Approximately 90 players —including The Blessed Individual—from Auburn’s national championship team (and an entourage of 60 mortals) will be honored by President Obama at the White House this afternoon. Finally.
The trip was originally scheduled for Apri 28, but was postponed due to President Obama’s tour of Alabama’s tornado damage.
You can watch a livestream of whatever in the world is going to happen right here. The fun starts at 2 p.m.
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Sen. Shelby sure is doing a piss-poor job of clapping.
Barack Obama gives Trooper Taylor a chest-bump. This will be a sitcom premise on TBS in 2016.
Here’s the press pool report of the event:
Football event at WH for NCAA Div 1. champions Auburn University.
POTUS entered East Room at 3:10pm after the team, dressed in suits not team jerseys, filed onto bleachers behind his speaking podium.
Auburn defeated Oregon 22-19 for the BCS Championship (Bowl Championship Series) in January. The Tigers had a perfect 14-0 season in 2010 and this is their first national title since 1957.
Fellow pooler and Auburn alum Mary Orndorff from Birmingham (Ala) News helpfully points out that the Auburn team boasts Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.
“War eagle” is the most oft heard chant at Auburn games (It’s the battle
cry for the Tigers- I know, it doesn’t make sense to non-Alabamians, Mary
says) The audience chanted it before POTUS came.
Anyway, notables spotted in the audience include Rep Terri Sewell(D), sen
Richard Shelby(R), sen Jeff Sessions (R) and his wife Mary, rep Mike Rogers (R). Rep Dennis Ross (R) from florida, too (Auburn alum)
Also on hand, former Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who could be seen
chatting amiably with Shelby before POTUS came.
Newton got a big round of applause from the 200 or so people in the
audience when he entered.
See WH transcript for remarks. POTUS talked about Gibbs passing on his
Auburn allegiance to his son Ethan. Talked about how the team’s earlier
scheduled visit was postponed because of tornados. The reason obviously were celebrating today is a happier moment, he said. Said the team hadn’t had a championship since before he was born.
Called out Nick Farrelly and newton for their contributions, as well as
freshman Michael Dyer (37 yd run), senior Wes Byrum(winning field goal).
(Check spellings) Comments concluded at 3:19pm.
Then team member Cody Burns presented POTUS with Auburn jersey #1 with “Obama” written on it. POTUS poses for pics w/ it and team, then calls up Ethan Gibbs who gets his photo with team and POTUS.
POTUS then shook hands with team members and audience before leaving the room at 3:26 pm.
Separately before event, WH official says team took tour of WH with
students from a DC middle school – didn’t give name.
Donovan Slack
White House Correspondent
The Boston Globe
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