Biden lauds Chiefs’ unity during White House visit
President Joe Biden praised the Kansas City Chiefs for their unity as they visited the White House on Monday to celebrate their Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs’ delegation in Washington just short of four full months after guiding the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.
Biden was presented with a Chiefs’ No. 46 jersey in an outdoor gathering. A notable moment came when Biden was presented with his jersey, and tight end Travis Kelce veered away to approach the microphone.
“So I have been waiting for this moment,” Kelce began to say as Mahomes made like a Secret Service agent, quickly cutting off his favourite target and ushering him back with the team.
Biden told the Chiefs, “You’ve shown the power of one of the most elusive things in the world — unity. When people from different backgrounds feature their own personalities, work together as one team. You play together with a distinct style, in constant motion with a real joy for the game and a love for each other and a great city to represent.
“And from that unity, you strive to bring out the best in yourselves and each other. In fact, I’ve heard how even after the wins, Patrick [Mahomes] and those players go up to Coach [Andy] Reid and ask him how we can do better. That’s pretty incredible.”
Reid said during the ceremony, “I’ll tell you what, we’re fired up to be here as a football team. President Biden, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for inviting us to the White House for this celebration of a championship. From the tour that we had to the history here to the great food — can’t forget the great food. We thank you. It has been 100 percent first class.”
Mahomes also led the Chiefs a Super Bowl victory in February 2020 but the team did not visit the White House because of Covid-19 restrictions. The franchise won the Super Bowl after the 1969 season, before White House visits were common for sports champions.
Mahomes said following the ceremony, “It’s just surreal to be here . ... To be able to be here and see that and see the history of this great nation that we have, it was really cool for me to just be here and be in the moment. I never imagined it being as cool as it was.”
During the visit, Biden recognised Norma Hunt, wife of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who died on Sunday at age 85.