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Report: Eagles invited to the White House for June 5 visit, several players expected not to attend

Zach Pereles
·3 min read

The Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles have been invited to the White House for a visit on June 5, per WPVI Action News. Exact details of the attendees, time and duration of the visit have not been released.

Several Philadelphia Eagles players, including Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long, plan to skip the visit

Shortly before the Super Bowl LII, defensive end Chris Long told Barstool Sports he did not plan on attending the White House visit if the Eagles were to win.

“No, I’m not going to the White House. Are you kidding me?…My son grows up, and I believe the legacy of our president is going to be what it is, I don’t want him to say, ‘Hey dad, why’d you go [to the White House] when you knew the right thing was to not go?'”

Long, 33, has been one of the league’s most active players when it comes to political and social issues. He donated his entire 2017 salary to scholarships and organizations that promote equality. He did not visit President Donald Trump’s White House last year, either, after he won Super Bowl LI with the New England Patriots. Running back LeGarrette Blount, now with the Detroit Lions, also did not visit following the Patriots’ victory but has not announced his plans regarding the Eagles’ visit.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins and wide receiver Torrey Smith, now a member of the Carolina Panthers, also said they would skip the trip. Long, Jenkins and Smith are all part of the Players Coalition, which partnered with the NFL to contribute nearly $90 million over seven years to programs dealing with criminal justice reform, law enforcement, community relations and education.

Golden State Warriors had their invitation withdrawn by President Trump

In the wake of the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Championship win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the question of whether or not the team would visit became a frequent one. Head coach Steve Kerr and many of the team’s prominent players, including two-time MVP Stephen Curry, have been critical of Trump, and in September, Trump withdrew his invitation via Twitter.

The Warriors spent the day they would have visited the White House taking students from star forward Kevin Durant’s hometown of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, on a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Many athletes have skipped the visit under President Trump

Aside from Long and Blount, many other Patriots, including Tom Brady, did not attend the White House visit in April. A month earlier, Carlos Correa of the World Series champion Houston Astros skipped the visit to provide hurricane relief aid to his native Puerto Rico. Multiple other players did not attend, and President Trump had more than a few awkward moments with Jose Altuve.

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