President Trump disinviting the Philadelphia Eagles from their White House visit may not hurt the NFL in the court of public opinion, but it could hurt the league in an actual court.
In the collusion grievance against the NFL filed by Colin Kaepernick’s attorneys, they argue there’s a relationship between teams shying away from signing the quarterback and the direct influence of the president.
“Athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the executive branch of our government,” reads the grievance. “Such a precedent threatens all patriotic Americans and harkens back to our darkest days as a nation.”
The lawsuit contends that NFL owners are afraid of Trump taking action against the league over the anthem protests and have discussed that fear amongst themselves, while also possibly mentioning Kaepernick because of how linked he is to the controversy.
“If such discussion included comments about not signing the quarterback, Kaepernick’s odds for prevailing in his grievance would climb dramatically,” according to Sports Illustrated. “This is because he would have acquired evidence of collusive behavior.”
While it doesn’t prove it, Trump revoking his invite to the Eagles and mentioning the protests certainly is more evidence of a situation where fear of a public backlash from the president could lead to collusion.
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