Super Bowl LII Champions
Philadelphia Eagles
Hearing President Trump say it, you might think that the Eagles were eagerly anticipating his White House visit, and that he crushed their hopes because of the unpatriotic actions of the few. Of course, Trump has a well-known history of saying misleading things, if not downright lying to suit his purposes.
In fact, what happened was that the vast majority of members of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles had refused to participate in the event, in protest of Trump's budding his nose in on the peaceful national anthem protests. Just a few members of the Eagles were still scheduled to visit the White House and meet with the President.
Still, Trump tried to make it seem like he was taking preemptive action to address an issue, when in fact it sure felt like he was reacting to the protests involving the vast majority of the Philadeklphia Eagles. After all, how embarrassing would it have been for a president in love with ratings and popularity for just a token few members of the championship squad to show up for what is supposed to be a great honor? And so, Trump officially rescinded the invitation:
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Mr. Trump said in a statement released Monday evening. “They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”
Still, Trump tried to make it seem like he was taking preemptive action to address an issue, when in fact it sure felt like he was reacting to the protests involving the vast majority of the Philadeklphia Eagles. After all, how embarrassing would it have been for a president in love with ratings and popularity for just a token few members of the championship squad to show up for what is supposed to be a great honor? And so, Trump officially rescinded the invitation:
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Mr. Trump said in a statement released Monday evening. “They disagree with their president because he insists that they proudly stand for the national anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”
As I have written about the decision already, it needs to be reiterated that the protest is not specifically meant to disrespect the flag, or the sacrifices of the veterans, but rather to raise awareness for an important issue that has become glaringly obvious to anyone who is honest enough to acknowledge that it is, indeed, a problem. That problem would be racial inequality, which persists, and was particularly glaring with numerous mostly young men of color being shot unnecessarily by police officers.
Of course, President Trump has never been known to have much of a concern for young black men, and he of course weighed in, manipulating this issue to, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr suggested, to appeal to the lowest common denominator.
In fact, it is now a free speech issue, and President Trump clearly stands against free speech in this case. Remember, the right to free speech does not simply protect popular free speech. It specifically is meant to protect unpopular speech, and clearly the protests are unpopular among most NFL fans. But that does not make it illegal, or worthy of being a firing offense, as President Trump has suggested.
For their part, members of the Eagles do not sound sorry. In fact, many are expressing pride in how the Eagles have handled this situation. The team issued the following statement:
In fact, it is now a free speech issue, and President Trump clearly stands against free speech in this case. Remember, the right to free speech does not simply protect popular free speech. It specifically is meant to protect unpopular speech, and clearly the protests are unpopular among most NFL fans. But that does not make it illegal, or worthy of being a firing offense, as President Trump has suggested.
For their part, members of the Eagles do not sound sorry. In fact, many are expressing pride in how the Eagles have handled this situation. The team issued the following statement:
A few Eagles specifically took exception to the president's interpretation of this issue. Torrey Smith, a former wide receiver for Philadelphia, specifically targeted Trump's tendency to lie and/or suggest misleading things. Here is what he said:
“So many lies. Here are some facts 1. Not many people were going to go 2. No one refused to go simply because Trump ‘insists’ folks stand for the anthem 3. The President continues to spread the false narrative that players are anti military.”
The controversy goes on. But I will say this: despite being a Giants fan: at one point in the late eighties and early nineties, I loathed the Eagles. But as an American citizen, as a fan of the NFL, and a supporter of free speech, I applaud the Philadelphia Eagles, and feel proud of their actions here. They stood up for free speech, despite it being unpopular among many of their own fans. That took courage, standing up for what they felt is right, and I hope that they enjoy continued success as a result of this.
Some things are more important than football, and almost everything is more important and genuine than President Trump's ridiculous tweets.
Here is the link to the New York Times article by Michael D. Shear that I used in writing this particular blog entry, including all the quotes that were used in it:
Trump Abruptly Calls Off Eagles Super Bowl Celebration at White House by Michael D. Shear June 4, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/sports/philadelphia-eagles-white-house.html
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