"Totally an optional thing" - Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sets record straight on White House invite from President Donald Trump
Philadelphia Eagles’ owner, Jeffrey Lurie, made it clear to his players that they have the right to decide if they want to be a part of the team's upcoming White House visit.
"Our culture is that these are optional things," Lurie said on Tuesday. "If you want to enjoy this, come along, and we'll have a great time, and if you don't, it is totally an optional thing."
The Eagles would be the first team invited to visit President Donald Trump in the White House in his second term. Lurie also elaborated on why the team accepted the invitation.
"We just felt this is a time honored tradition being invited by the White House," the businessman said. "So there was no reticence whatsoever. To be celebrated at the White House is a good thing. There were special circumstances (in 2018) that were very different, and so this was kind of an obvious choice, and look forward to it.”
Head coach Nick Sirianni also spoke about the upcoming White House visit during his media availability at the NFL annual meeting on Tuesday. He called it "an honor" in his remarks. The visit is scheduled for April 28, and it is unclear which Eagles players, if any, will choose not to go.
The Eagles also won the Super Bowl in 2018, when President Trump was in office during his first term. At the time, the team chose not to accept the invitation as several players intended to boycott the event. President Trump then rescinded the invitation. That led to a trend in the NFL where the Super Bowl champions no longer visit the White House.
Jeffrey Lurie speaks about parade after Super Bowl win
Jeffrey Lurie, a businessman who has owned the Eagles since 1994, also told reporters that the parade in Philadelphia after their latest Super Bowl win was one of the most memorable experiences in his life.
“The parade in Philadelphia, there are no words for this," Lurie said. "Honestly. There are no words when you are up there and looking at a million, two million people screaming for four hours straight along Broad Street and then going up to the art museum.”
The Eagles' parade was held on Friday, February 14. According to estimates from city officials, over a million people showed up on the streets of Philadelphia as the Eagles travelled from Broad Street to City Hall and the Rocky Steps. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX.