WASHINGTON – The media fury surrounding “Deflategate” may have blown over slightly, but President Barack Obama showed he hadn’t forgotten about it during the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots’ visit to the White House Thursday.
“I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots in town I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat,” Obama said, prompting awkward laughter and some light-hearted jeers from the players and the crowd on the South Lawn. “That whole story got blown a little out of proportion.”
“Eleven out of 12″ refers to the number of game balls provided by New England that were found to be under-inflated by officials during the team’s 45-7 AFC Championship victory against the Indianapolis Colts. The incident, which came to be known as “Deflategate” is still under review in an investigation led by attorney Ted Wells.
“He’s [Obama] a pretty engaging guy,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who, for the occasion, shucked his recognizable hoody and showed up in more formal apparel.
One notable absentee was quarterback Tom Brady, the Super Bowl MVP who missed the celebration due to a prior family commitment. More than 50 players and coaches crowded behind the president.
The Patriots defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to claim the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl title. In a thrilling Super Bowl XLIX, New England had to hold back Seattle on the 1-yard line with less than 30 seconds left in the game. In arguably the biggest play of the game, cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s pass to crush Seattle’s comeback hopes and win the game.
“I think it’s fair to say that Malcolm has earned a lifetime of free drinks in every ‘Bah’ in ‘Bahston,’” Obama said, mimicking a stereotypical Boston accent.
In a presentation, Patriots owner Robert Kraft presented Obama with a Super Bowl game ball, a personalized No. 44 jersey and a helmet signed by the entire team.
Before the White House event, the Patriots visited service members who are patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“Those guys are the real heroes,” defensive end Chandler Jones said of the wounded military veterans.
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