So funny we forgot to laugh ...
Championship team visits to the White House are commonplace events that rarely even merit mention anymore.
Sure, there’s the occasional player making a political statement by not joining teammates for the trip that essentially amounts to a photo op with the president. That’s the exception, however.
Typically, the team shows up, listens to a speech that contains some lighthearted jokes from the commander-in-chief, presents him a jersey and calls it a day after the group photo.
Things pretty much went according to the script when the New England Patriots visited the White House on Thursday.
President Barack Obama made a few predictable jokes: tight end Rob Gronkowski is crazy, coach Bill Belichick is a bad dresser, yada, yada, yada. And, of course, Deflate-Gate. “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.
Cue the drumroll and laugh track.
One part of Obama’s speech might have been more unsettling for those who were paying attention.
“They’re leading the way off the field as well,” Obama said during his eight-minute lovefest. “During the season, Patriots players spend their Tuesdays volunteering in the community — schools, hospitals, getting kids active through the NFL’s Play 60 initiative.”
Yes, some of the players from the organization have done great things. One of them, however, is getting ready to spend the rest of his life in jail for murder.
It’s amazing how quickly the Patriots organization has been disassociated from the reign of terror former tight end Aaron Hernandez brought to the region. Yep, The Patriot Way. ■ HEADS, HE WINS — NBA commissioner Adam Silver could have avoided the tough question. His predecessor certainly would have done so.
But Silver decided to answer when a TMZ Sports cameraman asked whether Shaquille O’Neal or Charles Barkley had the better bald head.
Not only did he say Barkley, Silver sang Barkley’s praises as a handsome man.
Of course, the former superstars discussed the video during playoff coverage on “Inside the NBA” on Wednesday night.
Between hearty laughs, O’Neal didn’t seem concerned.
“Once you go Shaq, you never go back,” he said.
You know, unless your name is Kobe Bryant.
■ ANOTHER CHANCE — Stop reading so much into the Philadelphia Eagles’ signing of Tim Tebow this week.
Bringing Tebow aboard is not a publicity stunt. Coach Chip Kelly doesn’t envision turning the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback into the next great tight end or H-back. Even the theory about the team making Tebow into a 2-point conversion specialist has been denied.
No, Eagles vice president of player personnel Ed Marynowitz says the organization feels Tebow has improved so much over the last year that he deserves a look during training camp.
“Obviously, we were intrigued with what we saw there,” Marynowitz said. “We saw a player who improved from the last time we saw him live, which was when he was here with New England.”
It has been said the key to happiness is low expectations. Apparently the same applies to landing a contract with the Eagles.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL