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The 2018 NFL Champions are reported to be in talks with Washington over a possible visit to the White House. The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl title earlier this year and have received an invite to visit the White House and meet with President Donald Trump.
The Eagles released a statement saying that it was an honour to receive an invitation to the White House as it recognized what the NFL franchise had achieved on the field and also gave the Eagles an opportunity to interact with the top brass that led America.
However the Super Bowl champions are yet to confirm if they will accept the invitation due to the controversy and tension between President Trump and the NFL. A number of Eagles players have already come out and said that if the team accepts the invite, they will not be going. These players include Chris Long, Malcolm Jenkins and Torrey Smith.
TIME
NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors declined to visit the White House last year due to President Trump’s harsh remarks against NFL players and NBA players. As a result, President Trump withdrew the invite to the Warriors.
President Trump And NFL Relationship Remains Strained
Trump lashed out at the NFL last year over the fact that players were taking a knee and refusing to stand for the National Anthem. President Trump had harsh words for NFL players who protested and called them a few choice names. He also wanted NFL owners to fire any player who disrespected the National Anthem.
His tough stance and crude remarks have not gone down well with players in the NFL and NBA. There is a strong chance that the Eagles could very well decline the White House invite like the Warriors did last year.
Jeff Lurie, who owns the Philadelphia Eagles, is a supporter of Hillary Clinton and loaned money to the Democratic campaign when she ran for President. He is not a fan of President Donald Trump and had made remarks during the National Anthem protests that sent out a strong anti-trump sentiment.
The White House has confirmed that it has extended an invite to the Eagles and is awaiting confirmation. In a statement, a White House rep said
We have been in conversations with the Eagles about timing and are working with them to make it happen .We hope to have something finalized in the next couple of weeks
