Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Bloom gives signed McNabb jersey to Laura Bush


From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - President Bush welcomed "dudes and dudesses" from the U.S. Winter Olympic team today in a White House ceremony that included a most unusual prop - a signed football jersey from Donovan McNabb.

After speeches by Bush and speedskater Chris Witty, the president was presented with an Olympic torch and was quickly surrounded by athletes who treated him like a celebrity gold medalist. Bush signed a bobblehead doll, posters, jackets and posed for photos - but somehow seemed not to notice when skier-turned-football-player Jeremy Bloom offered the Philadelphia Eagles jersey signed by McNabb.

So Bloom, who was drafted in the fifth round last month by the Eagles, did the next best thing: He gave the jersey to first lady Laura Bush.

Read the whole story here.

-------

And these quotes, from the Eagles web site:

On presenting Mr. Bush with a Donovan McNabb-autographed jersey:

“I was with the President a week before the draft at a Republican gala that he invited me to and we were talking about what team I might get drafted to in the draft and stuff like that, and I told him I would try to get him an autographed jersey from whatever team I went to. He was pretty thrilled with the McNabb jersey.”

On what the White House is like and what kind of charisma Mr. Bush has:

"I'll start with the charisma that President Bush has. All politics aside, the guy is hysterical. He's got an incredible personality. He's a jokester, he loves athletics, he loves football, he loves baseball. He's very knowledgeable about sports and he's a very down-to-earth guy. He likes to act like a normal guy in front of us.

"It was an incredible thrill and honor for me."

-------

Not sure you want to brag about attending a "Republican gala" when you're trying to fit in in Philadelphia ....