objectively, I don't think it's wrong to give an award to a very good football coach who avoids talking about politics, even if more historically significant options are out there, but it definitely has the skew of what Trump cares about, and right now a medal given by Donald Trump has a bit of a taint to it.
Treasonous, obese, moronic,
Treasonous, obese, moronic, orange trust fund brats who lead America to the most covid deaths are a bit more than slightly controversial. Especially in progressive New England.
Nothing new here. Go ahead
Nothing new here. Go ahead and look at the list of awardees, there's a number of questionable awards of this medal.
If Belichick has any sense of honor or self-awareness...
...he will decline. Somehow I doubt that that he will, cheaters and grifters tend to stick together. Not that the award means very much, at this point a Presidential Medal of Freedom granted by that asshole is worth about as much a piece of Chanukah gelt, not to mention with gelt, you at least get a bit of chocolate.
Decline
Decline
Or any excuse to sidestep it. Any excuse short of deliberately ingesting COVID-19 culture.
I'm hoping
Belichick will defer.
MA needed the team plane to skirt US airspace to get PPE
After the Trump Crime Family confiscated and sold our order from BJs, I cannot see how anyone in the Patriots organization can accept anything from the Orange Traitor in any good conscience.
Devin Nunes gets his medal this week too.
From the WH news release:
“... In 2017, Congressman Nunes launched an investigation into the Obama-Biden administration’s misconduct during the 2016 election – and began to unearth the crime of the century. As a result of his work, he discovered that the infamous Steele Dossier was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. He found that a senior Justice Department attorney was married to one of the architects of the document. He learned that the Obama-Biden administration had issued Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants to spy on President Trump’s campaign and illegitimately unmasked several innocent spying victims for political gain.
Devin Nunes’ courageous actions helped thwart a plot to take down a sitting United States president. Devin’s efforts led to the firing, demotion, or resignation of over a dozen FBI and DOJ employees. He also forced the disclosure of documents that proved that a corrupt senior FBI official pursued a vindictive persecution of General Michael Flynn — even after rank and file FBI agents found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Congressman Nunes pursued the Russia Hoax at great personal risk and never stopped standing up for the truth. He had the fortitude to take on the media, the FBI, the Intelligence Community, the Democrat Party, foreign spies, and the full power of the Deep State. Devin paid a price for his courage. The media smeared him and liberal activists opened a frivolous and unjustified ethics investigation, dragging his name through the mud for eight long months. Two dozen members of his family received threatening phone calls – including his 98 year old grandmother.
Congressman Devin Nunes is a public servant of unmatched talent, unassailable integrity, and unwavering resolve. He uncovered the greatest scandal in American history.”
Devin Nunes medal
in other words - he was unwaveringly loyal to the king.
Well,
They should just change their name now. Not really “Patriots” are they?
Trump Crime Family Stole 3 Million units of PPE
Our state tax money paid for it after Trump said the states were on their own because the national stockpile had been looted. Jared sold them to high bidding campaign donors to profiteer off of, necessitating the use of the Patriots team plane and trucks to protect our front line workers.
That PPE had to be placed under armed guard. The team plane skirted US airspace for most of the journey and was met by National Guard.
Now Billy gets a Special Medal of Orange Netherwhuffling for what?
Trump is such a cheapskate
He totally has the power to grant a full pardon for every Patriot-gate scandal that ever happened and he gives him the Medal of Freedom instead!?!?
Bill should totally snub him over that.
Well, except he doesn't
AFAIK, there were no Federal crimes associated with any of those scandals, and Federal crimes are the only thing the Prez has the power to pardon.
I’m pretty sure the turkey he
I’m pretty sure the turkey he “pardons” every year didn’t commit ant federal crimes either...
How did Trump come to this conclusion?
Trump: Who to deserves the Medal of Freedom?
Trump reflecting back on first campaign: "Grab them by the pu**y..."
Kraft is on my own list of who never deserves this recognition.
He did do at least one worthy thing
He did do at least one worthy thing: lend the Patriots plane to get PPE for Massachusetts.
(but I guarantee that won't get him any honors from Trump)
Gotta keep your Krafts straight
That was the younger generation that set all that up - you know, MYRA's kids. She raised them right.
President as Pope
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is beloved of Presidents because it allows them to act like the chief priests of the American secular religion, raising commoners to sainthood with a stroke of the pen. The chief qualifications are to have pieased the President or to have displeased his enemies.
If I were awarded the medal for my heroic contributions to UHub, I would,of course, decline. If I were President, I would give it to my parrot, and to all previous presidential pets except Rudy Giuliani.
Now that the football has been taken away from Trump
is he looking for a new (deflated) one?
Hoo boy
And I thought a lot of people hated the Patriots now!
If Belichick accepts
then Patriots shirts will become the equivalent of MAGA hats.
(even more so than they already are)
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