Seahawks Fly the 12th Man Flag at the White House
The Seattle Seahawks took another Super Bowl victory lap today, spending the afternoon at the White House and getting honored by President Barack Obama. He praised cornerback Richard Sherman, Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, coach Pete Carroll, and quarterback Russell Wilson for their contributions to the Seahawks' success and applauded the team for winning its first NFL championship despite so many people saying it would never happen.
"Let me just say as a guy who was elected President named Barack Obama, I root for the underdogs," he said. "And so seeing folks overcome the odds excites me. But it also excites me when you see the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. And that’s what team is all about. And this is a team."
Obama also commended the team for its work in the community. He said that it was the players' and coaches' willingness to give back to the city of Seattle that has made the team one of the most popular in the league. Which of course led to the President giving a shout out to the 12th Man and its role in the Seahawks' success last season.
"Last season, 'the 12s' set a record not once, but twice, for the loudest crowd noise in history," Obama said. "[They were so] loud on multiple occasions, they’ve actually created minor earthquakes, which is disturbing. And you should think about that."
The Seahawks made the President an official member of the 12s by presenting him with a 12th Man flag at the end of his speech.
Watch the whole event below, which includes a few remarks from Coach Carroll:
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
