The Eagles: Business as usual ...
The Eagles are at home in Philadelphia today doing what they had originally planned to do, practicing football. Voluntary OTAa started last week are in progress and mini-camp begins next week.
>> President Trump had the Eagles all wrong, but it's hardly a surprise
Nick Fierro
The Morning Call
June 04, 2018
mcall.com
President Trump can hardly be blamed for telling the Eagles not to bother less than 24 hours before they were scheduled to be honored at his White House today.
After all, the intelligence he received was that less than 10 players from the Super Bowl championship team would be turning up.
That would have been a disastrous look.
So naturally, the fight he picked in his rant about why he rescinded the invitation had nothing to do with anything, because the real reason would have been a proven bad look that he already experienced with the Golden State Warriors last year.
Shrewd man, this Trump.
Not wanting to make the same mistake, he issued the following nonsensical statement:
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. 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. The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better. These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony—one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem. I will be there at 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America.”
Perfect, when considering the situation.
Here are the facts:
No Eagles sat out the anthem last year — and less than a handful followed the lead of safety Malcolm Jenkins raising his fist. What’s more, that all stopped after the NFL owners decided to donate money to Jenkins’ Players Coalition.
Oh, and one more thing. Nobody ever stayed in the locker room either.
No more controversy, Nothing more to see here, folks. Move along.
But it meant that Trump basically had no other option but to pander with a false narrative.
He couldn’t have made it about anything else. It would have been too bad a look.
Almost as bad a look as the double spaces between sentences.
Somebody on his press staff needs to tell him that practice ended with the retirement of the typewriter. <<
>> Why is Fox News showing Philadelphia Eagles' prayer as national anthem protest?
Aaron Kasinitz
Penn Live
June 05, 2018
pennlive.com
Philadelphia Eagles' Zach Ertz kneels in prayer before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Philadelphia. - AP Photo/Michael Perez -
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz expressed anger on Twitter over a video Fox News posted Monday night that showed the Pro Bowl player kneeling to pray.
Fox News' video covered President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the Eagles' trip to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl title. When Trump learned many of the team's players were expected to skip the event, he said he would not welcome a small delegation of Eagles.
In the video that drew Ertz's ire, Fox News pointed out Trump's criticisms of players who took took a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustice. But Ertz never took part in a national anthem demonstration, aside from a Week 3 game in which the entire team stood and locked arms during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Ertz, a devout Christian, did pray before games, however. He reposted Fox News' video with this message: "Praying before games with my teammates, well before the anthem, is being used for your propaganda?! Just sad, I feel like you guys should have to be better than this..."
No active member of the Eagles remained in the locker room during the national anthem in 2017 or knelt before a regular-season game. Cornerback Ron Brooks took a knee before a preseason game, but he didn't make the regular-season roster.
Safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod raised their right fists in the air during the national anthem before every game in the first three months of the season to protest the oppression of people of color, they said. Standing wiyh his hand over his heart defensive end Chris Long joined them by placing his arm around Jenkins as a show of support.
All three stopped protesting in December after the NFL pledged $89 million to social justice causes. <<
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