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White House championship visits over the years
Jan 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; President Barack Obama holds a gift jersey while posing with members of the Chicago Cubs at a ceremony honoring the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs in the East Room at the White House. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

White House championship visits over the years

For as long as most people can remember, championship sports teams have received invitations to the White House on behalf of whichever U.S. president happened to be in office at the time. But exactly how long has this tradition been around, how many teams have been invited and which ones actually attended? We’ll answer these questions with this gallery, your guide to White House championship visits. 

However, before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that not every team gets an invite and not every team accepts the invitation, for various reasons. Also, some of these ceremonies had only a small number of press photographers present or occurred a long time ago, so photos aren’t available for every meet and greet. 

Also, please note that the dates attached to each team are the year in which the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup or other championship occurred, and are not necessarily representative of the timing of the regular season.

With the Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots set to visit on April 19, here is your all-time list of White House-honored champions.

 
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1957 Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (LLWS)

1957 Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (LLWS)
Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images

1957 was the first year the Little League World Series included a team from outside of the United States and Canada, so of course that team ended up winning. When all was said and done, the 1957 Little League World Series champions were the Industrial Little League of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, mostly thanks to a perfect game thrown by Mexican pitcher Ángel Macías. In addition to the series, the team also won the opportunity to meet with President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the White House on Aug. 27, 1957.

 
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1962 Boston Celtics (NBA)

1962 Boston Celtics (NBA)
Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images

The 1962 NBA champion Boston Celtics were the first basketball team to visit the White House, and they did so on Jan. 31, 1963. The invitation was extended by President John F. Kennedy, who was born and raised in Massachusetts and later represented the state as both a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Although this was the team’s first actual White House visit, Celtics coach Red Auerbach claimed to have been previously invited by President Harry Truman.

 
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1973 Miami Dolphins (NFL)

1973 Miami Dolphins (NFL)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

To date, the Miami Dolphins are the only team to compile a perfect year from the regular season up to and including the Super Bowl. This feat was achieved by the 1972-73 Dolphins, who beat the Washington Redskins, 14-7, way back in Super Bowl VII. However, as President Richard Nixon had more important things to worry about in 1973 (mainly his job), the Fins didn’t get their day at the White House until Aug. 20, 2013, thanks to an invite from President Barack Obama.

 
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1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team

1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team
Keystone/CNP/Getty Images

Ordinarily, U.S. Olympic athletes are congratulated at the White House as a whole either before or after the games. However, the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team was no ordinary team. After defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union in the so-called “Miracle on Ice” and then winning gold, President Jimmy Carter singled out members of Team USA at a White House ceremony on Feb. 25, 1980 — just three days after their historic win.

 
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1983 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)

1983 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images

Although President Ronald Reagan took office in Jan. 1981, he wasn’t visited by a championship NBA team until after the Philadelphia 76ers won the 1983 NBA Finals. After sweeping the series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the 76ers made the trip to Washington about a week later, on June 8, 1983. According to former 76er Mark McNamara, the president spent about 30 minutes with the team.

 
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1984 Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

1984 Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Lane Stewart /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

The winner of the 1984 Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament was the Georgetown Hoyas, one of the first college basketball teams to visit the White House. Coach John Thompson, star player Patrick Ewing and the rest of the Hoyas received an invitation from President Reagan after they beat the Houston Cougars in the championship game, 84-75. It is believed that the Indiana Hoosiers were actually the first team to visit the White House following an invite from President Gerald Ford, but this type of trip was uncommon before 1984 due to strict NCAA rules regarding colleges paying for player transportation.

 
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1984 Boston Celtics (NBA)

1984 Boston Celtics (NBA)
Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Back in the day, when you received an invite to the White House, you didn’t waste any time scheduling a visit. The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals on June 12, and on June 13 they were shaking hands with President Reagan. In addition to a team jacket, the Celtics also gifted Reagan a signed basketball. Noticeably absent was star player Larry Bird, who skipped the trip to catch up on some much-needed sleep after the playoffs and subsequent celebrations.

 
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1985 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

1985 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Only a few teams visited President Reagan during his two terms in office, so when the 1985 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers stopped by on June 10, 1985, they made it count. Head coach Pat Riley and players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar each came out to give the president a gift, and by the end he was in possession of a No. 1 Lakers jersey, T-shirt, hat and autographed basketball. Little did anyone know that the Lakers would win the title twice more over the following three seasons.

 
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1986 Chicago Bears (NFL)

1986 Chicago Bears (NFL)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears didn’t receive their day at the White House back in 1986, so leave it to Illinois native President Obama to invite them — albeit a bit late, on Oct. 7, 2011. Coach Mike Ditka, defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and a number of former players were on hand for the celebration, which was as much for the team as it was for the president. “This is as much fun as I will have as president of the United States,” Obama said. The team's original White House ceremony was canceled following the tragic Jan. 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger explosion.

 
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1986 New York Mets (MLB)

1986 New York Mets (MLB)
Dirck Halstead / Contributor / Getty Images

After beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games to win the 1986 World Series, the New York Mets visited the White House only a few weeks later. There were some worries that the hard-partying Mets wouldn’t behave themselves on the trip, but the bigger issue ended up being the lack of players who showed up. Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter and a dozen other players were present, but the notable absentees included Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, Ron Darling, Lenny Dykstra and Mookie Wilson.

 
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1988 Washington Redskins (NFL)

1988 Washington Redskins (NFL)
Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

A lot of fun was had when President Reagan invited the Washington Redskins to town after their victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. At the Feb. 3, 1988, event, Reagan received a signed ball and team jersey from star quarterback Doug Williams, and the president also had the opportunity to throw a spiral to wide receiver Ricky Williams. In fact, it seems like the Gipper may have been more excited than the Super Bowl champs. “Make no mistake about it,” Reagan said, “I'm just as enthusiastic as your fans!”

 
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1989 San Francisco 49ers (NFL)

1989 San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
Diana Walker/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers were so hot back in the '80s that any place they entered immediately became their house, including the White House! President George H.W. Bush invited Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and company to celebrate their Super Bowl XXIII win in Washington on Feb. 3, 1989, and it was clear he had been paying attention to the team’s achievements. “With this, your third Super Bowl title in eight years, you rewrote the record books and raised the game of football to a new level of excellence,” the president said. Of course, no one knew at the time that the 49ers would also win Super Bowl XXIV the very next year.

 
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1989 The National Little League of Trumbull, Connecticut (LLWS)

1989 The National Little League of Trumbull, Connecticut (LLWS)
Terry Ashe/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Four U.S. teams made it into the 1989 Little League World Series championship bracket, but in the end, only one was crowned the winner: The National Little League of Trumbull, Connecticut, who beat the Kang-Tu Little League of Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) in the final game by a score of 5-2. To celebrate this accomplishment, President George H.W. Bush invited the team to visit the White House Rose Garden on Oct. 10, 1989.

 
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1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (NCAA Men’s Basketball) and Stanford Cardinal (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

1990 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (NCAA Men’s Basketball) and Stanford Cardinal (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Dirck Halstead/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

President Bush decided to honor both the NCAA D-I men’s and women’s basketball champions in 1990 and thus invited both the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Stanford Cardinal teams, respectively. Coach Jerry Tarkanian and the UNLV men squashed Duke 103-73 in the championship game, while the Stanford women defeated the Auburn Tigers to the tune of 88-81.

 
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1992 Toronto Blue Jays (MLB)

1992 Toronto Blue Jays (MLB)
John Mahler/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Before leaving office, President Bush welcomed a sports team to the White House one last time on Dec. 16, 1992. Interestingly, however, it wasn’t an American team. The Toronto Blue Jays won the 1992 World Series by beating the Atlanta Braves in six games and thus earned a trip to Washington. However, the Jays weren’t the only winning team at the White House that day; America’s championship Little League and Babe Ruth teams were also in attendance.

 
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1993 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

1993 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
Cynthia Johnson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

March 5, 1993, was a day of numerous firsts in the White House. It marked the first time President Bill Clinton welcomed a championship team to Washington. It also marked the first time the Cowboys were ever invited to the White House, despite previous Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1978. After receiving a No. 1 “Clinton” jersey from the Super Bowl XXVII champs, the beaming president said he’d start practicing for the Cowboys the next day. However, head coach Jimmy Johnson interjected to say that the team had observed tapes of the POTUS running, and he’d “have to jog a little faster for that reserve quarterback role.”

 
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1994 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

1994 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
Cynthia Johnson/Liaison

After winning Super Bowl XXVII in 1993, the Dallas Cowboys also won Super Bowl XXVIII the next year and were rewarded with another trip to the White House on March 1, 1994. Less than three weeks later, following years of friction with owner Jerry Jones, head coach Jimmy Johnson announced he was leaving the team.

 
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1994 Houston Rockets (NBA)

1994 Houston Rockets (NBA)
ROBERT GIROUX/AFP/Getty Images

The Chicago Bulls didn’t visit the White House after completing an NBA championship three-peat in 1993, but the Houston Rockets sure were eager to attend on Feb. 18, 1995, after winning their very first title the previous year. As a token of appreciation, President Clinton was given a basketball signed by the entire team. The Rockets would repeat as NBA champions only a few months later but did not visit the White House a second time.

 
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1995 UCLA Bruins (NCAA Men’s Basketball) and UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

1995 UCLA Bruins (NCAA Men’s Basketball) and UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Jeffrey Markowitz / Contributor / Getty Images

In another joint ceremony, President Clinton honored both the UCLA Bruins men’s and UConn Huskies women’s basketball teams at the White House on June 2, 1995. The men’s team won the honor after besting Clinton’s beloved Arkansas Razorbacks 89-78, and the women’s team had to knock off Al Gore’s home-state Tennessee Volunteers in a 70-64 affair. “The championships were hard for the vice president and me,” Clinton said before jokingly adding, “We just have to hope our ticket does a little bit better in '96.”

 
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1995 New Jersey Devils (NHL)

1995 New Jersey Devils (NHL)
JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images

It took two decades, but the New Jersey Devils finally won their first Stanley Cup in 1995 after sweeping the Detroit Red Wings in four games. The team was subsequently invited to visit the White House by President Bill Clinton and did so on July 10, 1995. New Jersey natives, such as Senator Bill Bradley, turned out for the photo op, which was famous for the moment when Clinton raised Lord Stanley’s Cup in victory while surrounded by Devils captain Scott Stevens and a few other players.

 
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1996 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

1996 Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers never got their White House visit after winning Super Bowl XXIX, but when the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX, they were right back in Washington for the third time in four seasons on Feb. 13, 1996. “This is beginning to be boring for them, I think,” President Clinton joked. However, Clinton got serious when it came to acknowledging Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown. The president praised his two-interception MVP performance in the big game, which came at the end of a season in which Brown’s young son tragically passed away.

 
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1996 Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

1996 Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
RICHARD ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Having successfully locked up his re-election, one of President Clinton’s first acts of 1997 was to invite the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche to the White House. The team arrived on Jan. 10, 1997, and brought a gift for the president: an Avalanche jersey with “Clinton” stitched on the back over the number “96,” to recognize the 1996 Stanley Cup victory.

 
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1996 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)

1996 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)
JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images

The Florida Gators became national football champions for the first time after beating their in-state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles, in the Sugar Bowl, 52-20. Gator QB Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy that year, but it was clearly coach Steve Spurrier who was running the show. In fact, as recalled by linebacker Mike Peterson, Spurrier also ran the show during a White House visit with President Bill Clinton on March 27, 1997. “The president is holding his jersey up [showing the front] and in classic Coach Spurrier, he tells the president, 'Turn around, turn around, turn around, let them see the other side,’” Peterson said. “He's going to say what he wants anytime.”

 
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1996 Chicago Bulls (NBA)

1996 Chicago Bulls (NBA)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

On April 3, 1997, the Chicago Bulls celebrated their fourth NBA championship in five seasons by visiting the White House for the first time during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Clinton arrived on crutches following recent knee surgery and quipped, “Just think of me as another injured basketball player,” before adding, “I want you to know that in six months, I'll be good as new and available for the next draft.” After passing on a visit after the 1991 NBA championship, 1997 was the first time Michael Jordan made the trip, and he seemed sincerely humbled by the experience.

 
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1997 Green Bay Packers (NFL)

1997 Green Bay Packers (NFL)
PAUL RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

As dominant as Brett Favre was during his 16-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, he only won one Super Bowl (XXXI) and thus only made it to the White House once, on May 20, 1997. During the visit, Favre spent some time with President Clinton, who praised the quarterback as well as the entire team during his address. As a token of their gratitude, the Packers presented Clinton with a signed football and a jacket.

 
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1997 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

1997 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
Nic Wass /Allsport

The Detroit Red Wings flew past the Philadelphia Flyers in just four games of the 1997 Stanley Cup Final to win the franchise’s eighth Stanley Cup and the first in 55 years. In recognition of this feat, President Clinton invited them to the White House on Jan. 30, 1998. Although any trip to the president’s home is significant, this one had some extra heart attached to it. It marked the first public appearance of defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov since he became paralyzed in a limousine accident only six days after his team won the Cup.

 
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1997 Florida Marlins (MLB)

1997 Florida Marlins (MLB)
JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images

Bill Clinton had a somewhat spotty record when it came to inviting World Series champion MLB teams to the White House — not that it’s his fault. After Bush invited the 1992 Blue Jays, Clinton’s administration did not invite them back after winning again in 1993, likely due to the ongoing strike that unfolded in the offseason and lasted until 1995. The Atlanta Braves won next, but the event wasn’t the usual press affair, and few pictures of the ceremony exist. 1996 was an election year, so the World Series champion New York Yankees had to stay home. However, baseball eventually returned to the White House on Feb. 17, 1998, when Clinton welcomed the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins — as evidenced in this snap of him high-fiving manager Jim Leyland.

 
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1996 & 1997 D.C. United (MLS)

1996 & 1997 D.C. United (MLS)
Robert A. Reeder/The Washington Post/Getty Images

After winning back-to-back Major League Soccer (MLS) Cups in 1996 and 1997 — the first two ever awarded — the D.C. United team received an invitation to visit the White House from President Bill Clinton. The trip occurred on April 6, 1998, and included a gift for the president: a No. 1 jersey personalized with his name.

 
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1998 Denver Broncos (NFL)

1998 Denver Broncos (NFL)
JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images

Brett Favre and the defending champion Green Bay Packers made it to the Super Bowl once again in 1998 but couldn’t top John Elway’s Denver Broncos, losing 31-24. President Clinton invited the Super Bowl XXXII champion Broncos to the White House on June 16, 1998, and was presented with a No. 1 “Clinton” jersey by MVP running back Terrell Davis. Although the Broncos also won Super Bowl XXXII the following year, they weren't invited to Washington in 1999, likely due to President Clinton’s ongoing impeachment trial.

 
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1998 New York Yankees (MLB)

1998 New York Yankees (MLB)
Richard Ellis/Getty Images

The New York Yankees weren’t invited to the White House after winning the 1996 World Series due to Bill Clinton’s busy re-election campaign schedule, but the president made sure to invite them on June 10, 1999, after they won the 1998 World Series. Not only did he want to make up for his previous snub, but First Lady Hillary Clinton was gearing up for a run in the U.S. Senate election in New York and needed some local support. She famously donned a Yankees cap at the June 10 ceremony, a pandering move that she later admitted to regretting.

 
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1998 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

1998 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
CHRIS KLEPONIS/AFP/Getty Images

The Detroit Red Wings repeated as Stanley Cup champs in 1998, this time after sweeping the Washington Capitals. They again visited the White House and President Clinton too, this time on Jan. 28, 1999. The big difference? The first time, Clinton was given a No. 1 jersey; the second time, the jersey bore the No. 98. Oh, and it was a home sweater instead of an away one, probably because the Red Wings were beginning to feel like the White House was their second home.

 
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1998 Tennessee Volunteers (NCAA Football)

1998 Tennessee Volunteers (NCAA Football)
Richard Ellis / Contributor / Getty Images

When the Tennessee Volunteers football team fended off Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to become national champions, the Vols earned a trip to the White House on Aug. 17, 1999. When they arrived, they didn’t just have a custom jersey for President Clinton, they also had one for Tennessee native Al Gore. As you can probably tell, Gore was just a bit more excited than Clinton, and the words “Al Gore” and “excited” are rarely used in the same sentence.

 
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1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (World Cup)

1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (World Cup)
Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

When Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Mia Hamm and the rest of the 1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer team knocked off China in an overtime shootout, they became World Cup champions and earned a trip to the White House on July 19, 1999. President Clinton took time to single out numerous members of the team, including Brandi Chastain, who scored the winning goal and ripped off her shirt in celebration, which is now an iconic image in U.S. sports history.

 
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1999 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

1999 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Image

The last pro basketball team to visit President Clinton in the White House was the San Antonio Spurs on Sept. 7, 1999. San Antonio was invited to Washington to celebrate its 1999 NBA championship and give the president a No. 1 “Clinton” jersey. During his speech, Clinton likened basketball to politics. “You get ahead, you get behind,” he said. “Normally, you don't know whether you are going to win until it's right before the end the game.”

 
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1999 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

1999 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

By 1999, Mike Krzyzewski had already spent 19 years as Duke’s head coach and led them to the championship game five times, winning two titles. At the same time, Jim Calhoun had been coaching at UConn for 13 years and hadn’t made the championship yet. In fact, even prior to Calhoun, the Huskies had  never made the big game until 1999, when they met a Duke team searching for its third championship. It was a hard-fought battle, but in the end, UConn emerged victorious. In addition to their first title, the Huskies also earned their first trip to the White House thanks to an invite from President Clinton. That same day, the president was also hosting the Purdue Boilermakers women’s basketball team, who had coincidentally also just defeated the Blue Devils to win their championship game.

 
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1999 Purdue Boilermakers (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

1999 Purdue Boilermakers (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

In 1999, the Purdue Boilermakers women’s basketball team and UConn Huskies men’s basketball team both won their respective championships, they both beat Duke teams in the final, they both earned a trip to the White House on Oct. 14, 1999, and they both gifted President Clinton a team jersey bearing his name. The only difference? The Huskies barely edged out a 77-74 win over the Blue Devils, while the Boilermakers easily steamrolled right over them, 62-45.

 
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1999 Florida State Seminoles (NCAA Football)

1999 Florida State Seminoles (NCAA Football)
MARIO TAMA/AFP/Getty Images

The last NCAA football team to meet with President Clinton before he left office was Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles, who visited the White House on March 2, 2000, after beating Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, 46-49. “Perfect” is a word rarely associated with U.S. presidents, but it was used here, as Clinton was meeting with a team that went 12-0 and consistently retained a No. 1 ranking from the preseason through the bowl season.

 
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1999 Dallas Stars (NHL)

1999 Dallas Stars (NHL)
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

If the Dallas Stars had won the Stanley Cup one year later, they could have celebrated their first victory at the White House with a Texas native. Instead, they’d have to settle for partying with President Clinton during their March 16, 2000, visit to Washington. Not only was this the president’s last visit with a hockey team, but it would also be his last visit with any professional sports teams before leaving office the following January.

 
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1999 Houston Comets (WNBA)

1999 Houston Comets (WNBA)
NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images

On May 23, 2000, the Houston Comets became the first WNBA champions to ever visit the White House. The league was three years old at the time, and the Comets had thus far won every WNBA championship. To congratulate the team, President Bill Clinton invited them to Washington for a ceremony in his last year in office, and he was given a No. 1 Comets jersey with his name on the back as a souvenir.

 
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2000 Oklahoma Sooners (NCAA Football)

2000 Oklahoma Sooners (NCAA Football)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

Soon after taking office, President George W. Bush met with his first championship college team, the Oklahoma Sooners, who knocked off the Florida State Seminoles in the Orange Bowl. They visited the White House on March 5, 2001, and brought with them a No. 1 “Bush” jersey for the president. The ceremony was actually a dual celebration, as the Oklahoma Sooners women’s softball team also won a national championship in 2000.

 
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2000 New York Yankees (MLB)

2000 New York Yankees (MLB)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

The New York Yankees won their third World Series in as many years in 2000, but their May 4, 2001, visit was the first with newly elected President George W. Bush. Bush is a huge baseball fan and was clearly excited to welcome world champions such as Derek Jeter, Paul O’Neill, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera to his new home — even if the team had, as he put it, “broke my heart many a time as the owner of the Texas Rangers.” 

 
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2000 Houston Comets (WNBA)

2000 Houston Comets (WNBA)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

Another year, another WNBA championship for the Houston Comets. This marked four titles in a row for the team and was the second consecutive White House visit. The difference this time was that the ceremony took place on May 14, 2001, and the president was George W. Bush, as Clinton had left office four months earlier. Bush was given a similar No. 1 team jersey, but of course his said “Bush” on the back.

 
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2000 Nebraska Cornhuskers (NCAA Women’s Volleyball)

2000 Nebraska Cornhuskers (NCAA Women’s Volleyball)
SHAWN THEW/AFP/Getty Images

The Nebraska Cornhuskers won their second NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship in 2000, just before President George W. Bush took office. Thus, one of the first college teams he invited to the White House was Nebraska, which occurred on May 31, 2001. In return, the team presented Bush with a No. 1 team jersey personalized with the name “G.W. Bush.”

 
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2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2001 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

What better way to celebrate a school’s first NCAA championship than a trip to the White House? That’s exactly what coach Muffet McGraw and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s basketball team did after posting a 34-2 record in the regular season and defeating the Purdue Boilermakers in the 2001 final, 68-66. Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the men’s basketball champion Duke Blue Devils were also in attendance at the joint ceremony on April 23, 2001.

 
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2001 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2001 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

After Duke defeated Arizona in the 2001 NCAA championship, the Blue Devils earned their first trip to the White House under President George W. Bush. The president was gifted a No. 1 “Bush” jersey as well as a signed basketball, and he also got an opportunity to hold the championship trophy. Interestingly, one of the players at the ceremony would later work in the White House. Reggie Love, a Duke backup forward for three seasons, was hired as a special assistant and personal aide to President Obama in early 2009.

 
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2001 Boston College Eagles (NCAA Men’s Hockey)

2001 Boston College Eagles (NCAA Men’s Hockey)
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

When President George W. Bush took office, he made an effort to start inviting championship college hockey teams to the White House, starting with the Boston College Eagles on May 10, 2001. They certainly earned it, as the Eagles had to defeat a tough team from North Dakota in the final, which ended with a score of 3-2 in overtime. At the ceremony, coach Jerry York presented Bush with a hockey jersey bearing his name.

 
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2001 Baltimore Ravens (NFL)

2001 Baltimore Ravens (NFL)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

When the Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens visited the White House on June 7, 2001, they didn’t give President George W. Bush a jersey that said “Bush,” “POTUS” or “Commander in Chief.” Instead, the Ravens uniform was emblazoned with the number “1” and a single letter: “W.” Of course, before Bush’s comments about the team at the ceremony were finished, he felt the need to point out that there were six Texas natives on the Ravens roster that season.

 
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2001 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCAA Women’s Hockey)

2001 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCAA Women’s Hockey)
TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images

The University of Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team has now won five NCAA Tournaments, but it all started with a 2001 victory in the tourney’s inaugural year. That season, the Bulldogs went 28-5-4 on their way to a 4-2 championship win over St. Lawrence. In recognition of their achievement, President George W. Bush invited the team to the White House on June 25, 2001.

 
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2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)

2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in seven games to win the 2001 World Series, and the team was subsequently given an early Christmas present: a trip to the White House on Dec. 13, 2001. But as President Bush pointed out, the real gift came from the D-Backs and was given to the American people, who needed something to lift their spirits after the tragic events of Sept. 11. "I can't think of a better way to end a World Series, particularly in a time of national need, than in the bottom of the 9th, in the seventh game, everybody watching in the country, people cheering one way or the other, such joy and jubilation,” Bush said. He also thanked the team for taking time to visit Ground Zero during its time in New York.

 
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2000 & 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

2000 & 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make it to the White House after beating the Indiana Pacers in six games to win the 2000 NBA championship. Understandable, considering it was an election year. Fortunately, the team also won it all again in 2001 after beating the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Lakers' Jan. 28, 2002 trip was a combined celebration of both championships. Of course, if coach Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Fisher and the rest of the Lakers knew they’d pull off a three-peat later that same season, they probably would’ve just waited another year for their trip to Washington.

 
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2001 Miami Hurricanes (NCAA Football)

2001 Miami Hurricanes (NCAA Football)
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

For the fifth time in school history, the Miami Hurricanes were national football champions. The last time they won, in 1991, President George H.W. Bush was in office. On March 12, 2002, however, it was his son who had the honor of greeting the championship team. The Hurricanes blew over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Rose Bowl, 37-14, under the leadership of new head coach Larry Coker.

 
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2002 New England Patriots (NFL)

2002 New England Patriots (NFL)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

When Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams and won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, they had no idea it was the start of a dynasty. And President Bush had no idea he would be inviting the team back to the White House two more times before he left office. The first ceremony took place on April 2, 2002, and it was only the beginning.

 
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2002 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCAA Women’s Hockey)

2002 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (NCAA Women’s Hockey)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

After winning the inaugural tournament in 2001, the University of Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team repeated as champions the very next year. This time, the Bulldogs played Brown in the final game and managed to win 3-2. The team was invited to the White House on May 21, 2002, and gave President Bush a personalized team jersey to commemorate the event.

 
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2002 Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)

2002 Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

In the second overtime finale in as many years, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Maine Black Bears in the 2002 tournament by a score of 4-3 in front of a hometown crowd. They were invited to the White House on May 21, 2002, in recognition of their championship season, and presented President Bush with a personalized No. 02 team jersey. This was the fourth championship win in school history, and the fact that they used the year as Bush’s jersey number likely meant that they expected to win again during his presidency.

 
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2002 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2002 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

Few people knew it in 2002, but the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team was just starting to heat up for a run that would last another decade and a half — and still counting! UConn cruised over Oklahoma by a score of 82-70 for the win that year and received a trip to the White House on May 21, 2002. Players Sue Bird and Swin Cash were tasked with giving President Bush a jersey to commemorate the visit. Bush was also honoring the NCAA men’s champion, the Maryland Terrapins, at the same ceremony.

 
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2002 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2002 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

After breezing past the Indiana Hoosiers in a 64-52 affair, the Maryland Terrapins won their first and only NCAA Tournament to date. This, of course, earned the Terps a trip to the White House on May 21, 2002. During the meeting with President Bush, Most Outstanding Player Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter presented him with a No. 1 “Bush” jersey as a token of appreciation. Bush was also honoring the NCAA women’s champion, the UConn Huskies, at the same ceremony.

 
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2002 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

2002 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Image

There was no meet-and-greet with the president following the Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup victory in 2001, likely due to the fallout after Sept. 11. However, the event was back on the next year to honor the NHL-champion Detroit Red Wings. On Nov. 8, 2002, President George W. Bush welcomed to the White House “the mighty Detroit hockey team, winners of the Stanley Cup three out of the last six years, 10 times winners of Stanley Cup, and the team that made Detroit ‘Hockeytown,’” he said. Before being presented with a jersey, Bush also took time to acknowledge Detroit Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman, who retired following the 2001-02 season.

 
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2002 Anaheim Angels (MLB)

2002 Anaheim Angels (MLB)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

As a former owner of the Texas Rangers, President Bush had a lot to say to his former division rivals, the 2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels, when they visited the White House on May 27, 2003. Most notably, he apologized for being the one owner who voted against the wild card system in baseball; after all, the Angels only made it into the playoffs in 2002 because of it. He also asked where the Rally Monkey was, before being presented with a jersey from manager Mike Scioscia

 
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2003 Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)

2003 Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

To the surprise of very few people, the Minnesota Golden Gophers repeated as hockey champs in 2003. This one came even easier, without the need for overtime, as the Gophers knocked out the New Hampshire Wildcats in an easy 5-1 victory. To recognize this repeat feat, the team was once again invited to the White House on June 17, 2003, and the Gophers once again gave President Bush a personalized jersey — except this time it was No. 03. 

 
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2003 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2003 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

The UConn Huskies were back at the White House again in 2003, their third trip in four seasons. They earned the visit after a 73-68 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in the NCAA Tournament final. At the June 17, 2003, ceremony, UConn guard and future three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi was the one who presented President Bush with a custom jersey.

 
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2003 New Jersey Devils (NHL)

2003 New Jersey Devils (NHL)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils passed on visiting the White House after their Stanley Cup victory in 2000, having previously made the trip only five years prior. But there was a new face in the Oval Office after the team’s 2003 win, and the Red Wings elected to meet with President Bush on Sept. 29, 2003. Bush praised the team for its competitiveness and compassion, specifically singling out defenseman Scott Stevens for his commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark and the Hockey Fights Cancer campaign.

 
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2003 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

2003 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
Mitchell Layton/NBAE via Getty Images

The three-peating Los Angeles Lakers passed on a visit to the White House in 2002 after making the trip the previous year, but the San Antonio Spurs were eager to attend when they beat the New Jersey Nets in six games in the 2003 NBA Finals — and they did so on Oct. 14, 2003. After all, not only had the roster changed a bit since the Spurs’ last title win in 1999, but so had the president — and, like the team, he proudly hailed from Texas.

 
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2003 Florida Marlins (MLB)

2003 Florida Marlins (MLB)
LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

After welcoming the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins to the White House in Spanish on Jan. 23, 2004, President Bush remarked that he hoped the victory would cause one of the team’s biggest fans — his brother, then-governor of Florida, Jeb Bush — to stop bragging. Jeb was of course present for the event. Bush then individually acknowledged almost every member of the team, including Texas-born pitcher Josh Beckett and catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who spent the first 12 years of his MLB career in a Rangers uniform.

 
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2003 LSU Tigers and USC Trojans (NCAA Football)

2003 LSU Tigers and USC Trojans (NCAA Football)
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images

Although USC was named the AP and FWAA national champions, the BCS National Championship Game (the Sugar Bowl) was between the Oklahoma Sooners and the LSU Tigers, with LSU emerging victorious by a score of 21-14. Thus, both USC and LSU were invited to meet President Bush at the White House on March 23, 2004. The USC women’s volleyball team, UNC women’s soccer team and Indiana men’s soccer team were also honored at the ceremony.

 
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2003 Detroit Shock (WNBA)

2003 Detroit Shock (WNBA)
Mitchell Layton/NBAE via Getty Images

The WNBA returned to the White House on May 24, 2004, after the Detroit Shock toppled the Los Angeles Sparks, who were attempting a three-peat, two games to one in the 2003 WNBA Finals. This was not only the first title in Shock history, but it was the first championship in WNBA history that wasn’t won by either the Sparks or the Houston Comets. President Bush was given an autographed basketball and team jersey to mark the occasion.

 
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2004 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball)

2004 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball)
NICHOLAS ROBERTS/AFP/Getty Images

2004 was a historic year for the University of Connecticut. Not only did the women’s basketball team win its third title in a row and the fourth in five years, but the men’s basketball team also won the NCAA Tournament. Thus it only made sense for President Bush to combine the White House visits into a single ceremony, which took place on May 19, 2004. It would have been an especially impressive coincidence if both teams had beaten the same opponent, but this was not the case. The men defeated Georgia Tech in a 82-73 affair, and the women once again beat Tennessee, this time by a score of 70-61. In case you weren’t counting, both teams happened to win their games by nine points.

 
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2004 Denver Pioneers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)

2004 Denver Pioneers (NCAA Men’s Hockey)
NICHOLAS ROBERTS/AFP/Getty Images

As a huge sports fan, President Bush invited a lot of championship teams to the White House. So many, in fact, that he had to begin inviting multiple victorious teams to each ceremony. For instance, while honoring the Denver Pioneers for their 2004 men’s hockey tournament win over Maine, the May 19, 2004, ceremony also recognized the championship Minnesota women’s hockey team and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams from UConn. 

 
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2004 Detroit Pistons (NBA)

2004 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

It was all smiles when the 2005 NBA champion Detroit Pistons visited the White House on Jan. 31, 2005. It was the team’s first title in 14 years and President Bush’s first opportunity to host an NBA team that wasn’t the Lakers or the Spurs. He used the opportunity to joke with players like Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups, the latter of whom presented him with a No. 04 “Bush” jersey to commemorate the event.

 
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2004 Boston Red Sox (MLB)

2004 Boston Red Sox (MLB)
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox waited 86 years to make it to the White House, so needless to say, the players were pretty excited to be there. Even senator and lifelong Red Sox fan John Kerry, Bush’s opponent in the 2004 Presidential Election, sneaked into the March 2, 2005, event. There was one notable absence, however: Manny Ramirez. Although many people speculated it was because the slugger didn’t care for President Bush, Johnny Damon famously covered for Ramirez by saying his grandmother was sick.

 
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2005 New England Patriots (NFL)

2005 New England Patriots (NFL)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

For the third time in four seasons, the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl (XXXIX, in this case) and returned to the White House on April 13, 2005. In addition to the usual gifts of a jersey and a signed football, Bill Belichick also gave President Bush a replica of his signature hooded sweatshirt, except this one was monogrammed with the initials “GWB” on the front. Also, in what would become something of a trend, senator and New England sports fan John Kerry showed up to the ceremony injured, this time on crutches following recent knee surgery.

 
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2004 & 2005 NCAA Sports Champions

2004 & 2005 NCAA Sports Champions
Alex Wong/Getty Images

On July 12, 2005, President George W. Bush invited what was then the largest group of NCAA champions ever gathered at the White House to celebrate various wins throughout 2004 and 2005. This included members from the UCLA men's water polo, UCLA women's water polo, UCLA men's tennis, Duke women's golf, Oklahoma men's gymnastics, Northwestern women's lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University men's lacrosse, University of Minnesota women's hockey, Michigan women's softball, Auburn men's swimming and diving, University of Georgia women's swimming and diving, University of Georgia women's gymnastics, University of Georgia men's golf, Stanford women's tennis, and Pepperdine men's volleyball teams. This was the year a few members of the Northwestern women’s lacrosse team created a bit of a stir for wearing flip-flops during their White House visit.

 
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2005 Baylor Lady Bears (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2005 Baylor Lady Bears (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

UNC coach Roy Williams passed on a visit to the White House after winning the 2005 NCAA men’s tournament, but the Lady Bears of Baylor weren’t going to give up their opportunity. After routing the Michigan State Spartans to the tune of 84-62, Baylor packed for a trip to Washington, which took place on July 20, 2005. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas, so President Bush made sure to refer to the Lady Bears as “some highly successful women from the neighborhood” in his opening remarks.

 
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2005 Chicago White Sox (MLB)

2005 Chicago White Sox (MLB)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Chicago White Sox's quest for another World Series berth finally ended after an 88-year wait with a clean sweep of the Houston Astros in the 2005 postseason. As President Bush pointed out at a Feb. 13, 2006, ceremony honoring the Sox, the last time they won, his job was held by Woodrow Wilson, there were only eight teams in the AL and the league’s home run leader owned only nine dingers. Senator and die-hard White Sox fan Barack Obama was present at the ceremony, but of course, at the time, no one knew he would be elected president only two years later. 

 
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2005 Texas Longhorns (NCAA Football)

2005 Texas Longhorns (NCAA Football)
George Bridges/MCT/MCT via Getty Images

It’s a good thing President George W. Bush won his 2004 re-election campaign, otherwise it would have been John Kerry who got to invite the University of Texas Longhorns to the White House on Feb. 14, 2006. Texas won the invite after toppling Pete Carroll, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush’s USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl in a 41-38 nail-biter. To show some love on Valentine’s Day, Texas coach Mack Brown gave Bush a No. 1 “President Bush” jersey.

 
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2005 Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA)

2005 Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA)
Mitchell Layton/NBAE via Getty Images

The 2005 WNBA Finals were the first to use a best-of-five championship series, which was won by the Sacramento Monarchs, three games to one. During a ceremony at the White House on May 16, 2006, President Bush praised the team and the league as a whole for making it to 10 years. “The WNBA has not only lasted, it's thrived, and American sports are better for it,” he said. Monarchs star and MVP Yolanda Griffith presented Bush with a signed basketball and team jersey at the event.

 
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2006 Auburn Tigers (NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving)

2006 Auburn Tigers (NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

In 2005, the Auburn Tigers men’s swimming and diving team became the first in the sport to receive an invitation to the White House. It was the next year, however, that would be truly historic. Not only did both the Auburn men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams win their respective NCAA titles, but they were both honored at the White House by President George W. Bush. The ceremony was part of a combined honoring of numerous NCAA teams, which is why players from the Florida Gators men’s basketball team and Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball team can be seen in the background of this April 6, 2006, shot featuring Bush showing off a pair of Speedo swimming trunks.

 
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2005 & 2006 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Women’s Field Hockey)

2005 & 2006 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Women’s Field Hockey)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

In a big day for Maryland sports, the 2005 and 2006 NCAA champion field hockey team was honored at the White House on the same day as the 2006 women’s basketball team and 2005 men’s soccer team. At the April 6, 2006, ceremony, Emily Beach, captain of the field hockey team, gave President Bush a team stick to commemorate the visit.

 
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2006 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2006 Maryland Terrapins (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Image

The final game of the 2006 NCAA women’s basketball tournament had to go into overtime to determine a winner, but when all was said and done, the Maryland Terrapins were crowned as champions. Despite standing six feet tall, President Bush had to look up to six-foot-two-inch Terps center Crystal Langhorne when she presented him with a jersey on the White House’s South Lawn on April 6, 2006. The ceremony was thrown in conjunction with the 2006 men’s basketball champion, the Florida Gators.

 
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2006 Florida Gators (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2006 Florida Gators (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

After stomping UCLA by a score of 73-57 to win the 2006 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the Florida Gators then stomped on up to Washington to meet with President Bush. The ceremony took place on April 6, 2006. Although Joakim Noah was the tourney’s Most Outstanding Player, Adrian Moss was the one tasked with presenting a No. 1 “Bush” jersey to the president. The Maryland women’s basketball team was also at the White House that day to celebrate its 78-75 overtime victory against Duke.

 
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2006 Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)

2006 Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

When the Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers visited the White House on June 2, 2006, at least one of the team’s players already personally knew the guy who lived there. Steelers tackle Casey “Big Snack” Hampton used to lift weights at the University of Texas with President Bush, back when Hampton was a student at the school and Bush was governor of the state. But this wasn’t the only coincidental connection. Bush’s newly appointed CIA chief, Gen. Michael Hayden, was once coached in midget football by recently deceased Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney.

 
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2006 St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)

2006 St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

One of the first things President Bush did after inviting the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals to the White House on Jan. 16, 2007, was compare himself to underdog MVP David Eckstein. “Listen, David, I've made a career out of people underestimating me,” Bush said to a round of laughter and applause. “Or, as I like to sometimes say to keep them on their toes, ‘misunderestimating’ me.” A notable attendee of the event was Lance Corporal Chad Watson of the United States Marine Corps, an amputee and Cardinals fan whom Bush recently met during a visit to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center.

 
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2006 Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

2006 Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Charles Ommanney/Getty Images

2004 was an election year and the 2005 NHL season was locked out, but hockey returned to the White House on Feb. 2, 2007, when President Bush welcomed the 2006 Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. Bush began by singling out defenseman Mike Commodore, who grew a big red beard and afro during the playoffs, saying, “I'm not sure what is prettier, the Stanley Cup, or Mike Commodore's hair.” He then thanked various players, including Cam Ward and Glen Wesley, for taking the Cup on a tour around the world and spreading joy wherever it went. 

 
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2006 Miami Heat (NBA)

2006 Miami Heat (NBA)
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Miami Heat won the franchise's first NBA championship in 2006, so of course the team took advantage of an invite to the White House on Feb. 27, 2007. Coach Pat Riley presented President Bush with a Heat jersey to mark the occasion, and Shaquille O’Neal gave him a basketball signed by the entire team. Shaq probably also gave Bush feelings of inferiority, as the 7-foot-1-inch center towered over 6-foot-tall president.

 
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2006 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)

2006 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

The Florida Gators chewed up the Ohio State Buckeyes in the BCS National Championship Game, 41-14, and earned themselves a trip to the White House on March 19, 2007. In a show of thanks, the Gators gifted President Bush a jersey and a signed football, and Bush humorously practiced proper form when he received the handoff from quarterback Chris Leak.

 
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2006 Houston Dynamo (MLS)

2006 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

After an eight-year absence, Major League Soccer returned to the White House on May 29, 2007, when President George W. Bush invited the Houston Dynamo in honor of the team's MLS Cup victory, the first in team history. Although numerous other MLS teams won since the start of Bush’s presidency, he didn’t extend an invite until the Cup came to his home state of Texas.

 
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2007 Indianapolis Colts (NFL)

2007 Indianapolis Colts (NFL)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts had an especially meaningful visit to the White House on April 23, 2007. It was the team’s first Super Bowl victory in 36 years. The Colts spent 15 minutes listening to President Bush repeatedly praise them, and a few lucky players were unexpectedly pulled into the Oval Office for a special, impromptu, 30-minute tour and meeting with Bush himself. In return, the president was given a custom No. 43 jersey emblazoned with his name and a Stetson hat that featured the Colts logo.

 
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2006 & 2007 NCAA Champions

2006 & 2007 NCAA Champions
Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

As he did with the 2004 and 2005 NCAA champions and 2005 and 2006 champions, President Bush invited the 2006 and 2007 champs to the White House on Sept. 21, 2007. This included members of the Arizona State University women's indoor and outdoor track and field, University of Minnesota men's wrestling, Duke University women's golf, University of Alaska Fairbanks men's and women's rifle, Oregon State University baseball, Brown University women's crew, University of Tennessee women's basketball, and the John Hopkins University men's lacrosse teams. 

 
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2007 Tennessee Volunteers (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2007 Tennessee Volunteers (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

It was quite the party at the White House on Sept. 21, 2007. That day, President Bush welcomed the 2007 NCAA women’s tournament champions, the Tennessee Volunteers, who won it all after defeating Rutgers in the final by a score of 59-46. It was a packed South Lawn when the Vols arrived, as Bush was also honoring a dozen other NCAA championship teams from the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

 
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2007 Warner Robins American Little League, Warner Robins, Georgia (LLWS)

2007 Warner Robins American Little League, Warner Robins, Georgia (LLWS)
Chuck Kennedy/MCT/MCT via Getty Images

In 2006, the Northern Little League of Columbus, Georgia defeated Kawaguchi City Little League of Kawaguchi, Japan in the championship game. 2007 was a bit of deja vu, although the teams were slightly different. That year, the USA champion was from Warner Robins, Georgia, and it defeated the international champion from Tokyo, Japan. Like the previous year, this one was also a close game, with the final score of 3-2 decided in extra innings. To honor the team’s achievements, President George W. Bush invited the players to visit and tour the White House on Nov. 1, 2007.

 
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2007 Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

2007 Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
Chuck Kennedy/MCT/MCT via Getty Images

When the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks arrived at the White House on Feb. 6, 2008, President Bush began by poking fun at Vice President Dick Cheney’s hunting accident from a couple years prior. “Have you noticed a lot of security around here?” Bush asked. “It's because the Vice President heard there were some Ducks around.” On a more serious note, the president also thanked the 19 Anaheim players who brought the Cup into the combat zone to visit with troops at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan.

 
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2007 Boston Red Sox (MLB)

2007 Boston Red Sox (MLB)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

After breaking the curse in 2004, the Red Sox barely wasted any time winning the World Series again and returning to the White House. The Sox were once again on top in 2007 after they swept the Colorado Rockies in four games, and their visit to Washington occurred on Feb. 27, 2008. Manny Ramirez was once again absent, leading President Bush to quip: “I guess his grandmother died again. Just kidding.”

 
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2007 LSU Tigers (NCAA Football)

2007 LSU Tigers (NCAA Football)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Although President Bush previously invited the LSU championship football team to the White House in 2004, he appeared to get an even bigger kick out of the 2007 version of the team when it visited him on April 7, 2008. In addition to the obligatory jersey, Bush was also given a personalized football bearing his name, the LSU Tigers’ name and the 38-24 final score of their BCS National Championship Game against the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

 
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2007 Houston Dynamo (MLS)

2007 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

The Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in 2006 and received a trip to the White House, so of course they’d have to be invited back after repeating in 2007. In addition to bringing a second trophy to show President Bush, the team also brought him a souvenir jersey and ball to commemorate the June 5, 2008, ceremony, which also included a tour of the Oval Office.

 
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2007 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)

2007 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Almost five years to the day after Diana Taurasi and the 2003 NCAA women’s basketball champion UConn Huskies visited the White House, Taurasi was back meeting with President Bush again, this time as a member of the Phoenix Mercury, the 2007 WNBA champions. The victory was the first for the team, and the Mercury was honored in Washington on June 23, 2008.

 
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2008 New York Giants (NFL)

2008 New York Giants (NFL)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The New England Patriots’ shot at a perfect season ended thanks to an improbable helmet catch by David Tyree and a 17-14 Super Bowl XLII victory by the New York Giants. Although President Bush thanked the Giants players for their commitment to helping America’s troops and youth at an April 30, 2008, ceremony honoring them, he kept coming back to the Super Bowl win, calling it “one of the great, legendary football games in our country's history.” Bush was also gifted a signed ball, and, as the photo shows, he was sure to use the proper technique when he received the handoff from quarterback Eli Manning.

 
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2008 Kansas Jayhawks (NCAA Div-I Men’s Basketball)

2008 Kansas Jayhawks (NCAA Div-I Men’s Basketball)
Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

The last NCAA men’s basketball team welcomed to the White House by President George W. Bush was the 2008 Kansas Jayhawks, who beat the Memphis Tigers in a gripping overtime affair that ended with a score of 75-68. The ceremony took place June 3, 2008, and Bush clearly knew his stuff or was at least well-briefed beforehand. "When KU fans come to the Rose Garden, they don't come to admire the flowers," Bush said. "They come to wave the wheat.” The president was given a jersey, championship hat and basketball at event.

 
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2007 & 2008 NCAA Champions

2007 & 2008 NCAA Champions
Alex Wong/Getty Images

On June 24, 2008, President Bush welcomed a whopping 20 teams to the White House to celebrate various NCAA champions. This included members from the University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics, University of Georgia women's gymnastics, University of Georgia men's tennis, UCLA women's tennis, UCLA men's golf, UCLA women's water polo, University of California men’s water polo, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore women’s bowling, University of Oregon men's cross country, University of North Carolina women's field hockey, Penn State men's volleyball, Penn State women's volleyball, University of Denver men's and women's ski, USC women's golf, Ohio State men's and women's fencing, Boston College men's hockey, University of Minnesota-Duluth women's hockey, and University of Tennessee women's basketball teams.

 
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2008 Boston Celtics (NBA)

2008 Boston Celtics (NBA)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The Boston Celtics own 17 NBA championships, but after a 22-year drought, the 2008 title team made the most of its victory with a trip to the White House on Sept. 19, 2008. “Celtic pride is back,” President Bush said upon the team’s arrival at the ceremony. Bush praised team captain Paul Pierce for playing through his injuries and also noted that it would be the last NBA team hosted at the White House before the impending regime change. The Celtics gifted the president a signed basketball and a “Bush” team jersey, and also vowed to donate $100,000 to the Red Cross to assist those recently affected by Hurricane Ike.

 
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2008 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

2008 Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Detroit Red Wings visited President Bush for the second time during his presidency on Oct. 14, 2008, after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to win the 2008 Stanley Cup. To celebrate this achievement, the Red Wings brought two jerseys for Bush: one emblazoned with the No. 43, to mark his place as the 43rd president, and the other with No. 41, to give to his father, President George H.W. Bush. Chris Chelios also presented Bush with a miniature Stanley Cup replica as an additional gift.

 
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2008 NCAA Champions

2008 NCAA Champions
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Just to make sure he didn’t miss anyone before leaving office, President George W. Bush called together one last group of NCAA champions from the 2008 season on Nov. 12, 2008. This final collection included members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks rifle team, University of Arizona men's and women's swimming and diving, Arizona State University men's and women's indoor track and field, Arizona State University women's softball, Florida State men's outdoor track and field, Northwestern University women's lacrosse, LSU women's outdoor track and field, Brown University women's rowing, and Fresno State men's baseball teams. 

 
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2008 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)

2008 Florida Gators (NCAA Football)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Following in the footsteps of the 2006 championship team, the 2008 Florida Gators also won the BCS National Championship and were rewarded with a trip to the White House on April 23, 2009. However, there was a different president living there this time, as Barack Obama had been sworn in only three months prior. The team was clearly excited to meet the new Commander-in-Chief, as they turned out in droves for the ceremony. In addition to a personalized Gators jersey, Obama was also given a special commemorative football to mark the occasion.

 
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2008 Philadelphia Phillies

2008 Philadelphia Phillies
Win McNamee/Getty Images

There was a lot of excitement at the White House on May 15, 2009. Not only was it a celebration of the first Philadelphia Phillies World Series victory in 28 years, it was also recently elected President Barack Obama’s first time welcoming an MLB team to his new home. Obama quickly pointed out the Phillies underdog status throughout the 2008 season and likened the team to himself. “We share something in common there, because nobody thought I was going to win either," he joked. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, an enthusiastic Obama supporter, presented the president with a signed ball and jersey. Obama, however, wanted more; he facetiously asked for Rollins’ World Series ring.

 
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2008 Columbus Crew (MLS)

2008 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Robert Giroux/Getty Images

After a number of close games, the Columbus Crew cruised over the New York Red Bulls in the 2008 MLS final by a score of 3-1. This was the team’s first-ever Cup win, and since their White House visit took place on July 13, 2009, the Crew became the first MLS team to meet President Obama. As a token of gratitude - and also a housewarming gift - the Crew brought the president an autographed ball and a team jersey.

 
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2008 Detroit Shock (WNBA)

2008 Detroit Shock (WNBA)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama continued the tradition of inviting WNBA champions to the White House when he welcomed the Detroit Shock on July 27, 2009. The 2008 champs swept the San Antonio Silver Stars in the finals to win the third title in team history. Team captain Cheryl Ford and MVP Katie Smith were the players tasked with presenting a team ball and jersey to Obama during the ceremony.

 
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2009 Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images

It was fitting that recently elected President Barack Obama hosted the Super Bowl XLIII champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the White House’s East Room, as the space’s white and gold color scheme is reminiscent of the team’s own colors. Although new to the job, Obama was actually quite familiar with the Steelers organization already, as owner Dan Rooney did a lot to help Obama get elected in the first place. Sometime between the Super Bowl victory on Feb. 1, 2009, and the White House meeting on May 21, 2009, the president named Rooney as the American ambassador to Ireland.

 
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2009 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2009 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama is a die-hard basketball fan, so it was probably a real treat for him to invite the 2009 champion UConn women’s basketball team to the White House on April 29, 2009. However, it was probably a bigger treat for the ladies. Although the 76-54 win over Baylor was the fifth in 10 years for the UConn women’s team, it was the first for all the ladies on the 2009 team, as it had been five years since the last Connecticut win. The president was given a signed basketball and custom jersey with the name “B. Obama” on the back, just in case another Obama joins the team down the road.

 
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2009 North Carolina Tar Heels (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2009 North Carolina Tar Heels (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Obama was quite excited to welcome the NCAA champion North Carolina Tar Heels to the White House on May 11, 2009. Not only is he a huge basketball fan and this was the first men’s college team he had the pleasure to welcome to his home, but Obama also correctly picked UNC to win it all when filling out his bracket. Sure, he got almost half of his other picks wrong in the 2009 tourney, but he made the one that counted. The Heels gifted Obama a jersey and a signed team photo.

 
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2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

2009 Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

After welcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House in May 2009, President Obama hosted the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins less than four months later, on Sept. 10. Obama got to hold the Cup, but he was more appreciative of the team for sharing it with fans around the country. “They took it on fishing trips and stopped by neighborhood barbecues. They visited elementary schools and brightened the days of children recovering in the hospital,” Obama said. Even before the ceremony, Penguins players held a hockey clinic for local children as part of the “United We Serve” program.

 
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2009 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

2009 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

After winning their 15th NBA Championship by besting the Orlando Magic in five games of the 2009 NBA Championship, the Los Angeles Lakers stopped by the White House to meet with President Obama on Jan. 25, 2010. “Nobody exemplifies excellence in basketball better than the Los Angeles Lakers last year," said Obama, who was presented with a jersey by Lakers stars Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant. Bryant pointed out that although it was his second visit to the White House with a winning Lakers team, this one was a bit more meaningful as Obama is a huge basketball fan, while George W. Bush “is more of a baseball guy.” (It’s worth noting that the Lakers only made one trip to the White House during Bush’s two terms, despite winning the NBA Championship three times.) During the visit, Obama also trash talked with Magic Johnson and praised Phil Jackson, mostly for his six rings with the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers won again in 2010, but elected to not visit the White House afterward.

 
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2009 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)

2009 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

“President Obama welcomed the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide football team to the White House” will get to be a repetitive statement, but it all started on March 8, 2010. That was the day the Tide rolled into Washington after a 14-0 season that ended with them beating the Texas Longhorns 37-21 for their 13th national title and first in 17 years. Get used to it.

 
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2009 New York Yankees (MLB)

2009 New York Yankees (MLB)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Although President Obama, a longtime Chicago White Sox fan, praised the New York Yankees for their 2009 World Series victory and extensive charity work during a ceremony at the White House on April 26, 2010, there was also plenty of playful ribbing from both sides. “Let him hold it,” Yankees Assistant General Manager Jean Afterman said in regard to the trophy. "He may not get another chance again." The President quickly retorted by saying, “And you wonder why the other teams don't root for you.” During the event, Obama was presented with a signed jersey, which, in typical Yankee fashion, didn’t include a name on the back, only the No. 27 to mark the amount of times the Bronx Bombers have won the World Series.

 
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2009 Real Salt Lake (MLS)

2009 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Real Salt Lake captured their first MLS Cup in 2009, and made their first White House visit on June 4, 2010. At the ceremony, Obama acknowledged and praised the fact that the Utah-based team didn’t qualify for the playoffs until the very last day and entered with a losing record, but still went on to win the Cup. “All of which goes to show that in Major League Soccer, there's no such thing as a foregone conclusion,” he said.

 
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2009 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)

2009 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Two years after visiting with President George W. Bush, the Phoenix Mercury once again returned the White House as WNBA Champions – this time to meet with President Barack Obama on July 19, 2010. The Mercury edged out a series victory against the Indiana Fever in five games to win the 2009 title. 

 
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2010 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2010 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

It’s possible that President Obama was a good luck charm for the Duke Blue Devils, because after he attended one of their 2010 NCAA tournament games, they went on to win it all. However, Obama didn’t pick Duke in his bracket that year, which he was reminded of at the White House on May 27, 2010, when coach Mike Krzyzewski presented him with a bracket plaque showing the school’s path to victory. During the team visit, the Blue Devils also brought Obama a jersey, which, in what may have been the first time ever, was neatly displayed in a frame. How did nobody think of that before?

 
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2010 New Orleans Saints (NFL)

2010 New Orleans Saints (NFL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

When the New Orleans Saints arrived at the White House on Aug. 9, 2010, to commemorate their 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV, Obama applauded the team for lifting “the hopes and the dreams of a shattered city” following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina less than five years earlier. Obama also praised Chicago-born Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and his team for their performance in the game and their efforts to give back to the community, which included playing football with kids at the Boys and Girls Club and visiting wounded troops and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center during the D.C. trip.

 
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2010 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

2010 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

After winning the 2010 NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers were invited back to Washington on Dec. 13, 2010 –but the ceremony didn’t take place at the White House. “Kobe and Derek have been there so many times now, they could lead tours themselves,” Obama joked. “The same is true for Coach Jackson.” So instead, the president and the Lakers met at the city’s Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) for a charity event with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington. Due to the proximity of the White House, we’re still counting it.

 
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2010 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

2010 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

It took almost an entire year for the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to make it to the White House to meet President Obama on March 11, 2011, but it was a moment that was thoroughly savored by both sides. After all, Chicago had been waiting 49 years to win another Stanley Cup (the franchise’s fourth) and Obama had been waiting his entire life. “This one is a little sweeter," Obama said of his hometown Hawks’ victory visit and the jersey presented to him as a gift. First Lady Michelle Obama wouldn’t leave empty handed either, though; she was given a “FLOTUS” jersey from USA Hockey as recognition for her “Let's Move” initiative for children's health.

 
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2010 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2010 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Hopefully President Obama remembered some names from the 2009 champion UConn Huskies team during their White House visit, because the ladies were back again in 2010 after beating Stanford 53-47. The ceremony was on May 17, 2010 this time around and had to be moved inside, but other than that, it was a very similar affair. Hopefully Obama wasn’t already sick of seeing the Huskies win, because he’d see them several more times before his two terms eventual expired.

 
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2010 Auburn Tigers (NCAA Football)

2010 Auburn Tigers (NCAA Football)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

After quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton led his Auburn Tigers team past Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game, he led them to the White House on June 8, 2011. President Obama initially invited the team in April, but their trip was postponed when he had to unexpectedly fly to Alabama to survey tornado damage. “Two days after the tornado, almost 70 Auburn coaches, players, and athletic department staff – led by Coach – traveled to Pleasant Grove and Cullman to help out with relief efforts,” Obama said in praise of the team. “Even though one of the toughest-hit areas by the storm was the home of the Crimson Tide.”

 
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2010 San Francisco Giants (MLB)

2010 San Francisco Giants (MLB)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Buster Posey, Freddy Sanchez, Jonathan Sanchez, Pat Burrell, and a few other notable San Francisco Giants couldn’t make the White House visit on July 25, 2011 after winning the 2010 World Series, but there were still plenty of characters on hand. President Obama found time to poke fun at quirky reliever Brian Wilson and praise two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (about whom he quipped: "America learned sometimes it's a good idea to bet on the skinny guy. So, you and me.") He also pointed out that Willie Mays, who attended the ceremony, was only 23 years old the last time the Giants won it all. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a lifelong Giants fan from California, also made it a point to attend.

 
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2010 Colorado Rapids (MLS)

2010 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Colorado Rapids won their first MLS Cup after a narrow 2-1 victory over FC Dallas, earning the team their first visit with President Obama at the White House on June 27, 2011. In addition to giving Obama a No. 10 jersey, the Rapids also held a soccer clinic for children of military families on the South Lawn.

 
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2010 Seattle Storm (WNBA)

2010 Seattle Storm (WNBA)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The Seattle Storm celebrated their second team title in 2010 with a trip to the White House on June 29, 2011. For a couple players, however, it wasn’t their first visit. Swin Cash and Sue Bird previously came on behalf of the UConn Huskies, and Cash also came with the Detroit Shock in 2007. “In fact, we can’t get rid of Swin,” President Obama joked. “I think she’s got a cot here somewhere.” 

 
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2011 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2011 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The 53-41 result was a low-scoring affair, but that didn’t matter to the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team, who were back on top in 2011 after knocking off Butler in the final. This was the team’s first win in seven years, which meant it was also their first visit to the White House under President Obama. During the May 16, 2011 trip to Washington, the Huskies also gave back to the community by holding a youth basketball clinic.

 
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2011 Green Bay Packers (NFL)

2011 Green Bay Packers (NFL)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

When the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 and won Super Bowl XLV, they were invited to the White House on Aug. 12, 2011. Given the fact that President Obama is a noted Chicago Bears fan, the event was expected to be humorously tense. "I'm just going to come out and say it, this hurts a little bit,” Obama joked. “You guys come to my house to rub it in. What are you going to do next, go to Ditka's house?” In response, the Packers presented the president with a certificate of stock in the team to accompany a No. 1 jersey emblazoned with the name “Commander in Chief.”

 
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2011 Texas A&M Aggies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2011 Texas A&M Aggies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

For teams not named “UConn,” winning the women’s basketball tournament is a unique accomplishment - especially when it’s the first your team has ever won! So when the Texas A&M Aggies beat Notre Dame in the final, by a score of 76-70, they celebrated like any team would: a trip to the White House. “They’ve defied expectations, they’ve won close games, and played with a whole lot of heart,” President Obama said during the Oct. 6, 2011 visit. “And now the Aggies are the best team in women’s basketball.”

 
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2011 Dallas Mavericks (NBA)

2011 Dallas Mavericks (NBA)
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Championship in 2011 and subsequently took their first trip to the White House on Jan. 9, 2012. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd were among the players in attendance to celebrate the team’s victory over the Miami Heat in six games, as was Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, but guard Delonte West was notably absent. It was initially reported that West, who has a criminal record, was “banned” from the White House, but the Secret Service denied this claim, meaning it may have instead been a team decision.

 
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2011 St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)

2011 St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

After winning the 2011 World Series over the Texas Rangers in seven games, the St. Louis Cardinals visited the White House on Jan. 17, 2012. This day also happened to be First Lady Michelle Obama’s birthday, a fact that wasn’t lost on the team. The Cards brought two No. 44 “Obama” jerseys and two souvenir bats with them. Mrs. Obama also thanked the team for all the work they do for veterans and their families, which included a visit to Walter Reed Military Medical Center that coincided with the White House trip. Notable absentees were Manager Tony LaRussa and slugger Albert Pujols, who had retired and signed elsewhere in the offseason, respectively.

 
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2011 Boston Bruins (NHL)

2011 Boston Bruins (NHL)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to win the Stanley Cup in 2011, and they were rewarded with a trip to the White House to meet President Obama on Jan. 23, 2012. However, one of the most notable attendees wasn’t a player or a president, it was U.S. Senator John Kerry. Kerry was not only a representative of Massachusetts at the time, but he was also a huge hockey fan. In fact, Kerry famously attended the Bruins’ White House ceremony sporting two black eyes he sustained after taking a stick to the face during a family hockey match the previous weekend.

 
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2011 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)

2011 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Coach Nick Saban made his second trip to the White House in three seasons on April 19, 2012, following an invitation from President Obama. Obama wished to congratulate the Alabama Crimson Tide on their most recent BCS National Championship win, which was a lopsided 21-0 affair against the LSU Tigers. The president was given a helmet and jersey both sporting the number “14,” a nod to the 14 national titles won by the school.

 
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2011 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

2011 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Obama would get used to seeing the Los Angeles Galaxy in the White House throughout his second term in office, but his first meeting with the team actually came on May 15, 2012, after they shut out the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the MLS Cup final. In addition to bringing a jersey for the president, David Beckham and co. also participated in a “Let’s Move” Q&A session with young soccer fans and First Lady Michelle Obama.

 
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2011 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)

2011 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
JIM WATSON/AFP/GettyImages

It took 13 seasons, but the Minnesota Lynx finally captured their first WNBA championship in 2011 after sweeping the Atlanta Dream in three games. In recognition of this accomplishment, President Obama invited the team to the White House on Sept. 18, 2012. But this accomplishment wasn’t just big for the team, it was big for the entire state, as it had been 20 years since the last time a major league team from Minnesota won a championship.

 
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2012 Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2012 Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Prior to 2012, the last time the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team won the NCAA Tournament was 1998. Sure, that was only a 14-year gap, but it was two whole presidents ago — and of course, it was also an entirely different set of players. Thus, when Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist beat Kansas in the big game, the entire team made the trip to the White House on May 4, 2012. President Obama was obviously excited to meet the talented youngsters, even if he didn’t pick them to win it all. “I had them in the championship game,” he clarified.

 
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2012 New York Giants (NFL)

2012 New York Giants (NFL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

First, Eli Manning led his New York Giants teammates to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, then he led them to the White House to meet President Obama on June 8, 2012. In addition to praising their work on the field, Obama also lauded the Giants for their commitment to helping veterans of the armed forces.

 
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2012 Baylor Lady Bears (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2012 Baylor Lady Bears (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Although the Baylor Lady Bears won the NCAA Tournament seven years prior, the 2012 version of the team had new players and a new president to visit. They even did it in a new location, opting for the White House’s East Room over the Rose Garden. In fact, pretty much the only thing that was the same between the 2005 visit and the one on July 18, 2012, was the team’s coach, Kim Mulkey. The Lady Bears earned the trip after fighting off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final, 80-61.

 
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2012 Miami Heat (NBA)

2012 Miami Heat (NBA)
Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

After winning the 2012 NBA Finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, the Miami Heat was invited to the White House on Jan. 28, 2013. President Obama acknowledged that a big part of team’s title run came courtesy of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but he also praised the three men for taking their roles seriously as fathers. The meeting was famous for James stating that it was their “Mama, I made it” moment.

 
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2012 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

2012 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Was President Obama the good luck charm that caused the L.A. Galaxy to repeat as champions in 2012? Or were the Galaxy the good luck charm that caused Obama to get re-elected that same year? Either way, one year after previously meeting, the Galaxy was at the White House again on March 26, 2013, to celebrate another MLS Cup. The Galaxy also held another “Let’s Move” Q&A, but this ceremony was most notable for Obama receiving a soccer ball gift and promptly bouncing it off his head.

 
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2012 Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

2012 Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama welcomed the 2012 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings to the White House on March 26, 2013, in an event that also celebrated the 2012 MLS Cup champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Both organizations are owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group. “We also found out that both of these teams are full of some pretty standup players and coaches,” Obama said. “They are out in the community year-round changing lives and making a difference.” To mark the occasion, the Kings gave the president a No. 44 “Obama” jersey.

 
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2012 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)

2012 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Another year, another title for Alabama, another trip to the White House to see President Obama. After the 2012 Crimson Tide team won it all in the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame by a score of 42-14, Nick Saban and his team visited Washington on Tax Day, April 15, 2013. Following a trend that began the previous year, the team gave Obama a No. 15 jersey and helmet to mark the school's 15th national title.

 
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2012 San Francisco Giants (MLB)

2012 San Francisco Giants (MLB)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

In lieu of yet another jersey, the San Francisco Giants switched things up after their 2012 World Series victory and instead gifted President Obama a signed baseball and bat at their White House meeting on July 29, 2013. During the event, Obama praised the team’s resiliency and ability to fend off elimination six times during the 2012 playoffs. He also lauded the Giants for their commitment to supporting members of the LGBTQ community and plans to install an edible garden at AT&T Park. Not only would it become the first ever of its kind in a major American sports facility, but it was also an initiative of which First Lady Michelle Obama was especially fond.

 
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2012 Indiana Fever (WNBA)

2012 Indiana Fever (WNBA)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Indiana Fever came close to its first WNBA championship win in 2009 but didn’t actually get one until three years later. President Obama subsequently gave the team a White House invite for June 14, 2013, and the Fever, in return, gave him a signed basketball and team jersey. He also thanked numerous players for giving back to the community, including Tamika Catchings, who started her own foundation called Catch the Stars. This was especially meaningful to Obama, as the foundation works with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” program.

 
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2013 Baltimore Ravens (NFL)

2013 Baltimore Ravens (NFL)
Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Baltimore Ravens only had to travel a short distance from their home turf to Washington a few months after a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, meaning the whole team was present to pose with President Obama on the White House lawn on June 5, 2013. Although he teased players such as Jacoby Jones, Joe Flacco, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, Obama made a big impression on the team, with head coach John Harbaugh repeatedly remarking afterward how cool the whole experience was. “This kind of experience makes you proud of your country and proud of your accomplishments,” Harbaugh said.

 
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2013 Louisville Cardinals (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2013 Louisville Cardinals (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Don’t be fooled by the Louisville Slugger being wielded by President Obama in the photo; this isn’t a ceremony for the Louisville Cardinals baseball team. It’s for the 2012 champion basketball team. Louisville visited the White House on July 23, 2013, following a 82-76 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. The team "stayed focused on one singular goal,” Obama said during his speech, “and that is to bust my bracket."

 
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2013 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2013 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Following a two-year absence, the UConn Huskies returned to the White House on July 31, 2013, to celebrate their decisive 93-60 victory over the Louisville Cardinals in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. In return, President Obama was given a signed basketball, a spiffy team jacket and bunny ears courtesy of a couple funny ladies standing behind him when the photos were taken.

 
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2013 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

2013 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Chicago Blackhawks visited the White House after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, and they did so again after winning it in 2013. The event took place on Nov. 4, 2013, and was attended by politicians such as Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Mike Quigley, both of whom hail from Illinois. Obama cracked a fair share of his usual jokes and ended with a statement that was unintentionally prophetic: “To the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, White Sox: I am term-limited, so you guys have got to get moving. I need to see you here soon. Championships belong in Chicago.”

 
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2013 Miami Heat (NBA)

2013 Miami Heat (NBA)
Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

The “Big Three” made their second White House visit in as many years when Obama welcomed the Miami Heat on Jan. 14, 2014, after Miami defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games to win the 2013 NBA title. “This group has now won twice but it's gone to the finals three times and, sometimes, it feels like they're still fighting for a little respect,” Obama said, adding, "I can relate to that.” The president was gifted a signed basketball and team jersey emblazoned with the No. 44 and the name “POTUS,” but he also wanted to talk about another gift: the $2 million raised by the Heat in 2013 for local Miami charities. Obama wished the team luck in the 2014 season, except for the games in which they play his hometown Chicago Bulls.

 
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2013 Boston Red Sox (MLB)

2013 Boston Red Sox (MLB)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Boston Red Sox were honored at the White House on April 1, 2014, for their 2013 World Series championship, and it was obvious the players were excited. Outfielder Jonny Gomes wore a red, white and blue American flag suit, and designated hitter David Ortiz snapped a selfie with President Obama after presenting him with a custom No. 44 “Obama” jersey. On a more somber note, Obama also noted that the World Series win was a much-needed victory following the Boston Marathon bombings that took place less than seven months prior.

 
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2013 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)

2013 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

For the second time in three seasons, the Minnesota Lynx were back on top of the WNBA and back in the White House. The Finals once again came down to a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Dream, but this time the Washington visit took place on June 12, 2014. In addition to praising the team for its on-court heroics, President Obama also commended the Lynx for helping teach local students learn how to read and for raising money for breast cancer research.

 
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2013 Sporting Kansas City (MLS)

2013 Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Although 2013 was the first time a team called Sporting Kansas City won the MLS Cup, it was actually the club’s second championship. The K.C. team previously won back in 2000 when the players were known as the Kansas City Wizards but changed their name in Nov. 2010 after moving to a new stadium. President Obama was given a commemorative medal at the White House ceremony, which took place on Oct. 1, 2014.

 
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2014 Seattle Seahawks (NFL)

2014 Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Upon welcoming the Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks to the White House on May 21, 2014, President Obama immediately made a joke at cornerback Richard Sherman’s expense. Referencing his enraged interview earlier in the season, Obama said, “I considered letting Sherman up here to the podium today, giving him the mic, but we’ve got to go in a little bit,” which was received with smiles and laughs by all in attendance. However, Obama then got serious when he praised Sherman’s ability to overcome adversity in his life and accomplish great things, much like the Seahawks did on their way to a 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in the big game.

 
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2014 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2014 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

There was a wide range of emotions at the June 9, 2014, ceremony honoring the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. There was pride, as the Huskies beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 79-58 in order to earn their trip to the White House. There was deja vu, as the team had been there a year before and numerous times in the previous decade and a half. And there was even some excitement, as center Stefanie Dolson fell off the risers during the photo op but managed to stick the landing and laugh it off with President Obama. The event was thrown in conjunction with the UConn men’s basketball team, who had also won the men's tournament. 

 
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2014 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2014 UConn Huskies (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

For the second time in President Obama’s second term, he welcomed the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as NCAA champions on June 9, 2014. To make their return, the Huskies had to beat the Kentucky Wildcats, which they did by a score of 60-54. There weren’t a lot of familiar faces for Obama this time, as all the players had graduated and coach Jim Calhoun had retired (and been replaced by Kevin Ollie) in the time since their last victory. The event was thrown in conjunction with the UConn women’s basketball team, who had also won the women's tournament. 

 
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2014 Jackie Robinson West All-Stars (Little Baseball League International Tournament)

2014 Jackie Robinson West All-Stars (Little Baseball League International Tournament)
YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were both on hand at the White House on Nov. 6, 2014, to congratulate the Chicago-based Jackie Robinson West All-Stars for their 2014 victories in both the Great Lakes Regional and United States championships. Sadly, the team would later be stripped of its titles by Little League Baseball for using a falsified boundary map in order to build a so-called “superteam.”

 
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2014 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)

2014 San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat in five games and earned themselves a trip to the White House on Jan. 12, 2015. While President Obama cracked his usual jokes with the 2014 NBA championship team, he also praised the Spurs for being diverse, calling the team “the United Nations of basketball teams”; recognized them for hiring Becky Hammon, the NBA’s first full-time paid female assistant; and acknowledged their public service efforts to promote literacy in San Antonio.

 
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2014 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

2014 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

For the third time in four seasons, the Los Angeles Galaxy won the MLS Cup. This was also the second time in three seasons that both the Galaxy and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team were champions. So, as it did after the 2012 wins, the White House held a ceremony to honor both teams on Feb. 2, 2015. Since the president already owned a No. 1 “Obama” jersey, the one given to him at this event said “Barack” instead.

 
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2014 Los Angeles Kings (NBA)

2014 Los Angeles Kings (NBA)
Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When the 2014 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings visited the White House, it felt like Groundhog Day, and not just because the calendar read Feb. 2, 2015. The event marked the second time in less than two years that both the L.A. Kings and L.A. Galaxy were honored at the White House as champions on the same day. "So if you see Bill Murray playing the piano in the foyer, you know something weird is going on," the president joked.

 
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2014 Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA Football)

2014 Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA Football)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

The 2013 Florida State Seminoles never got their day at the White House, but the Ohio State Buckeyes received an invitation the following year after beating Oregon 42-20 to win the national title. The meet-and-greet took place on April 20, 2015, and actually included someone who had previously met the president a couple times: Urban Meyer. Meyer was formerly the head coach of the University of Florida Gators, who visited Obama’s White House in 2007 and 2009.

 
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2014 San Francisco Giants (MLB)

2014 San Francisco Giants (MLB)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

For the third time in President Obama’s two terms in office, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, and the president opened his remarks at the June 4, 2015, event by saying, “For these folks, I guess it's welcome back." However, the repetition clearly hadn’t become a bore to the Giants players, coache, and members of the front office, as team president Larry Baer said it never gets old. In fact, superstitious fans might view Obama as a bit of a charm for the team. “I seem to be good luck for them," the POTUS joked.

 
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2014 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)

2014 Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

The Phoenix Mercury swept the Chicago Sky in three games to win the 2014 WNBA championship, which probably didn’t make Illinois native President Obama too happy. “You have kept yet another Chicago sports team from getting into the White House,” he joked, after inviting the team to celebrate its victory at the White House on August 26, 2015. Diana Taurasi was once again present, although she was sitting out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her overseas team.

 
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2015 New England Patriots (NFL)

2015 New England Patriots (NFL)
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

President Obama welcomed the Super Bowl XLIX champion New England Patriots to the White House on Apr. 23, 2015, and the event was so popular that even players who left the Pats in the offseason — such as Darrelle Revis, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen — still made the trip. There was one notable figure missing, however. Tom Brady declined to attend due to a prior family commitment. Obama acknowledged and praised the absent quarterback, but also poked fun at the Deflategate controversy, saying, “I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots, I was worried 11 out of the 12 of them would fall flat.”

 
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2015 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2015 Duke Blue Devils (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Another year, another Duke win and another framed jersey for President Obama. The Blue Devils’ visit to the White House on Sept. 8, 2015, looked a lot like their visit back in 2010, except this one took place in the East Room instead of the Rose Garden, and Duke had to beat Wisconsin to get there, rather than Butler. As Obama pointed out, however, even Coach K looked the same as always. “He does look the same — have you noticed?” Obama joked. “There’s like that Dorian Gray mirror thing going on somewhere.” 

 
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2015 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2015 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

There were no bunny ears and no one fell off the risers this year, but the Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball team was back in the White House for the third year in a row on Sept. 15, 2015, to celebrate the 63-53 win over Notre Dame — the same team the Huskies beat the previous year. According to President Obama, the Huskies are now “certified to provide White House tours” after their multiple visits. “I was telling folks, this is becoming like the annual Christmas tree lighting,” the president joked.

 
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2015 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (World Cup)

2015 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (World Cup)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

After 1999, it took 16 years for the U.S. Women’s National Team to win another World Cup, but considering the fact that the tournament only takes place every four years, that’s actually quite impressive. The ladies had to knock off a tough team from Japan to win it but ended up cruising to an easy 5-2 victory in the final. The team was invited to the White House on Oct. 27, 2015, and during the ceremony, the players all posed for a selfie with President Obama. All in all, the USWNT has won the World Cup under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

 
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2015 Golden State Warriors (NBA)

2015 Golden State Warriors (NBA)
Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors received the White House treatment from President Obama on Feb. 4, 2016, after defeating the Cavaliers in six games to win the 2015 NBA championship the previous year. Obama’s remarks were especially on-point this day, as he joked about interim head coach Luke Walton not getting credit for his wins (drawing parallels to his own tenure), expressed his disappointment that Steph Curry’s daughter Riley wasn’t present, and of course referred to his beloved 1995-96 Chicago Bulls as the “greatest team in NBA history.”

 
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2015 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

2015 Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

It’s safe to say the Chicago Blackhawks hoped President Obama’s term would never end. During his eight years in office, Obama oversaw three Stanley Cup victories for the Hawks: 2010, 2013 and 2015, each of which was followed by a trip to the White House. The last one occurred on Feb. 18, 2016, and of course included a number of gifts. The president was given a mini Cup and another jersey, but to ensure he would remain a good luck charm, the POTUS also received a lifetime parking pass to the Blackhawks’ United Center arena.

 
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2015 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)

2015 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA Football)
2015 Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAA D-I Football)

Coach Nick Saban and President Obama are probably sick of each other. The two met for the fourth time on March 2, 2016, squeezing in one more visit before Obama left office. Of course, that wasn’t the reason the two got together; it was to honor the 2015 championship Alabama Crimson Tide football team. The Tide rolled over the top-ranked Clemson Tigers 45-40 on the way to the school’s 16th national title. Of course, in recognition of the achievement and the White House invite, Obama was given a No. 16 ‘Bama jersey and helmet, as well as a commemorative football.

 
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2015 Kansas City Royals (MLB)

2015 Kansas City Royals (MLB)
Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The last time the Kansas City Royals won the World Series was 1985, so it was fitting that former Royals star, Hall of Famer and world champion George Brett was on hand to celebrate the team’s 2015 victory at the White House on July 21, 2016. It was also fitting that White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was gifted a custom jersey of his own, in addition to the one given to the president, as Earnest is a Kansas City native and lifelong Royals fan. The former U.S. senator from Kansas, Bob Dole, was also present along with numerous other politicians with ties to the winning city.

 
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2015 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)

2015 Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Obama only had the chance to meet with one more WNBA champion before leaving office, and of course it was the Minnesota Lynx, who fended off the Indiana Fever to win the 2015 title in five games. At the June 27, 2016, ceremony, Obama was given a No. 15 jersey to add to his Minnesota Lynx uniform collection, which already included a No. 13 and a No. 11 from 2013 and 2011, respectively.

 
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2016 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)

2016 UConn Huskies (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

2016 marked four titles in a row, 10 wins in 16 years and one last trip to the White House for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. The ceremony took place on May 10, 2016, and it celebrated Connecticut’s 82-51 rout of Syracuse in the final. This would be the last time President Obama would meet with the Huskies, not only because he left office eight months later, but also because the 2017 NCAA Tournament was won by the South Carolina Gamecocks.

 
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2016 Villanova Wildcats (NCAA Men’s Basketball)

2016 Villanova Wildcats (NCAA Men’s Basketball)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Not to be outdone by Duke, who twice brought President Obama a framed jersey after its wins, the 2016 NCAA champion Villanova Wildcats gifted the president two framed jerseys — home and away — during their visit to the White House on May 31, 2016. The 77-74 win over UNC was the school’s first title in more than three decades, and Villanova was the last men’s basketball team to visit with Obama before his term ended. Vice President Joe Biden also wanted to attend but instead sent a message. “He wanted me to remind you that he picked Nova to win it all,” Obama said.

 
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2016 Denver Broncos (NFL)

2016 Denver Broncos (NFL)
Win McNamee/Getty Images

In his last NFL season before retiring, Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to victory in Super Bowl 50 by beating the Carolina Panthers, 24-10. The team met with President Obama on June 6, 2016, in what would be his last meeting with an NFL champion before leaving office. Making light of Manning’s accomplishments, Obama referred to him at one point as “this guy from the commercials.” The president was presented with a No. 44 jersey, but the commander-in-chief cracked that he also needed a helmet, as “you get knocked around here in Washington quite a bit.”

 
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2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

2016 Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The last NHL team President Obama invited to the White House was also the first way back in 2009. “This is a nice bookend to my presidency,” Obama said of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins during the Oct. 6, 2016, ceremony. “Back in 2009, my hair matched the color of the puck more than the ice,” he joked. “Sid the Kid [Sidney Crosby] was actually a kid. And Geno [Evgeni Malkin] was still snapping pictures with his flip phone.” The president also praised Crosby for his leadership skills and compassion, and Obama was later presented with a team jersey and a miniature replica of the Cup.

 
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2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

After defeating the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James, Kevin Love and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers visited the White House on Nov. 10, 2016. President Obama opened his welcome speech by acknowledging the team’s 52-year title drought, quipping, "That's right. I said ‘world champion’ and ‘Cleveland’ in the same sentence." He also accurately noted that the Cavs were the first team to win the NBA championship by coming back from a 3-1 deficit. 

 
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2016 Chicago Cubs (MLB)

2016 Chicago Cubs (MLB)
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Although President Obama is actually a Chicago White Sox fan, the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs nevertheless pushed up their White House visit to Jan. 16, 2017, in order to meet with the Chicago native before he left office. During the trip, the Cubs presented the president with a No. 44 “Obama” jersey, a custom pair of Air Jordans and a lifetime pass to Wrigley Field. This officially marked the end of Obama’s endless jokes about the Cubs still waiting to win another World Series.

 
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2017 New England Patriots (NFL)

2017 New England Patriots (NFL)
SAUL LOEB/Getty Images

The first team to visit the White House under President Donald Trump was a familiar one. Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots were back in the nation's capital, this time celebrating their fifth Super Bowl win. The fifth ring for Belichick came in historic fashion, with New England overcoming a 28-3 deficit to become the first team to win a Super Bowl in overtime, defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. There were some notable absentees during the Trump visit, including Tom Brady, but it didn't seem to bother Trump, who received his own No. 45 jersey from Robert Kraft.

 
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2017 Clemson Tigers (NCAA Football)

2017 Clemson Tigers (NCAA Football)
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

The Clemson Tigers followed the New England Patriots to the White House in 2017, becoming the second team to meet with President Donald Trump in D.C. In a National Championship Game rematch, the Tigers were able to defeat an Alabama team that had beaten them in the final game the year before. It was Dabo Swinney's first title, and quarterback Deshaun Watson put on a remarkable performance, helping him go in the first round of the NFL Draft to the Houston Texans.

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