America is an extremely weird place where, despite all their blustering about being a republic, they still force all champions of the realm to go pay homage to the monarch-like figurehead of the country. It’s just that instead of granting a jousting champion audience in the castle with the King, it’s more that whoever wins a World Championship gets to go to the White House to meet the President.
Only problem is that ever since some bloviating pig-fish with a head like a condom full of walnuts named Donald Trump took office, pro-athletes haven’t exactly been frothing with keenness to get over to Washington to shake his tiny hand.
Some members of the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles are the latest to state they will not be partaking in the White House visit in the fall out from their historic title win yesterday.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins today joined wide received Torrey Smith and defensive end Chris Long in boycotting the White House visit over Trump’s presidency, with Jenkins confirming his absence from the visit on CNN earlier today.
Philadelphia Eagles star Malcolm Jenkins says he intends to skip the team’s upcoming visit to the White House to commemorate their Super Bowl victory https://t.co/l0GhR7jev7 pic.twitter.com/mIDgaCuPtt
— CNN (@CNN) February 5, 2018
Jenkins, a team leader and captain, has lead the team in their stance in protest of the US criminal justice system, with the Eagles standing firmly in support of incarcerated Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill.
The team took the field at the Super Bowl as Mill’s 2012 tune ‘Dreams and Nightmares‘ rang out around the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Jenkins has repeatedly raised his fist during the National Anthem at NFL games and has remained one of the most outspoken footballers amid Donald Trump’s continued campaign on players freely expressing themselves in protest, and he spoke of much the same while appearing on CNN today:
My message has been clear all year … I want to see changes in our criminal justice system. I want to see us push for economical and educational advancement in communities of colour and low-income communities. And I want to see our relationship between our communities and our law enforcement be advanced.
In addition to Jenkins, Torrey Smith confirmed he would also skip the White House visit just prior to the Super Bowl.
As for long, this will be the second White House invitation decline in as many years. Long was a member of last year’s Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots, and refused to attend the meeting with Trump along with several of his teammates. This year, he’s doing the same.
This is Philadelphia Eagles player Chris Long. He donated his entire season’s income to charity, including his first 6 paychecks to Charlottesville Scholarship programs.
Long also says he WILL NOT attend the WH to meet with Trump if the Eagles win the #SuperBowl #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/rVfUJjS1kB
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 4, 2018
It remains to be seen how many members of the Eagles will boycott the White House visit, but with Jenkins being a significant locker room leader it’s not much of a stretch to suggest it’ll be more than a few.
Trump himself has yet to issue comment on this latest sporting boycott, which now spans practically every major American professional sporting league. He did, however, congratulate the Eagles on their Super Bowl win shortly after the game concluded yesterday.
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018
You can’t help but think a 4am rage tweet is on its way, though.
