"And I'm serious about taxing that ass."
When the NBA lockout stretched into what would have been the first week of the season, I’m sure not many of the Dallas Mavericks players were concerned about whether or not they’d be able to visit the White House to celebrate their 2010-11 NBA Championship with President Barack Obama. But when the season finally began, a few reports trickled out that the Mavs – specifically owner Mark Cuban – were pretty pissed that they didn’t have a game against the Washington Wizards in D.C. so they could stop by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and slap a few high fives with Barry O.
Thankfully, NBA Commissioner David Stern told everyone to chillax and the Mavericks dropped by the White House yesterday to give Obama his latest personalized championship jersey. And on January 17, Obama will receive yet another jersey when the St. Louis Cardinals will visit him to celebrate their World Series victory. Sadly, Albert Pujols will not be making the trip, presumably because Glenn Beck told him that Obama will take all of his new money (I’m so excited that I can finally make these jokes!).
But thinking about these two visits, I eventually started to wonder when this tradition of championship teams visiting the White House began, and thankfully CBS News reporter Mark Knoller already did the dirty work and determined that Calvin Coolidge was the first POTUS to honor champions, specifically the 1924 Washington Senators. But screw Coolidge, because George W. Bush and Obama perfected the art of honoring champions. In fact, Bush had annual events to honor every NCAA sport champion for both the spring and fall, and as his first term comes to a close, Obama has welcomed more than 20 championship teams to the White House.
Maybe eventually a president will welcome a champion blogger. A boy can dream.
(Images, in no specific order, via Zimbio, the AP, Getty and the White House.)
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George W. Bush and Obama perfected the art of honoring champions.
What? I thought honoring championship teams was something that Obama was the very first president to do, like going on vacation, using a teleprompter, or living in the White House!
Sorry, but the poflawa was coming anyway.
I read that W. spent 1,020 days of his presidency on vacation. Three years. That’s longer than Kennedy was President.
Yeah, he’s the record holder.
All that brush at the ranch wasn’t gonna clear itself, people.
When is CM Punk going to get his invite??
I would invite the lingerie bowl winners myself, but I am from the Libertine Political Party.
Glenn Beck! Ha! And what about that Sarah Palin! What is it with those nutballs? [Joke Updated Aug 28, 2010 7:40 PM ET]
Too bad the Miami Heat didn’t win it all, it would be the first time that a sitting President was a better 3-point shooter than anyone on the NBA Champions’ roster.
In picture 11, Bush looks like he’s licking the girl’s face.
Of course I saw the “Bush” and “Beavers” shirts next to each other. I just chose to ignore them and keep clicking until the sight of Mark Cuban in a suit leaves my brain.
I don’t care who wins the Super Bowl as long as the jersey they give Obama says “HNIC” on the back.
It took them four day to get the women’s lacrosse team smell out of the carpet.
Perkins does the stink face even in the White House.