The Seattle Seahawks are navigating the uncertainty surrounding a potential White House visit following their Super Bowl LX victory earlier this month. After defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 at Levi's Stadium, the Seahawks secured their second Super Bowl title. Traditionally, champions receive an invitation to the White House, but recent events have cast doubt on Seattle’s attendance.
This week, Team USA's women's hockey team initially declined a White House invite before reversing their decision, while five members of the men's hockey team skipped their visit. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald addressed the situation, noting that the team hasn't yet received an invitation.
"We haven't gotten an invite yet. We'll address it after that," he shared.
Reports suggest that the Seahawks would likely accept an invitation if extended. Macdonald expressed some uncertainty about the process, saying, "I would hope so.
I don't know. We're going to get an invite, right?
That's how it works?"
The tradition of inviting Super Bowl winners to the White House began during the Reagan administration, but attendance has varied. Last year, after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, players Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith chose not to attend the White House visit. Despite this, Trump praised Hurts and Saquon Barkley for their performances.
In 2018, Trump canceled the Eagles' planned visit after disagreements over the national anthem protests. He stated that the Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, which he declined, citing their stance on the anthem as the reason.
The recent back-and-forth with Team USA's women's hockey team adds to the ongoing narrative. After winning gold, they initially declined a White House invitation due to scheduling conflicts but expressed gratitude for the recognition. Meanwhile, during the State of the Union, Trump lauded the men's hockey team for their victory over Canada and humorously suggested he would face impeachment if he didn’t invite the women's team.
These events highlight the complex interplay between sports, politics, and tradition, as teams weigh their decisions on attending such high-profile invitations.