LDN - Sports

NFL notebook: Several Eagles won't visit White House

[February 06, 2018] Safety Malcolm Jenkins intends to skip the traditional White House visit after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history on Sunday night.

Jenkins, wide receiver Torrey Smith and defensive end Chris Long are among several Eagles players who have already indicated that they will not participate in the visit, citing their opposition to President Donald Trump.

"Nah, I personally do not anticipate attending," Jenkins told CNN's "New Day" on Monday morning, following the Eagles' 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

--Philadelphia will host a victory parade Thursday for the Eagles. City officials confirmed Monday that the parade will start at 11 a.m. at Broad and Pattison in south Philadelphia, then head north to the Art Museum.

The original plan was for the parade to be held on Wednesday, but the forecast is calling for rain and snow throughout the day, with one to three inches of snow expected. The forecast on Thursday calls for sunshine and a high of 32 degrees.

--One of the most exciting Super Bowls in league history actually saw a television ratings drop.

Despite two of the nation's major media markets being represented and a thriller that wasn't decided until a Hail Mary heave at the final whistle, Nielsen revealed on Monday that average television viewership fell 7 percent for the Eagles' heart-stopping win over the Patriots.

Sunday's average viewership of 103.4 million that watched the Eagles win their first Super Bowl in franchise history on NBC did rank as the 10th-highest viewed program in U.S. history. But those viewer figures actually made it the least-watched Super Bowl since 2009.

--Nick Foles spent the night of his life in Minneapolis, capping a Super Bowl LII MVP performance in the presence of the Philadelphia Eagles' first Lombardi Trophy.

"The big thing is, don't be afraid to fail," a weary but reflective Foles said Monday morning at a press conference ending Super Bowl week in Minnesota.

Foles went toe to toe with Tom Brady on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, throwing three touchdown passes and catching another to guide the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title.

--Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not provide much clarity Monday morning for cornerback Malcolm Butler's benching in Super Bowl LII.

Belichick was asked Monday morning to explain why Butler was on the field for just one play Sunday night.

"There are a lot of things that go into that. In the end, the final decision is what I said it was," Belichick said. "I respect Malcolm's competitiveness, and I'm sure he felt he could've helped. I'm sure other players felt the same way. In the end, we have to make the decisions we feel are best for the football team. That's what I did."

--Eagles fans are snapping up merchandise at a record pace to commemorate the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl victory.

Sports merchandise retailers Modell's and Fanatics expect to do huge business thanks to the Eagles' historic victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Sunday night, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

Sales in the first nine hours after the Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33 were up 60 percent as compared to the first nine hours following the Patriots' championship last year, ESPN reported.

--Former Philadelphia Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos will be honored with a Super Bowl ring after he had to cut his NFL career short and undergo open-heart surgery last year.

Dorenbos, who played for the Eagles for 11 seasons, said owner Jeffrey Lurie made him part of the celebration after the Eagles' 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on Sunday night.

Dorenbos, 37, was traded to the New Orleans Saints in August, but the subsequent physical revealed an aortic aneurysm that required immediate surgery and ended his career.

--One day after Super Bowl LII decided the NFL's champion for the 2017 season, Deshaun Watson put the league on notice that the race for 2018 has begun.

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The Houston Texans quarterback, recovering from a torn right ACL, tweeted a video of him running for the first time since suffering his season-ending injury.

Watson tore his ACL on Nov. 2 on a non-contact play at practice. The knee injury ended a possible Rookie of the Year run for the exciting Texans QB after he accounted for 21 touchdowns overall in his seven games played (19 passing, two rushing).

--Matt Patricia's hiring as head coach of the Detroit Lions was made official on Monday after his time as the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator came to an end Sunday night in the team's Super Bowl loss.

"He has been preparing for this opportunity his entire career, and he's ready for the responsibility and its challenges," Lions executive vice president and general manager Bob Quinn said in a statement.

Patricia, 43, replaces Jim Caldwell, who was fired Jan. 1. Patricia has been a member of the New England coaching staff since 2004 and the team's defensive coordinator for the last six seasons.

--The New Orleans Saints cut defensive tackle Nick Fairley with a non-football illness designation. ESPN's Field Yates first reported the news, which was confirmed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Fairley, 30, sat out the 2017 season after a team doctor discovered an irregularity in the veteran's heartbeat during a checkup in March. The six-year veteran was coming off a career year statistically (43 tackles, 6.5 sacks in 2016) and had signed a $28 million contract extension.

Fairley, who reportedly saw three heart specialists after the condition was found before deciding not to play last season, is not expected to attempt an NFL return.

--A week after the Kansas City Chiefs announced the end of his football coaching career, Brad Childress is set to join the Chicago Bears as an offensive consultant, according to multiple reports.

Childress had been serving as the Chiefs' assistant head coach at the time of their announcement. He's said to be close with new Bears head coach Matt Nagy, whom Childress worked with in Kansas City from 2013-17.

Childress, 61, brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Bears, most prominently serving as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-10. He was fired after Week 11 of the 2010 season following a 3-7 start that lowered his overall record to 39-35 through five seasons.

--Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark said his father and three other family members were killed in an "arson fire" in Cleveland last week.

Clark retweeted a Jan. 30 post from the Cleveland Fire Department that said the bodies of four victims from a fire on the city's east side had been located and recovered.

"The entire Seahawks family is mourning with Frank Clark and his loved ones after their tragic loss," the team said Sunday in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers will be pouring out to Frank and his family during their time of grieving."

--The suspected drunk driver accused of hitting and killing Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson on Sunday is an illegal immigrant and does not have a driver's license, the Indiana State Police announced.

Manuel Orrego-Savala, who had been using the alias Alex Cabrera Gonsales, is a citizen of Guatemala and had previously been deported from the U.S. in 2007 and 2009, according to police. Orrego-Savala was driving the truck that struck and killed Jackson and ride-sharing operator Jeffrey Monroe.

Orrego-Savala was arrested after trying to flee the scene on foot, according to police, who also said the 37-year-old was intoxicated.

--Field Level Media

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