President Trump Tweets Congrats to Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles

It's an American tradition for presidents to congratulate championship sports teams, and President [...]

By Mike Bambach

It's an American tradition for presidents to congratulate championship sports teams, and President Trump sent his to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night after they won Super Bowl LII.

"Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles on a great Super Bowl victory!" Trump said on Twitter after the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis.

Trump has previously professed his admiration for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Trump boasted that Brady said he voted for him and that Belichick wrote him a letter congratulating him and complimenting his handling of "an unbelievable negative and slanted media."

"By the way, is there a better reference than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick?" Trump asked at 2016 a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Eagles ended the third-longest championship drought in NFL history, behind the Cardinals (1947) and Lions (1957).

The Eagles last won the NFL championship in 1960, beating the Green Bay Packers 17-13, seven years before the first Super Bowl between the NFL and AFL champions. It was also the only title game loss for Vince Lombardi, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named.

The winning team traditionally visits the White House following the game. But Eagles defensive end Chris Long, however, has said he would not if his team won.

The president stirred tensions with the NFL last year after he said that NFL team owners should fire players who kneel during the national anthem as a means of protesting racial inequality. He invoked the controversy in a tribute to U.S. Armed Forces before Sunday's Super Bowl LII.

"Their sacrifice is stitched into each star and every stripe of our Star-Spangled Banner," Trump said in a statement. "We hold them in our hearts and thank them for our freedom as we proudly stand for the National Anthem."

No players knelt during the anthem on Sunday, and they were not alone. People across the U.S. posted photos of themselves standing at home. Others stood at bars and parties to show their patriotism.

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