Photo Credit: Carrie Devorah
A minor scandal ensued in 2005, when members of the NCAA champion Northwestern University lacrosse team donned flip-flops for their meeting with President Bush. It wasn’t quite the same when the president met with members of the Olympic and Paralympic teams Monday in the Rose Garden. But the athletes sure kept it casual, wearing light blue (women) or dark blue (men) polo shirts, with khakis or jeans. Some wore sneakers.
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But clearly there was a plan to their palette, as Bush sported a matching shirt and tie.
“There’s a 58-year-old sailor” on the team, “which gives this 62-year-old mountain biker hope that you may need me in Beijing,” joked Bush.
After his remarks, the president received the compulsory team jersey emblazoned with “Bush 08” from Jennie Finch, the star softball pitcher and sometime swimsuit model (yes, even a lame-duck president gets all the perks).
Later that night, the athletes attended a dinner in the Rose Garden with the Bushes and Olympic greats long jumper Bob Beamon, gymnast Bart Conner, heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee and gymnast Shannon Miller.
Bluegrass band the Seldom Scene provided entertainment after dinner.
