As cleanup from the celebrations in Philadelphia continued Monday, some Eagles players had business of their own to handle, declaring they would not visit President Donald Trump at the White House.
Several Eagles players have said they will not attend the traditional Super Bowl champions' visit to the White House.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins, a leader in the player's coalition that has met with NFL officials about social justice issues, explained his reasons Monday to CNN.
"My message has been clear all year. I’m about creating positive change in the communities that I come from, whether it be Philadelphia, New Jersey, Ohio, Louisiana, or this entire country," Jenkins said. "I want to see changes in our criminal justice system. I want to see us push for economic and educational advancement in communities of color and low-income communities."
Defensive end Chris Long, who skipped the White House visit last year as a member of the Patriots, had already said he would not go this year, either.
“No, I’m not going to the White House. Are you kidding me?” Long said last week on the Pardon My Take podcast.
Running back LeGarrette Blount, who like Long moved from the Patriots to the Eagles this season, skipped last year's White House ceremony. He said at the time, "I just don’t feel welcome into that house."
Blount hasn't announced his plans for this year.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith also indicated he'll skip the ceremony, while also getting back at fans who'd trolled him on social media recently.
Reading the tweets from the last week from all of the Trump supporters destroying my mentions saying “You gotta win before you even get invited to the White House” pic.twitter.com/KkjJSi7AxJ
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) February 5, 2018
There has long been precedent for athletes skipping championship commemorations at the White House; Celtics legend Larry Bird once passed on a visit with President Ronald Reagan at the White House, saying, "If the president wants to see me, he knows where to find me." Yet they've become more common, and source of controversy, during President Trump's time in office.
The Patriots attended last year's celebration, although a sizable number of players were missing. The NBA champion Golden State Warriors opted not to accept their invitation last year when the president uninvited Stephen Curry for his comments on the president. The NCAA basketball champion Tar Heels did not attend a commemoration because of a "scheduling conflict."
