The news that the Philadelphia Eagles wouldn’t be going to the White House to celebrate their NFL championship sparked a Sunday of reaction.

The torrent came after a Sunday post on X by @PHLEaglesNation that read: “According to ‘a well-placed insider,’ discussions between #Eagles players and their front office resulted in a ‘massive no’ when asked if they would accept an invitation to the White House to honor their Super Bowl Victory, per @TheSun.”

The Sun’s report was not breaking news. It had been published on Feb. 6, three days before Super Bowl LIX.

The Eagles haven’t made an official comment on going to the White House. And on Monday, the White House said the team hadn’t been invited, Politico reported.

The Eagles also won the NFL championship for the 2017 seasons and did not visit President Donald Trump at the White House for a planned celebration.

That prompted questions around this season’s Super Bowl about the team’s intentions.

Before the game, team owner Jeffrey Lurie was asked if the Eagles would go to the White House if they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Lurie responded: “I just want to win on Sunday.”

During his postgame press conference, Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni was asked if the Eagles would visit the White House.

“I don’t even know,” Sirianni said less than one hour after the Eagles’ 40-22 victory over Kansas City. “We’ll see as we go. We’re going to enjoy this tonight, we’ll enjoy it tomorrow, we’ll enjoy it the next day. We don’t have to get ready for another game, so can’t wait to celebrate this with the guys and celebrate this with my family. It takes a lot of people to be in this spot. Love this team, love these guys.”

The Eagles’ potential trip to the White House after Philadelphia’s 2017 championship came with a backdrop of acrimony between NFL players and the president over protests during the national anthem in pregame ceremonies.

NFL players had been sitting, kneeling or raising a fist during the national anthem since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling before games in 2016. Kaepernick’s protest was intended to draw attention to incidents in which law-enforcement authorities had shot unarmed black men without criminal or professional repercussions.

However, it wasn’t until Sept. 24, 2017, that widespread protests during the national anthem occurred in the NFL. On that Sunday, about 180 players sat or knelt during the song, and three teams stayed in the locker room rather than be on the sideline for the performance.

The outburst followed remarks made by Trump two days earlier during a Huntsville campaign rally for Luther Strange’s run at the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

“That’s a total disrespect of our heritage. That’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,” Trump said of players who did not stand for the national anthem. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired.’”

Trump also called for football fans to boycott the NFL over the protests.

By the final Sunday of the 2017 regular season, the NFL had 10 players who sat, seven who knelt and one who stayed in the locker room during the pre-game performances of the national anthem at its 16 games on Dec. 31.

With a planned trip to the White House looming on June 5, 2018, Lurie decided to send a contingent of fewer than 10 players, including Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, rather than have players opt-out of going.

But the day before the event, the White House announced it was off.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” a statement from the president read. “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.”

The president attended this season’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Before the game, Trump was asked which team he was rooting for.

“I don’t want to say,” Trump said, “but there’s a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner.”

That description probably fits both Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. But when the Super Bowl teams won their conference championships on Jan. 26, only one got a social-media shoutout from the president.

“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs,” Trump wrote. “What a GREAT Team, Coach, Quarterback, and virtually everything else, including those fantastic FANS, that voted for me (MAGA!) in record numbers. Likewise, congratulations to the Buffalo Bills on a tremendous season. They will do a lot of winning long into the future!!!”

The Eagles won the 2024 NFL championship with one of the NFL’s largest contingents of players from Alabama high schools and colleges on their roster:

• Reed Blankenship, safety, West Limestone
• Khari Blasingame, fullback, Buckhorn (practice squad)
• James Bradberry, cornerback, Pleasant Grove, Samford (injured reserve)
• Landon Dickerson, guard, Alabama
• Jack Driscoll, offensive lineman, Auburn (injured reserve)
• Bryce Huff, defensive end, St. Paul’s Episcopal
• Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Alabama
• Nicholas Morrow, linebacker, Huntsville (practice squad)
• Eli Ricks, cornerback, Alabama
• DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama
• Tyler Steen, offensive lineman, Alabama
• C.J. Uzomah, tight end, Auburn (injured reserve)
• Byron Young, defensive tackle, Alabama (injured reserve)

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.