The surging occurrence of sports teams choosing not to attend the traditional celebration of a championship victory at the White House makes Philadelphia Eagles fans wonder: What players will be in attendance at the White House in celebration of the Super Bowl win this year?

The history of the Super Bowl-winning team being invited to the White House began in 1980 when Jimmy Carter invited the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking the first NFL team to be invited to the executive mansion after a victory.

The idea of missing this event is also not a new concept.

In 2017, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missed the White House invitation from Donald Trump, saying he needed family time. Brady also skipped the ceremony while Obama was president in 2015, due to other concerns (like buying the new Apple watch). In 2013, Baltimore Ravens player Matt Birk didn’t show up, expressing how he disagreed with some of Obama’s politics. The list goes on.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who won the most recent NFL Super Bowl, LII, have their fair share of teammates lining up to excuse themselves from the event. Malcolm Jenkins, Torrey Smith, Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount are among the players who have spoken up about missing the celebration — most likely as a result of President Donald Trump’s insensitive statements about racial protest, which Jenkins and Smith participate in.

Khandrice Rice from Sports Illustrated said that last year, about a dozen of the New England Patriots ditched the event, including the now-Eagles players, Long and LeGarrette Blount.

The 2018 NCAA champion football team, the University of Alabama, has a different take on attending this celebration, as they accepted Trump’s invitation to the White House — united.

“You know, not many people get invited to the White House, so not many people get invited to see the president and meet the president,” Nick Saban, the head coach of the Crimson Tide, said. “So this is a special day for our team. A team that is being honored here because of their achievements in terms of winning the college football national championship, which makes me very proud.”

Ross Pierschbacher, the offensive tackle on the Crimson Tide, said Saban talked to the team about how he thinks everyone should attend because it is a proud moment for a team — not an appropriate opportunity to make a political statement.

“Coach Saban addressed it and just said, ‘Hey, we’re doing this regardless of your political thoughts,” Pierschbacher said. “‘We’re just going to celebrate this team.’”

It’s a nice breath of fresh air when we can see the president and the American people focusing on something other than angry political arenas and placing value on a quintessential American value: sports. By inviting the teams to the White House, the president, and thus the American people, is taking a break from heated discussions and allowing people a more heartwarming spectacle — a celebration.

This is something the NFL is concerned about, too. They want just plain football back, even though sports is arguably one of the best platforms to begin political discussion.

It’s a sign of respect for players to attend the event put on for them at the White House. It’s like not attending a birthday party that’s hosted for you, and that’s a tacky move.