This year’s Super Bowl somehow turned into a political battlefield. Currently, the media is attempting to evaluate the accuracy of reports claiming that the Philadelphia Eagles would be forgoing their trip to the White House following their victory at Super Bowl LIX. Analysts have already begun to assess the potential motives behind the team’s alleged decision.
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Despite clarifying that they have yet to receive an official invitation and that no such decision has been made at this time, some believe that the Eagles would be more than justified to skip out on the nation’s tradition. But wouldn’t it be well within their rights to not accept the invite considering the President was actively rooting for the Chiefs?
That’s what Stephen A. Smith highlighted on his show when he informed his viewers that if there was ever a team that reserved the right to pass up a White House invitation, it’s the Eagles.
“He wasn’t rooting for Taylor Swift, but he was rooting for the Chiefs… Usually, presidents are quiet about that, unless it’s their home team. Trump ain’t from Kansas City!,” he said.
As if that’s not reason enough, the Eagles have another very good reason for staying out the White House.
In 2018, President Trump had infamously rescinded the team’s invitation to the White House after their win over the Patriots. Although other controversies played a hand in the final decision, Trump said he rescinded the offer due to the lack of players who were willing to attend the event.
In a 2018 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the President cited the team’s poor attendance numbers, in addition to their decision to remain in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem, as the main reasons behind his decision to cancel the event.
The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2018
“The Eagles ain’t feeling him… If there is any team that’s justified not to go to the White House to see Trump… It would be the Philadelphia Eagles. Do you know why? It’s because the president openly rooted against the team for the Super Bowl. He was openly rooting against the Eagles and he uninvited them last time they won,” Smith explained.
Given the uneven status of the franchise’s relationship with the Trump administration, Smith believes that the Eagles now reserve the right to do whatever they see fit.
As the league continues to market itself as a platform for both political beliefs and religious values, hot-button topics such as these will continue to arise throughout the foreseeable future. Thankfully, for both fans and analysts alike, the external noise from the world of politics continues to take a back seat to the product that is on the field.
