You need to get someone on your defense to put a fist through his mask during training camp or something, then!
Eagles appear to be taking the high road by NOT saying anything that could be seen as confrontational. "Forced" the Eagles to go...? Are you serious with that nonsense? What else can he force them to do? Buy certain brands of food or sneakers? Hate the Eagles - support them 100% here. LOVE the act that only about 10 of them were going to attend, and Donny Two-Scoops got all butt-hurt over having so few football players love him.
What about Golden State Axe? Do you love them too ? You're letting your political beliefs interject here. Why does it have to be about politics instead of going to the WH for lunch and a photo op with the President of the United States ? Why do teams and individuals make this about themselves when it's the team that won and the team that should go to the WH? He's the fucking owner Axe, he can do whatever he wants as long as he signs their paychecks! Brands of food or sneakers is a silly comparison ! It should be an honor to go to the WH for any sports team under any President. Why now under Trump is this so bad ? Because they didn't vote for him? Because he feels differently about the anthem? No one mentioned Obama's Presidency besides Brady and Tim Thomas, for not going before. What about the Bush's or Reagan or Clinton? It would be an outrage if a team didn't go when they were President. This should be no different now. It shouldn't be about Republican or Democrat. It should be a cordial afternoon in the WH celebrating your first Super Bowl victory with the Commander and Chief of the US.
Damn right politics come into play here - the President called YOUR guys "sons of bitches" and suggested they should either a) be fired, or b) kicked out of the country. And now they're supposed to just suck it up and say "Oh, yay - I'd LOVE to meet the guy who continues to insult me!" Your quarrel is (or should be) with Trump, not the players. HE's the one who canceled. HE's the one making this a political football (no pun intended) by underscoring the anthem issue. Obama and Bush (and Clinton) didn't insult the players over and over and over again - which is why (outside of folks like Thomas or Mike Ditka) players still went to the event even if they didn't go along with the man's politics. And, no Cat, Laurie CAN'T just do whatever he wants. He can't command his players to go here or go there, wherever his whim drives him.
Don't want to continue a discussion that's veering toward politics here - we can create something elsewhere (Eagles board? some other Miscellaneous thread? Political board?)
many Eagles said they would boycott visiting Trump long before he made those comments Axe. Trump didn't insult Golden State and Steph Curry still said he wasn't going and then others said they weren't going and then Trump said "FU" no one goes. So it seems like everyone else in this nation, that didn't vote for Trump, has an issue with him in office and will say whatever reason they want to not go to the WH. Golden State started it. The women's South Carolina NCAA Champion basketball team was second and now the Eagles are following along. Lurie should've rationed with the players over this before it got out of hand like it has. bargain with them instead of this happening now. and sorry Axe, he's the owner, he can ask the players to go. Don't make it out like he has 0 power. Going to the WH does not break any NFL Union League rules that puts the player in any harm or illegal act. It's about representing the Eagles as Super Bowl Champions with the leader of the country. That's not breaking any laws, regardless of what Trump said. As an organization, they should've went begrudgingly as an honor to be there. This isn't the Mayor or the Governor. It's the President of the Unites States of America ! Honor the office.
Again - I don't want to clog up the NFL board with a political discourse. Let me know where you'd like to move the discussion to.
And destroy the team? Guess who they bargained with though... the White House. They've been trying to get logistics down for weeks. HE doesn't completely control their lives. There is nothing in the CBA or contracts that says they have to go, especially in the offseason. Of course he can be a dick and make an ultimatum but that would be wreak the team even before the NFLPA gets on his ass. I'm not even going to go there in detail (others can on the political board) but you are there for him to honor you, not vice versa and Trump doesn't really give a shit about anyone on the team for various reasons. Plus Trump made it political with his strategic cancellation and what he blamed it on.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfls-punishment-trying-appease-president-trump-034557787.html this sums it up very well from both sides. The NFL is at fault here as a league over this issue and not just the Eagles. Trump's angle is wrong as well and fueled with incorrect information. Both are wrong here in my book. The Eagles as part of the NFL are wrong as well as President Trump. As I said Lurie should've went to the players and made a compromise. He didn't. His players didn't want to go besides 10 of them and now no one is going. Bad all around.
I didn’t give 2 shits when Spider Hole Timmy bailed on the br00nz’ visit to see Obama. Why care what these athletes do or don’t do? I wouldn’t visit the WH these days. Fuck Donnie and his PR (not Puerto Rico) opportunities. This president made a political move with his opinion on the anthem and his opinion held sway on the matter. Donnie made this bed now he gets to lie in it. The worst thing you can do that guy is point out how unpopular he is, so ... ... pour. it. on.
It’s stupid for teams to visit the President anyways just because they won a championship. What does that have to do with the government? Also while we are at it, let’s eliminate the National Anthem from sporting events. Why give overpaid morons a stage to make asses out of themselves?