Jill, Jill, Jill.
First Lady of the United States Jill Biden speaks after sitting in on a panel discussion with authors Geraldine Brooks, Sadeqa Johnson, Katy Simpson Smith and moderator Morgan Babst during the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University in New Orleans, Friday, March 10, 2023. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Pause just for a minute. Instead of being the First Lady of the United States, think about being one of Two First Ladies of the United States.
Or think what hubby Joe might think of being co-president with Kamala Harris, or, gulp, with the guy he beat. That wouldn't work well.
Jill Biden was at the NCAA national women's championship game between our LSU Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday. Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey and her team celebrated and were celebrated. The next day, Biden was at an event in Denver thinking ahead.
"I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come,” the nation's only first lady said at the Colorado state capitol. “But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game.”
Wait. What?
Iowa lost.
The score was 102-85. That's not even close.
Since when does the runner-up get a participation trophy invite to the White House?
LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey speaks duringa celebration inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Monday, April 3, 2023, after the team's 102-85 win over Iowa on Sunday gave the Tigers their first-ever NCAA women's basketball national championship.
The suggestion caused a stir. Louisiana politicians like U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Louisiana Democrat and a Biden supporter, and mega media commentators like ESPN's Stephen A. Smith quickly weighed in.
“To The Most Honorable (President Biden) and (First Lady Biden)...,' the congressman said in a statement. "With no disrespect to the outstanding players of the Iowa women’s team … they did not win!
LSU Tigers basketball star Angel Reese called the idea a "JOKE."
“I mean absolutely zero disrespect to the First Lady, but you are 1000% correct," Smith said in response.
LSU women's basketball teamforward Angel Reese flashes an 'L' for LSU, at a celebration inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Monday, April 3, 2023, after the team's 102-85 win over Iowa on Sunday gave the Tigers their first-ever NCAA women's basketball national championship.
Biden said she was thinking about how much progress we've made since Title IX gave women's sports more equal footing in college athletics in 1972.
I get it. There has been a lot of progress. There are more athletic individual and team sport opportunities for women. There are more athletic scholarships for women. Some women's coaches are being paid more. Still, there's more that needs to be done to achieve equality.
Thankfully, Jill Biden walked back the idea and President Biden said he would welcome the LSU national women's championship team and the University of Connecticut national men's championship team to the Big House.
Women who are getting these opportunities don't want participation trophies. They want inclusion and a chance to do their best.
And when they triumph, as the Tigers did so dramatically, they want, and deserve, a solo invitation to the White House. Just like the guys get.
