President Obama honored the nineteen seventy two world football champion Miami Dolphins at the White House yesterday.
The red carpet came out for arguably one of the greatest sports team ever to compete: they’re the only team to obtain the Lombardi Trophy with a perfect record. It wasn’t until the eighties that presidents began honoring winning sports teams at the White House, which the president quipped about.
“And I know that some people may be asking ‘why we’re doing this after all these years?’ and the answer is simple: I want to be the young guy up here for once.”
Players say the president – who’s a big sports fan – heard the team was never honored at the White House and made the trip happen. Hall of fame coach Don Shula presented the president with a number “72” jersey emblazoned with “UNDEFEATED…” which Shula says is a reminder of how the Dolphins snatched an undefeated season away from the president’s Chicago Bears.
“This is something that we hope that you find a good spot for, somewhere in your office or where you can look at it and think about that whipping that we put on that ’85 Bear team.”
The president says the team deserves the highest honors not just for their accomplishments on the field.
“Players from this team have gone on to become a minister, a mayor, a doctor, a state senator, a high school counselor, many successful businessmen. Nick Buoniconti helped found the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord research center. Some have dabbled in acting…”
Eight players from that vaunted team have died, and three members boycotted the ceremony because they disagree with the president’s politics.
