Access Politics
Since the Philadelphia Eagles won the Superbowl, they get the honor of possibly visiting the White House, as is the tradition. However, you probably guessed it, some players are skipping the event because of President Donald Trump.
He’s, of course, already had problems with the NFL, criticizing players who knelt during the national anthem which infuriated some of the players. It should be noted that last year, when the New England Patriots won, several players decided not to accept the invitation from the White House. Also, in a different sport, Trump tangled with Stephen Curry after the Golden State Warriors won their NBA championship.
“Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team,” the President tweeted. “Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” The Warriors responded by saying that none of them would go:
“While we intended to meet as a team at the first opportunity we had this morning to collaboratively discuss a potential visit to the White House, we accept that President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited. We believe there is nothing more American than our citizens having the right to express themselves freely on matters important to them,”
This year, what political drama will surround the White House invitation to the Superbowl champions? FoxNews reports that the following players have already said they will not attend a White House function if asked:
Malcolm Jenkins told CNN, ““My message has been clear all year … I want to see changes in our criminal justice system,” he said. “I want to see us push for economical and educational advancement in communities of color and low-income communities. And I want to see our relationship between our communities and our law enforcement be advanced.”
Chris Long also said he would not attend.
Torrey Smith promised not to accept a White House invitation even before they played the game. He told NJ.com, ““We’re very informed about what goes on, and we’re trying to continue to educate ourselves. It’s pretty special to have a group like that of folks that aren’t just socially conscious, but folks who genuinely care about people and care about learning more.”
Stay tuned for more political/sports drama!
Image Credit: By Jennifer Snyder [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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