Ex-Eagles LB’s White House take clashes with Fernando Mendoza’s OTA decision

On the surface, the question seemed simple enough: Should Fernando Mendoza skip the Raiders’ first OTA practice to join his Hoosiers teammates at the White House?

In the latest episode of “Speakeasy,” that question sparked a debate about the significance of a White House invitation.

Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho didn’t hesitate. He’s going. But his reasoning wasn’t about politics or protocol — it was about something far more personal.

“In what world would your grandparents have thought you’d be at the White House?” Acho asked, via YouTube.

Acho’s father grew up in a village in Africa. The idea that his son — born of that lineage, carrying that history — could be standing inside the White House as a nationally recognized champion? It’s not just an honor — it’s a generational story.

“My dad grew up in a village of Africa. If your son is at the White House and got invited, there’s just something about (it),” Acho said. “My grandma, who grew up in a rural village of Nigeria couldn’t have — I’m not going to deny my legacy that achievement.”

But not everyone on the panel saw it that way — and that honesty made for compelling television.

When asked directly if he’d go, another panelist kept it straightforward: “My OG told me that a lot of times things don’t age well, and I think that would be the case for certain White House pictures.”

The White House has always carried symbolic weight, but in today’s polarized climate, that symbolism has become more fraught.

Who’s in office matters to some people. It matters a lot. And a photograph doesn’t come with context explaining your reasons for being in it.

The debate also touched on the nature of national pride in sports.

One panelist drew a sharp distinction between a college football champion visiting the White House and an Olympian doing the same — arguing that Olympians are explicitly representing America on a global stage, which makes the recognition feel more organic.

College football’s connection to patriotism, they argued, can sometimes feel more manufactured than genuine.