The Philadelphia Eagles will reportedly go to the White House if invited, pouring cold water on the online firestorm after bogus claims said the Super Bowl champions rejected the invitation
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday evening that the team “looks forward” to receiving an invitation from President Donald Trump.
“To those wondering,” Schefter said in a tweet. “Eagles sources say the team is planning on visiting the White House this off-season and looks forward to receiving its invitation.”
That tweet came after a multi-day social media frenzy that began with a bogus claim that the Eagles had already turned down the president’s offer. The rumor was based on a weeks-old report from The U.S. Sun, which claimed an anonymous player told the outlet that everyone on the team decided days before Super Bowl LIX that they would not visit the White House if they won the game.
The rumor drew the ire of a number of prominent conservative voices, including Megyn Kelly. Hours after lashing out at the team, however, Kelly acknowledged the possibility that she’d been duped amid the social media outrage.
According to additional reporting from insider Ian Rapoport, the team would be “honored” to receive an invitation and are excited about going to the White Hous
The tradition of Super Bowl-winning teams visiting the White House began with the Pittsburgh Steelers after their Super Bowl XIV victory in 1980 during Jimmy Carter’s presidency.
While most teams have visited over the years, the tradition has increasingly become political, with players and teams sometimes declining the invitation based on personal or political reasons.
In 2018, President Trump notably disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles after reports emerged that multiple players planned to skip in protest.
