US News

Super Bowl Champion Eagles Accept White House Invitation; Scheduled to Visit in April


Last month, a report emerged claiming that the team would decline a visit if they won, similar to their decision not to go after their 2018 victory.

The Philadelphia Eagles are set to visit the White House to commemorate their Super Bowl triumph.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt verified this information during the daily press briefing on March 11. The discussion around the Eagles’ visit to the White House had sparked controversy after initial reports suggested the team would decline the invitation. The Eagles had previously not attended the White House after winning Super Bowl LII in 2018.

“I can confirm that the Philadelphia Eagles will be here at the White House on April 28 to celebrate their Super Bowl victory,” Leavitt stated. “There has been a lot of misinformation regarding whether the invitation was sent or not. We want to set the record straight. An invitation was sent, and they accepted it with enthusiasm. You will see them here on April 28.”

A spokesperson for the team confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark on Monday that they accepted the invitation.

The original report, which appeared in the tabloid U.S. Sun on February 6, just three days before the game, quoted an anonymous “well-placed insider” claiming that players had expressed a “massive no” during talks about a possible White House visit.

“Our focus is on the game right now, but if we win the Super Bowl, we wouldn’t go to the White House,” an unnamed member of the Eagles’ ownership noted in the Sun.

The Sun also cited an anonymous “current player” who claimed that “pretty much everyone” agreed not to accept the invitation.

“We represent a city and a state that are advocating for equal rights, respect, and values that honor every individual,” the unidentified player mentioned. He highlighted Trump’s past criticisms of the Eagles’ social justice efforts and emphasized that the players are committed to their principles of respect, integrity, and equality.

The Eagles quickly dismissed these reports, and Clark reported on February 24 that the team planned to accept an invitation. At that time, the White House had yet to send one. Pro Football Talk later reported that a “source with direct knowledge of the team’s plans” stated that they would be honored to attend and had never considered declining the invitation.
Trump announced he would extend the invite the following day. “I thought they performed excellently, and they will certainly be given an invitation,” he remarked from the Oval Office on February 25. He then instructed a staff member to send out the invitation, saying, “We’ll do it today. They deserve to be here, and we hope to see them.”

When the Eagles opted not to visit in 2018, the NFL’s social justice demonstrations during the anthem were highly visible, with Trump consistently criticizing players for their protests. He disinvited the team after many players chose not to attend.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Trump said in a statement back then. “They disagree with their President, who insists that they stand proudly for the National Anthem, hand on heart, to honor the great men and women of our military and the people of our country. The Eagles wanted to send a smaller group, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”
Eagles players Malcolm Jenkins and Torrey Smith responded by criticizing Trump for politicizing the anthem protests and reaffirming their commitment to social justice.



Source link

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.