CNN
 — 

Unlike seven years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles celebrated their Super Bowl victory at the White House with President Donald Trump on Monday.

The Eagles traveled to Washington for the traditional championship victory lap, taking photos with the president, presenting him with an Eagles jersey emblazoned with “Trump 47” and soaking up the plaudits on the South Lawn having won Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

But absent from the traveling party was star quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts who had a “scheduling conflict,” according to a White House spokesperson.

Last week, Hurts had dodged a question about whether he will personally celebrate the team’s Super Bowl victory at the White House, instead not answering when while he was on the red carpet for the 2025 TIME 100 gala in New York City, saying “Um” and looking around before the interviewer thanked him for his time.

Trump praised Hurts at the White House on Monday, calling him a “terrific guy and terrific player” while calling the Eagles an “incredible team, an incredible group.”

According to reports, several other key members of the Eagles team were also not present at the White House, including wide receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, linebacker Zack Baun, defensive ends Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat and defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

In 2018, during Trump’s first term as president, the Eagles decided not celebrate their first ever Super Bowl win at the White House, a decision which sparked a storm of criticism from Trump, who falsely accused the Eagles of taking a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner” that year and disrespecting the National Anthem in other ways before uninviting the whole team.

During their time in Washington, the Eagles also visited Arlington National Cemetery where they paid their “respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” team owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.

“Our time in our nation’s capital served as a great reminder of the core values that have brought our team so close together – sacrifice, selflessness, and discipline.”

One player who was in attendance was Eagles running back Saquon Barkley who on Sunday had been seen spending time with Trump.

Barkley and Trump were seen getting off Marine One in New Jersey before playing golf at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. Barkley later took to social media to reply to those questioning his decision to meet and play golf with Trump.

“Lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” he said on X. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump!

“Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”

lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my…

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) April 28, 2025

During Monday’s festivities at the White House, Trump vocalized his support for the “Tush Push” play which the Eagles have popularized but could potentially be banned later this year by NFL owners.

The infamous play has become polarizing across the NFL, but teams will vote on whether it will remain a permitted play in the future after a motion was tabled to ban it. And Trump said he’s in support of the league keeping it around.

“I hope they keep that play, Coach (Nick Sirianni). They’re talking about getting rid of that play, I understand. They should keep it,” Trump said on Monday. “I like it. It’s sort of exciting and different.”

After Trump spoke, Eagles head coach Sirianni said, “Thank you, Mr. President, for having us here. And we also appreciate the endorsement for the tush push.”

CNN
 — 

The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights ruled Monday that the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX guarantees against sex discrimination when it allowed a transgender woman to compete on its women’s swimming team.

The university was found to have denied “women equal opportunities by permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.”

Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, won the 2022 NCAA championship in the women’s 500-yard freestyle. The government’s Monday edict did not mention Thomas by name.

The Department of Education gave Penn 10 days to wipe out Thomas’ records. The school also was ordered to ban transgender athletes from women’s teams and issue apology letters to female athletes whose “educational experience in athletics (was) marred by sex discrimination.”

Penn has stated that it complied with all applicable Ivy League and NCAA rules regarding participation in women’s sports.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” on February 5, stating that the administration would halt federal funding to elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions that permitted transgender girls or women to compete on girls or women’s teams.

The administration also launched Title IX investigations into Penn, San Jose State (which reportedly had a transgender player on its women’s volleyball team last season) and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

A number of other related actions have followed, including the Justice Department suing the state of Maine in an effort to stop transgender participation in girls and women’s sports.

In March, the White House cut off $175 million in federal funds for Penn related to the transgender athlete issue.

CNN
 — 

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal exclusively told CNN Sports he completely trusts that world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is innocent, as the Italian prepares to return from a doping suspension.

Sinner is approaching the end of a three-month ban having twice tested positive for banned substance Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, in March last year.

The three-time grand slam champion previously escaped a ban when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that he wasn’t at fault for the positive tests, accepting that the contamination was caused by a physio applying an over-the-counter spray.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), leading to Sinner accepting a suspension from February 9 to May 4.

In a February statement, Sinner said that he has “always accepted that I am responsible for my team” but has always denied knowingly taking a banned substance.

“I don’t have a clear opinion, first of all, because I don’t have the whole information,” Nadal told CNN after being honored with the Sporting Icon Award at this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards.

“First of all, I 100% believe that Jannik is innocent. I don’t think at all that Jannik wanted to do something that is not allowed, so I 100% believe in Jannik.”

The saga around Sinner has shone the spotlight on the current anti-doping protocols in tennis, with several players raising concerns about possible preferential treatment for the top stars.

Sinner, for example, won’t miss any grand slam events during his ban.

Recently, Serena Williams said she would have been banned for “20 years” and “gotten grand slams taken away” if the same thing had happened to her. She did, though, describe Sinner as a “fantastic personality” and “great for the sport.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic said that the whole case was “not a good image for our sport.”

But Nadal, who retired from tennis last year following a historic career, said he has full trust in the current anti-doping system.

“From my point of view, I really don’t believe that Jannik, because he’s the No. 1 in the world, received different treatment than another person, from my perspective and from my understanding,” the 22-time grand slam singles champion said.

“I really believe in the process, I have been there going through all the tests for 20 years, how the things are strict on every single movement … and I believe in the process.

“I can’t say another thing and I can’t think another way because, if not, I will think that we are not in a fair world, and I really believe that we are in a fair world in this matter.”

Despite his ban, Sinner will be one of the favorites to win his first French Open title when the tournament starts at the end of May.

Nadal, who won a record 14 Coupes des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros, said he hopes a potential Sinner win won’t be tarnished by questions around his eligibility to play.

However, for Sinner to claim the title, he will first have to find a way past the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, who many have compared to Nadal.

Not only are both from Spain, but both are formidable on clay with Alcaraz winning his first French Open title last year.

Nadal, who retired with 22 grand slam singles trophies, said the comparisons are only natural and holds high hopes that the 21-year-old can reach the very top of the sport.

“All of us received the pressure from the media and from the hope that people have about you, but I think at the end, we are humans and we know how to handle that,” Nadal told CNN.

“I don’t think for Carlos it’s a big deal holding that pressure. He’s a great player and has a great family behind (him).

“I think he’s doing great and he’s having an amazing career and he’s going to win much more if he stays out of injury – that’s the most important thing. I wish and I really believe that he’s going to have one of the best careers of all time.”

Nadal said he occasionally messages Alcaraz but would always be on hand to provide some advice – not that he thinks the youngster needs it.

It’s an invitation that the 38-year-old extends to all players on the tour who might want to casually learn from his own experiences.

However, Nadal has so far resisted following the likes of Andy Murray, who has gone into coaching after retiring from a playing career.

“I mean in this life you can never say never,” he said, adding he was enjoying spending more time with family without all the travel that comes with being on tour.

“It’s difficult to imagine myself now doing this kind of thing … it’s not my moment, at all. I am in a different moment of my life and I don’t see myself traveling now with a player.”

Instead, Nadal is happy to continue developing his tennis academy which is starting to breed success across the game, adding to the Spaniard’s already impressive tennis legacy.

And, even in retirement, Nadal has not stopped picking up trophies. In addition to being given the aforementioned Laureus Sporting Icon Award, the Spaniard will also be honored in a ceremony at this year’s French Open.

“The results are the results, you know. I won what I won, I lost what I lost, that’s the results and nobody can change that,” Nadal said when asked what he wants to be remembered for now that his playing days are behind him.

“Of course, I will be remembered as a good tennis player, but for me, it’s important to be remembered as a good person, a player who fights as hard as possible but with positive values, being always fair and correct with everyone on court.

“Trying to respect every single moment, for me that’s the most important thing.”