Jalen Hurts declined to answer if he would go to the White House on Monday:

This video is going to go nuts. The guy didn’t even say anything and it’ll be under a microscope, hyperbolized, and dissected until the Eagles are at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave on Monday and we see who shows up.

I could not care less which Eagles player, coach, front office member go and which don’t. Plenty of players have skipped the White House visit: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Tim Thomas were a few. If Jalen wants to go to the White House great. If he doesn’t I’m not going to lose sleep over it. There’s way more important things I’m worried about like will they keep that fire in their belly to repeat. Will Saquon hold up this season? Is Jihaad Campbell going to fill in nicely for Nakobe Dean? Going to the White House is a PR stunt. Get the photo ops with the President’s last name and number on the jersey, have the Commander in Chief give a speech written for him, acknowledge an unknown hero in the Super Bowl like Zack Baun or Cooper DeJean and zero in on an event from the season that showed their resilience. Rinse and repeat. It’s been happening for 50 years. You think the leader of the free world cares about a football team while his noggin is filled with a million foreign and domestic situations he has to make decisions on? It’s no doubt an honor, but also a charade at the same time.

The only take I have from this video is that our journalists are getting soft. How about that reporter letting him off the hook? That soundbite would’ve been gold. That’s one that skyrockets you up the ranks of network TV or fast tracks you for the C-Suite. You can’t give Jalen an out there. It’s a great question! People want to know. Where’s the bulldog mentality journalists used to show? You think Barbara Walters or Larry King would’ve left him go without an answer? Absolutely not. There would’ve been a staredown until Jalen spoke. I will say, this doesn’t look like a guy who is going to the White House:

Here’s some free PR for Jalen. You want to soften the blow if you don’t show up. Tell ’em it’s because Trump wants to invite the Kansas City Chiefs this year to celebrate their COVID title. Release a statement that says you don’t believe in participation trophies and life isn’t fair. You’re already getting one side of the aisle on your side by not showing up. Now the other side of the aisle who thinks the world has gone Charmin soft agree with you too. It’s a win-win.