Patriots’ White House visit 2017 live stream: Start time, TV coverage, and how to watch online

Less than a year after writing a letter praising President Donald Trump, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will get to visit him in the White House. However, star quarterback Tom Brady won’t attend the White House Visit due to “personal family matters.”

The five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback released a statement stating why he won’t be in attendance. “In light of some recent developments, I am unable to attend today’s ceremony, as I am attending to some personal family matters,” Brady said.

Brady’s mother, Galynn, has been battling an illness for months. She did, however, attend Super Bowl LI and watched her son hoist his fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Brady called past White House trips “a great experience,” but he missed the Patriots’ last trip two years ago during Barack Obama’s presidency.

Now, the Patriots, or at least the bulk of the 2016 team, will celebrate their Super Bowl 51 victory with a customary trip to the White House, where they’ll be honored by President Trump in a formal ceremony.

While several key players have made public statements saying they won’t be attending, the first-term president can still rely on the support of Belichick and Brady, two men whose names came up early and often throughout his campaign.

Wednesday’s celebratory trip will be the fifth Belichick and Brady has been invited to and arguably their sweetest. Brady led New England back from a 28-3 deficit to direct the greatest Super Bowl comeback of all time. The surefire Hall of Famer threw for 466 yards and a pair of touchdowns to thoroughly rip out and then stomp on the hearts of Falcons fans across the globe.

The Patriots have the distinction of being the first championship team to visit President Trump’s White House — the Cubs scheduled their visit on Jan. 16, four days before the incumbent took office. As expected, Trump’s unique ability to court controversy at every turn has been enough to convince at least six New England players to skip the event.

Chris Long, Devin McCourty, Martellus Bennett, Alan Branch, LeGarrette Blount, and Dont’a Hightower will all miss the ceremony. Both McCourty and Blount have gone on record to say they wouldn’t feel welcome in Trump’s White House given his contentious history.

The rest of the roster, barring exceptions, will be in Washington Wednesday afternoon to accept congratulations from the president who had cheered them on throughout his campaign.

Time: 2:30 p.m ET.
TV: C-SPAN
Stream: WhiteHouse.gov, the White House’s Facebook page