Silverback vs. the White House

James Harrison, the Steelers' defensive virtuoso and NFL defensive player of the year, will not be going to the White House on the routine, post-Super Bowl visit. Everyone is making a big deal out of this, but oddly enough, didn't care when he skipped out on the last White House visit a few years ago.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he cites a fear of flying as the reason for jumping ship on both visits. But why do people care now, when they didn't care the last time? Maybe because he's now a high-profile, and not to mention high-paid, athlete. Maybe because of his often-replayed, slow-motion touchdown return before halftime of this year's Super Bowl.

Or maybe it's because last time they were visiting George Bush, the controversial and much-criticized president, and fans figured it was okay for him to dislike Bush. This time around, that's not so forgivable, with the historic President Barack Obama thoroughly settled into the White House. Are media outlets trying to make this into a political statement? Are they reading too much into this, as they often do?

Maybe they're just bored. It's the offseason, and what else are these sports media super giants going to cover? Brett Favre might return. Manny ended up "just being Manny," and got suspended. In other news, Lord Stanley is rolling over in his grave as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on, passing by performance-enhancing drugs and aging quarterbacks.