The Philadelphia Eagles have caused a stir by reportedly turning down an invitation to visit the White House after their Super Bowl win, sparking a furious backlash from MAGA supporters.
This comes after President Donald Trump made history as the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl game. Over the past few years, political tension surrounding the NFL has been high, with critics claiming the league has gone “woke” or tilted too far left. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has backed policies on diversity and inclusion, which Trump has openly opposed.
What to Know
According to a report on Sunday from the U.S. Sun, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to skip a visit to the White House.
The Eagles’ captain, Lane Johnson, previously said that it would be an honor to go, but that the decision to meet with the president if they are invited will be left up to a team vote.
The Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018 while Trump was president, and they did not attend the customary meeting with him following their victory.
The president said he was not inviting the Eagles to the White House following their Super Bowl win because Eagles players had knelt for the national anthem. Before rescinding his invitation, it was reported that only two players from the team were planning on meeting with the president, as the others did not want to go.
The act of taking the knee as a form of protest was first made by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016, and it has since become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.
Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ quarterback was asked prior to the Super Bowl how he felt about Trump attending the game. When questioned by reporters about whether Trump’s presence was an “added pressure,” he responded: “No ma’am.” Hurts has been applauded on social media, after he made history by becoming the first NFL player in history to assemble an entirely female management team.
His response to the question about Trump is markedly different to that of Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, who said that it would be a “great honor” for the president to be in attendance for the biggest game in his career.
What People Are Saying
Journalist Megyn Kelly on X: “GO F YOURSELVES EAGLES. My husband is a fan so I got onboard but F this BS.”
