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Hampton no fan of Obama, will skip White House event

Count Dan Hampton out of the 1985 Chicago Bears' White House reunion.

The former defensive tackle will snub the team's appearance with President Obama early next month, reports ProFootballTalk.com.

"I don’t choose to go," Hampton told WSCR-AM on Monday. "No family, no kids (players' families weren't invited to the event) ... Secondly, I’m not a fan of the guy in the White House, and third, it was 25 years ago. Let it go."

The Bears missed the traditional celebration in 1986 because the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded two days after the Super Bowl. Obama, a Bears fan and former Illinois state senator, invited the 1985 team to a White House ceremony scheduled for Oct. 7.

"It basically just rolled off our backs, and now, 25 years later to say, ‘Let’s put the band back together.’ No, I’m not in," Hampton said.