If the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots on Sunday in the Super Bowl, it would be customary for the team to make a trip to the White House. Chris Long, an outspoken NFL player not afraid to share his political viewpoints, will not be going on any such trip if it is ever proposed.
Long, who won the Super Bowl last season with the Patriots, was asked by Pardon My Take about whether or not he would go on the trip. He responded in kind:
"No, I'm not going to the White House," Long replied. "Are you kidding me?"
Last year, Long also didn't make the trip to the White House, and provided an explanation.
"My son grows up, and I believe the legacy of our president is going to be what it is, I don't want him to say, 'Hey dad, why'd you go [to the White House] when you knew the right thing was to not go?'" Long said.
It is worth noting, given the battle of optics between some NFL players and the 45th President of The United States, there could be — at least in theory — a chance a Super Bowl winning team that isn't fully embracing a certain type of politics might not be invited to the White House at all.
34 players attended the White House to meet with Donald Trump after last year's Super Bowl. While similar to the number George W. Bush received while in office, it was slightly down from when Barack Obama held the position.
Of note, since they were the first NFL franchise to visit a Trump White House, Patriots owner Robert Kraft is a noted 45 supporter, having donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural celebrations.
Anyway, politics are always a touchy subject for people who prefer everyone to just stick to sports. That being said, fully expect more players to make their intentions be known, if not prior to the Super Bowl, after it.
