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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 6 June 2018

Talk about political football: No

Eagles at the White House

By JILL COLVIN and JONA- said the team notified the that season’s champion
THAN LEMIRE White House last Thursday New England Patriots, opt-
Associated Press that 81 people, including ed to skip a White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tak- players, coaches, manag- visit.
ing on the NFL and foot- ers and others would be at- Instead, the president held
ball’s Super Bowl champs, tending the Super Bowl cel- what he dubbed a “patri-
President Donald Trump ebration. But she said the otic celebration” that was
gave the boot to a White team got back in touch short and spare. A military
House ceremony for the late Friday and tried to re- band and chorus delivered
Philadelphia Eagles on schedule, “citing the fact the Star-Spangled Banner Tim Dagit of Chester Springs, Pa. holds up an Philadelphia Eagles
Tuesday and instead threw that many players would and God Bless America, jersey for quarterback Carson Wentz and an American flag dur-
ing the “Celebration of America” event on the South Lawn of the
his own brief “Celebration not be in attendance.” with brief Trump remarks White House, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in Washington.
of America” after it be- The Eagles proposed a sandwiched in between.q Associated Press
came clear most players time when Trump would be
weren’t going to show up. overseas.
Both sides traded hot ac- Eagles officials declined
cusations about who was comment on the White
to blame. House version of events,
Trump tried to turn the fra- sticking with a simple earli-
cas into a referendum on er statement: “We are truly
patriotism and tie it to the grateful for all of the sup-
dispute over players who port we have received and
have taken a knee during we are looking forward to
the national anthem to continuing our prepara-
protest racism and police tions for the 2018 season.”
brutality. However, Eagles No one connected with
players never knelt during the team said the players’
the “Star-Spangled Ban- reluctance to attend had
ner,” throughout the 2017 anything to do with the
season and their march to national anthem, as Trump
the Super Bowl. tried to portray the situa-
The White House accused tion. And comments by star
Eagles team members of players in the current pro
pulling a “political stunt” basketball finals indicated
and abandoning their fans it’s not about football.
by backing out at the last “I know no matter who wins
minute. Indeed, few ap- this series, no one wants the
parently were going to invite anyway. So it won’t
come, though some ex- be Golden State or Cleve-
pressed disappointment land going,” said LeBron
that they’d been disinvited James of the Cleveland
and complained Trump Cavaliers. There was no dis-
was unfairly painting them agreement from Stephen
as anti-American. Curry, who angered Trump
Trump had long been leery last year when he said he
of the Eagles’ planned visit wouldn’t go to the White
to the White House, in part House after the Warriors’
because the team’s own- NBA triumph, leading the
er, Jeffrey Lurie, has been a president to disinvite him
Trump critic, and because and his team.
several players have been Trump, furious about the
vocal critics of the league’s small number of Eagles who
new policy that requires were coming, scrapped
players to stand if they’re Tuesday’s visit, believing a
on the field during the na- low turnout would reflect
tional anthem or else stay poorly upon him. He had
in the locker room. told aides last year he was
White House spokeswoman embarrassed when Tom
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Brady, star quarterback of