Philadelphia Eagles and Donald Trump (Photos by Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles have given some clarification on a decision to visit the White House, should they receive an invitation from President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, conflicting reports emerged about the Eagles making a decision on potentially visiting President Trump at the White House. Reports surfaced that the Super Bowl 59 champions have already decided that it would be a “no” if Trump invited them, but that apparently isn’t the case after all.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, a Philadelphia Eagles team source clarified that they would “accept” an invitation from the president. This contrasts with a previous report that the team decided even before Super Bowl 59 that they wouldn’t accept Trump’s offer:

“We would be honored to visit the White House. It’s one of the things we had looked forward to doing and we look forward to receiving the invitation.”

After defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52 in 2018, many Eagles players made it clear that they wouldn’t visit Trump. Contrary to most NFL team owners, Jeffrey Lurie has been a vocal critic of the 45th and 47th president.

Trump later said in a statement that he was rescinding the Eagles’ invitation to the White House. He had done the same thing a year earlier with the 2017 NBA champion Golden State Warriors, who were also publicly critical of him.

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So, are the Philadelphia Eagles really having a change of heart? Will President Trump even invite them this time around? Stay tuned.

Philadelphia Eagles Will Be Praised AND Criticized, Regardless Of Their Decision

Philadelphia Eagles players (William Bretzger-Delaware News Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
No matter what the Eagles decide as a team, they will have their fair share of praise and criticism. That’s just how life is in the world of politics in this day and age, especially during a difficult period where much of the earth is divided.

As Trump is one of the most polarizing presidents in American history, the Eagles will please and upset their fans. They could either go as an entire team, refuse to go altogether or let each player and coach make their own decision.

Canadian Hockey Fans Are Saying The Same Thing About Wayne Gretzky & His Friendship With President Donald Trump

Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Donald Trump (Photos via Sportsnet and Instagram)
Do a quick search on social media, and you’ll find countless Canadian hockey fans lighting into NHL legend Wayne Gretzky over his connections to American President Donald Trump.

It’s well-known by now that “The Great One” has a close friendship with the President of the United States. Gretzky and his wife, Janet Jones, were at Trump’s victory party at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago resort in November. The couple also attended Trump’s inauguration last month.

Gretzky, a Canadian, has lived in the United States since his 1988 trade to the Los Angeles Kings. Fans have widely condemned his support for Trump since November, but it escalated when he served as Team Canada’s honorary captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off final against the Americans last week.

Political tensions between the nations have risen since Trump assumed office because of his push for Canada to become America’s 51st state. So as you can imagine, fans haven’t been all too pleased with Gretzky since he was revealed as Canada’s honorary captain.

“Just going to state this matter-of-factly … the honourary captain for Canada in this game publicly supports a political leader whose position is that Canada should not exist as a nation,” TSN’s Dave Naylor wrote.

“Gretzky: Enters through US bench Gives thumbs up to US players Wears no red or NOTHING repping Canada Doesn’t even look Team Canada’s way He’s a traitor & MAGA coward Good riddance,” wrote one fan.

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“Wayne Gretzky went from the Great one to the Traitor one….,” said another.

“I don’t get this. What exactly did he do for Canada that was not ultimately for personal gain and glory, and for which he was amply rewarded? Representing your country is an honour, not a sacrifice. Soldiers and volunteers sacrifice. Gretzky played a game that made him millions,” wrote a fan.

“It really is amazing that someone thought it was a good idea for Wayne Gretzky – Donald Trump’s great friend and his choice to become Governor of the 51st State of Canada – to be the honourary captain of Team Canada for 4 Nations Face-Off final,” wrote Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette.

“I don’t care my boyhood hero did not wear a Team Canada jersey. I am appalled that Wayne Gretzky would attend the inauguration of President Trump who earlier before threatened the sovereign land that looked up to Gretzky as our national hero. Gretzky is a traitor,” said another.

“Gretzky can be friends with whomever he likes. However, as a Canadian icon and a personal childhood hero, he has an obligation now to clearly state whether he stands with Canadian sovereignty or with Trump. Your move Great one,” said another.

Some fans also criticized Gretzky for wearing a traditional suit for the pre-game ceremony. In contrast, American honorary captain and national hockey hero Mike Eruzione came out in a Team USA jersey with the late Johnny Gaudreau’s name and No. 13 at the back.

Wayne Gretzky Now Has A Complicated Legacy With Canadian Hockey Fans

Wayne Gretzky (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Widely considered the greatest NHL player of all-time, Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in the ’80s. He led his nation to Canada Cup championships in 1984, 1987 and 1991, too, and helped construct the Gold Medal-winning team at the 2002 Winter Olympics as the club’s executive director.

Clearly, The Great One doesn’t care one bit about any backlash he’ll receive from disappointed folks in his home country. Ultimately, he decided that publicly supporting the president who doesn’t want Canada to exist as its own country is more important than maintaining his legendary status up north.