By OSABUOHIEN IMUETINYANOSA
Philadelphia Eagles hold a victory parade after Super Bowl win Claiming
People take part in the victory parade of the Philadelphia Eagles, after they won the Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.,
Philadelphia Eagles gladly would accept the invitation to the White House traditionally extended to Super Bowl champions, multiple outlets reported.
That refutes rumors that reached a crescendo Monday that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie would decline to visit with President Donald Trump.
Front Office Sports, citing an NFL source, said the Eagles “look forward” to an invitation, which the White House confirmed to Politico had not been issued as of Monday.
Trump was at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 when the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans. He left early in the second half but was the first sitting president to attend the championship game.
The Eagles are the first team to win a championship in Trump’s second term, but he did host the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Feb. 3, nearly eight months after they won the title.
In Trump’s first term, which began in January 2017, some teams didn’t get an invitation or players declined to attend, saying they were against Trump policies and positions. That included his stand against players who chose to kneel for the national anthem.
After winning the 2018 Super Bowl, most Eagles players and coaches said they would boycott a visit to Washington, D.C. Instead, Trump pulled the invitation and gave the stage to the U.S. Marine Band and Army Chorus for a musical tribute to the nation. (Reuters).
It has been a long-standing tradition for the Super Bowl-winning team to visit the White House for celebrating their championship with the President.
However, some Eagles players and staff had some reservations about visiting the White House which they expressed due to disagreements with President Donald Trump’s policies and actions.
On June 5, 2018, only a few Eagles players, including quarterback Nick Foles, tight end Zach Ertz, and defensive end Chris Long, attended the White House visit. And during the visit, President Trump lavished praises on the Eagles for their outstanding performance to claim the Super Bowl win and for commitment to patriotism They were duely appreciated
The Eagles’ Super Bowl win and White House visit were historic moments, but also sparked controversy and discussion about the intersection of sports and politics.
The controversy was further fueled by the team’s history with President Trump, who had previously canceled their White House visit in 2018 due to disagreements over national anthem protests. Trump had stated that some team members “disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart. ‘
The said controversial reports and the team’s complicated history with Trump, did contribute to the controversy surrounding their potential White House visit. Nonetheless, it appears that the Eagles are now willing to start a fresh page with Donald trump and visit the White House, with team sources stating that they would be “honored” to receive an invitation.
