This time, the Philadelphia Eagles, winners of the Super Bowl in February, should go to the White House. “I know there have been a lot of” fake news “about an invitation that would not have been sent or that would have been sent. We want to correct the facts. We sent an invitation, which they accepted with enthusiasm, and you will see them here on April 28 ”Donald Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday March 11. Information confirmed by one of the representatives of the Pennsylvanian American football franchise.
Since the years Reagan (1981-1989), tradition across the Atlantic wants the sacred teams in major competitions to celebrate their title As part of a meeting With the President of the United States, in Washington. However, during the first passage of the leader of the Maga movement (Make America Great Again“Getting its greatness to America”) in the Oval Office, several of them had derogated from the rule: the women’s women’s Women’s World Cup, the different NBA World Cup, the different NBA champions between 2017 and 2020 … and the Philadelphia Eagles, after their success during the Super Bowl, in February 2018.
At the time, a majority of his players had decided to be carried pale, causing Donald Trump’s ire. Denouncing a lack of patriotism, he had canceled his invitation. The context? A force test around the national anthem, while, in the wake of the San Francisco 49ers player, Colin Kaepernick, several American athletes had refused to get up during the Star-Spangled Banner (The star banner) as a sign of protest against racism and police violence.
During the first mandate of the real estate magnate (2017-2021), many personalities from the sport of sport had publicly spoke to denounce its policy. “The president is contemptuous with part of the company (…) From me, people like me. People of color. The head of state’s mission is to take care of everyone ”had, among other things, argue Megan Rapinoe, openly lesbian and very committed to the LGBTQ+cause.
“The enormous power of athletes”
Since his return to the head of the federal state on January 20, Donald Trump has ordered the end of the diversity, equity and inclusion programs At all levels of American society, multiplied the attacks on transgender people, vilified immigrants, started to dismantle federal agencies … But there, almost no reaction.
There was indeed the former American footballer Chris Kluwe, arrested a few hours, at the end of February, in California, after a meeting of the municipal council of Huntington Beach for having protested the installation of an acrostic plaque on the storefront of the city center of the city. “Magical, alluing, galvanizing and adventurous” (“Magic, attractive, galvanizing and adventurous”), in reference to Maga, the acronym of the movement of the 47th President of the United States. A movement “Corrupted, undoubtedly anti -democratic” And “Explicitly Nazi”said the forties on the platform.
The American coach of the Canada’s male football team, Jesse Marsch, has deplored the “Ridiculous rhetoric” of the leader who presents his neighbor in recent weeks as “The 51e State ” of the country. “I am ashamed of the arrogance and contempt that we have displayed with regard to one of our historic allies”launched the coach, regretting the “Polarized, disrespectful and now often hateful climate that exists in the United States”.
Questioned by the ex-Washington Wizards Etan Thomas Washington For the British daily The Guardianat the beginning of March, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, former figure of the NBA in the 1990s, who had distinguished himself at the time by his refusal to listen to the national anthem against the American flag before each match, nevertheless insists on the“Huge power of athletes”. In the current context, he argues, it is ” OBLIGATORY “ that the latter do not hesitate to rise against the actions of Donald Trump and his administration – “The stake is too important. »» However, he recognizes, too many people, from all environments, fear the consequences of such a position. And conclude: “They are due to us through fear. »»