# Question about a Presidential tradition

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900 "2002-09-04T01:37:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900/1 "2002-09-04T01:37:41Z")

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Under what President did the tradition of having the championship teams from the various sports visit the White House begin? Did the first visit have a political angle behind it?

Thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900/2 "2002-09-04T01:47:52Z")

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You mean a president would want to be photographed next to a sports team that is successful that might possibly be deflecting some of that glory on to him?

Nah, not in this country.

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**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900/3 "2002-09-04T03:03:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by BobT \*  
> \*\*You mean a president would want to be photographed next to a sports team that is successful that might possibly be deflecting some of that glory on to him?
> 
> Nah, not in this country. \*\*

So young, yet so cynical.

C’mon, the President is _really_ there because he wants an officil team jersey with his name on the back!!!

Seriously, does anyone have an answer?

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-presidential-tradition/126900/4 "2002-09-04T04:10:10Z")

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Well, many Presidents have taken an interest in sports, but it strikes me that Nixon was the one who constantly phoned up winning coaches and managers, not just to offer congratulations, but to make suggestions (he fancied himself quite a football strategist).

So, my vague memory tells me that it was in the early 1970s that it became common for the President to call championship teams.