As the 59th Super Bowl took place in New Orleans this past Sunday, football fanatics and casual fans alike geared up to cheer for their team of choice – either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs. Regardless of their preferred team, the Super Bowl is a cherished half-century old ritual among those living in the U.S., and brings to mind fond memories of eating appetizers for dinner on a Sunday evening and watching grown men charge at each other.
Truthfully, I have no true interest in the rules in football and have always found it slightly barbaric, if anything. Being a first-year student and living so close to Philadelphia for the first time, I felt compelled to root for the Eagles by default. However, aside from the matter of proximity, I initially had no strong emotional investment in the game and had simply planned to check ESPN for periodic updates while working on my assignments for the week.
This attitude of indifference quickly faded for me when a story resurfaced detailing how President Trump had previously sparred with the Eagles in 2018, after many of the players refused to attend a White House celebration following their victory over the New England Patriots. In response, Trump rescinded his invitation and released a statement expressing his discontent with the Eagles players for kneeling or raising their fists during the National Anthem, as a means of protesting police brutality.
As we are in the beginning of yet another Trump term, I was vaguely curious about whether or not Trump had made any petty statements involving the Eagles participation in another Super Bowl. On the subject, Trump posted the following on Truth Social (a social media platform owned by none other than Donald Trump):
“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs. What a GREAT Team, Coach, Quarterback, and virtually everything else, including those fantastic FANS, that voted for me (MAGA!) in record numbers.”
Very much in character, Trump has yet to make any statement on the Eagles. Many wonder if his silence is related to his rocky past with the team regarding their protesting during the National Anthem and refusal to accept his invite to the White House celebration. Regardless, this complicated history has not deterred Trump from opting to be the first sitting-commander-in-chief to attend the Super Bowl.
The Eagles were asked last Wednesday by Front Office Sports what their response to a possible invitation to the White House would be, and the answer was a sharp no. Inside sources revealed that an Eagles star, who spoke anonymously, emphasized “We represent a city and a state that is pushing for equal rights, respect, and values that respect every human being.”
Furthermore, in response to being asked how he felt about Trump’s attending the Super Bowl, quarterback Jalen Hurts of the Eagles responded, “he’s welcome to do what he wants.” When probed about whether he felt any added pressure knowing that Trump and members of his administration would be in the audience, he replied “no ma’am.”
On the contrary, the Kansas City Chiefs had a starkly different response to learning of Trump’s support for their team. On the subject of Trump’s plan to attend the Super Bowl, star player Travis Kelce exclaims, “It’s a great honour I think, no matter who the president is,” Kelce continues, “I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there – it’s the best country in the world so it’d be pretty cool.” Similarly, Patrick Mahomes agreed that it would be “cool” to play in front of President Trump.
Kelce’s apparent excitement about Trump’s attending the game has particularly sparked outrage among Taylor Swift fans, as the pop star – who Kelce has been in a relationship with since 2023 – has been a pervasive critic of the current President. Just this past September, Swift took to Instagram to make clear that she would be supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 election. Furthermore, Trump has made vulgar and childish statements about Swift, posting messages like “I hate Taylor Swift” on Truth Social.
While there was no explicit support for Trump in either of the Chiefs’ statements, their cordial, media-trained response poses a vast contrast to the Eagles, who clearly fortify their values of respect and equity. Personally, I was thrilled to be able to support the team who is not afraid to make clear their dedication to social justice, even if it hurts President Trump’s ego.
While the Super Bowl is not something that is at the forefront of my thoughts with everything that is currently going on – a sentiment I am sure many Bi-Co students share – knowing that the team I am choosing to support has a sense of morality and justice brings me peace of mind.
The Eagles’ lack of hesitation in asserting these values, even more so than our proximity to Philadelphia as members of the Bi-Co community, are what filled me with a sense of pride surrounding their 40-22 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday night.
