The Philadelphia Eagles have not publicly confirmed whether they will receive or accept an invitation to visit the White House after their Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.
According to ESPN, most American sports teams have visited the White House as part of a 160-year tradition after winning a championship game. However, in recent years, politics has been at the forefront of determining whether someone would accept the invitation based on the sitting president.
While Eagles captain Lane Johnson said it would be an honor to go no matter who is in office, it is ultimately a team decision, Newsweek reported. Despite only staying for the first half, President Donald Trump was the first sitting president to attend a Superbowl game.
Earlier reports stated that Trump predicted a Chiefs victory, and several team members and personnel are staunch supporters of his. With the Eagles emerging as Super Bowl champions, their win echoes their 2018 victory over the New England Patriots during Trump’s first term. At the time, Trump rescinded their White House invitation after several players knelt during the national anthem. Only two players were willing to attend.
In early February, The Sun reported that sources close to the Eagles said there were discussions about the team not visiting the White House. During Super Bowl weekend, team owner Jeff Lurie, who has openly criticized Trump, did not confirm nor deny if the team would accept the traditional invitation.
‘We won’t back down from our values of respect’
An insider told the newspaper that based on recent discussions, it would be a “massive no” to accept the invitation.
“We focus on the game for now, but if we win the Super Bowl, we wouldn’t go to the White House,” a member of the ownership group confirmed to the outlet.
An anonymous Eagles star player echoed similar sentiments, stating, “pretty much everyone” did not want to meet with Trump.
“We represent a city and a state that is pushing for equal rights, respect, and values that respect every human being,” he told the outlet.
“We won’t forget what happened and the criticism we received for taking a stand against racism, and we won’t back down from our values of respect, integrity, and equality.”
