Trump and the Eagles need to make a White House visit happen

In February, I found myself cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Not that I have anything against the Patriots; I just like to cheer for the underdog. In fact, I like underdogs so much that my family and I purchased the greatest underdog in American sports history: the Chicago Cubs.

And on the morning of Nov. 3, 2016, after the Cubs broke a 108-year championship drought and won the World Series, I received a phone call from then-candidate Donald Trump. He congratulated my family and the team, and he made a lighthearted quip about how much fun it was going to be to host the Cubs at the White House when he became president. But on Nov. 3, the election’s outcome was, to say the least, far from certain.

For the next few weeks I quietly hoped that President Barack Obama, in the waning days of his presidency, would be too busy to host the Cubs at the White House. But he made the time. Even though Obama is a White Sox fan, he is still from Chicago and, more important, the first lady and most of his staff were huge Cubs fans. Above all, it was the right thing to do.

I love my country, and I feel very strongly that when the president invites you to something, you show up. So in early January 2017, despite being a solid Republican and no fan of the Obama administration, I accompanied the Cubs to the White House.

And I have to tell you, I had a lot of fun. It was a great day for the president. It was a great day for the Cubs. And it was a great day for our country.

And when we returned to Washington, DC, to play the Nationals in June, President Trump was gracious enough to invite the team back for a second visit.

Sports are supposed to be above politics. It’s where we as a country go to get away from the grind of our daily lives, to forget about our stresses and politics and other distractions.

It’s where we go to be united because, whether you’re an Eagles fan or a Patriots fan, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, we are all Americans, and there are more things we share than that divide us.

I understand that many of the Eagles’ players did not vote for Trump. I understand that there are historic, persistent and serious issues facing our country, including issues of race, education and opportunity. The list could go on. It always will.

But the Eagles are only going to be Super Bowl champions for a few more months. We have the rest of our lives to debate, discuss, vote and protest the other things.

So my advice is this: Mr. President, re-invite the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House so they can be celebrated like the other champions we love. And Eagles players, accept the invite. Set aside your own politics for a day and go enjoy the national treasure that is the White House. Be celebrated for having reached the pinnacle of your sport. And if you have to, you can use the opportunity to have a direct conversation with the president about the things that are on your mind.

But, Go! Both the Eagles and the administration will be making a mistake if the visit doesn’t take place. It will be good for the Eagles, good for the Eagles fans and good for our country as a whole. It will show the world that even though we can disagree vehemently on some issues, we are, in the end, all Americans.

Todd M. Ricketts is one of the owners of the Chicago Cubs.

Full story: New York Post