Guest Post by Miriam Judith
The Philadelphia Eagles made headlines after advertisements that seemed to depict the team endorsing Kamala Harris appeared plastered all around the City of Brotherly Love on Monday.
The misleading ads showcased Harris in an Eagles uniform and included text that falsely claimed to be an official endorsement from the popular NFL franchise. Additionally, a URL link directed viewers to the Philadelphia Eagles’ official voting information page.
Fans of the team quickly took to social media to express their outrage over the team’s seemingly shocking political stance.
It starts with firing Doug Pederson and abandoning your franchise QB, Carson Wentz.
It ends with drafting Jalen Hurts and endorsing Kamala Harris.
The Eagles have just declared war on alpha males and Trump supporters.
Bad things happening in Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/d6XkFU0MDl
— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@NickAdamsinUSA) September 2, 2024
The posters circulated widely across Philadelphia bus stops, prompting the franchise to clarify to fans that the advertisements were fraudulent and did not represent an official endorsement by the team.
In response to the controversy, the team Immediately issued a statement distancing itself from the political fray
From the Eagles:
“We are aware that counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.”
We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 2, 2024
Reports from CBS suggest that the poster may have been created by artist Winston Tseng, although the outlet is still verifying this information.
Another ‘art piece’ by Tseng’s has a similar aesthetic (see below), so he could very well be the one who created it.
If he was trying to help the Kamala Campaign, he should have just stayed home. Not only did he manage to upset the very fan base he tried to appeal to, he made the campaign look like a bunch of fools. You don’t see the street artists that have opposing views – ex. SABO – plastering fake endorsements for Trump all around town.
What even is the ‘political statement’ in dressing Kamala in the team’s garb, using the logo, and putting an official team website on the ‘artwork’? Short answer: there isn’t one. This was meant to deceive uninformed voters. Plain and simple.
While the Eagles have yet to make an official statement regarding presidential endorsements, it’s worth noting that owner Jeffrey Lurie has previously voiced anti-Trump sentiments. In a 2017 interview with the New York Times, he mentioned, “Many of us have no interest in supporting President Trump.”