Bill Belichick, one of the top coaches of the National Football League (NFL), refused to accept the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s largest civilian tribute, citing last week’s death row on Capitol Hill.
The six-time Super Bowl winner coach said he changed his mind after supporters of President Donald Trump invaded the Capitol – the seat of the United States Congress – ransacking offices and leaving threatening messages.
“Above all, I am an American citizen with a great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy,” Belichick said in a statement released on Monday, adding that he represented his family and the New England Patriots team.
The coach, who previously said he was flattered by the opportunity to receive the medal, said he would continue his efforts working for social justice, equality and human rights “while staying true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award. ”.
Critics blamed Trump’s incendiary speech for unleashing the worst violence on the Capitol in more than two centuries. Five people died during the attack.
A White House official said on Sunday, four days after the disturbances, that Trump would hand over the medal to Belichick – part of a flurry of presentations that also included golfers Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player and the late Babe Zaharias.
Sorenstam and Player received their awards at a private ceremony the day after the violence in Washington, DC.
The decision by Belichick, who has supported Trump in the past, is yet another blow to an increasingly isolated American president. Several of its top advisers have resigned in recent days, citing Wednesday’s violence.
The news that Belichick refused the Medal of Freedom generated a positive reaction on social media.
“Congratulations, Bill Belichick. You did the right thing, ”wrote Bob Ryan, sports columnist emeritus at the Boston Globe, on Twitter.
Congratulations, Bill Belichick. You did the right thing.
– Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) January 12, 2021
Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, who had previously urged Belichick to refuse the award, welcomed the move.
“This president is not suitable for the job, so anything he gives someone is meaningless. Thank you, Coach Belichick, for rejecting the Trump award, ”said the senator on Twitter.
This president is not fit for the job, so anything he gives someone is meaningless.
Thank you, Coach Belichick, for rejecting the Trump award. https://t.co/qyxWJT5VAd
– Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) January 12, 2021
Although he describes himself as apolitical, Belichick got into politics occasionally.
In 2016, Trump read an enthusiastic letter from Belichick during the campaign, in which the coach praised his courage and leadership. Although Trump said the letter offers “best wishes for great results” on election day and “the opportunity to make America great again”, Belichick said it was just to support a friend.
The coach’s support for Trump was criticized by some fans, but it did not appear to affect his position with players in the locker room. Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, is also a friend of Trump.
The president of the United States has a long struggle with the NFL over players kneeling during the national anthem, a gesture that was first adopted by some black players to protest racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Trump called on the league to prohibit players from “kneeling” in protest.
Tense relationships between the team’s players and the president have emerged on several occasions, including in 2019, when the Patriots failed to attend a regular White House event to celebrate the Super Bowl victory, citing conflicting times.
After George Floyd’s death this summer, Patriots players praised Belichick for providing an open forum for them to express their feelings about race and social injustice in America.