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Tarkenton To TMZ: 'Nobody Boycotted Obama Because He's Black, Did They?'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A former Minnesota Vikings great says athletes turning down an invitation to President-elect Donald Trump's White House is "disrespectful" and "stupid."

In an interview with TMZ, Fran Tarkenton said "I'm a big Trump guy."

When TMZ asked Tarkenton about athletes who win championships expressing displeasure with the idea of visiting Trump's White House, the former quarterback let his thoughts fly.

"If a president of the United States, our No. 1 guy, invites you to the – and you're going to boycott it? Because why? It's stupid," Tarkenton said.

Tarkenton said Trump deserves the same respect he thinks athletes have given President Barack Obama.

"Nobody boycotted Obama because he's black, did they?" Tarkenton said. "No, they all went there, because he was our president, and you respect our president, whether you're for him or not."

Former Vikings center Matt Birk refused to visit Obama's White House in 2013 when his Baltimore Ravens team won the Super Bowl. Birk cited Obama's support of Planned Parenthood as the reason for his absence.

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