The team looked slightly different, but on Wednesday the Baltimore Ravens celebrated their Super Bowl victory at the White House. Ray Lewis and new Texan Ed Reed were present for the ceremony, while Anquan Boldin was noticeably absent. The cracked jokes with President Barack Obama, while head coach John Harbaugh began making predictions for next year.
Obama started with the wise cracks right away. He started by listing off the accomplishments of quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. His outstanding postseason performance is what carried the Ravens to the championship.
"Joe was named the game's MVP. Good timing with that contract, huh? I don't know about you, Joe, but I would say that qualifies as elite. I would say if you keep on playing like that, you're going to challenge Biden for the most popular person from Delaware," Obama said.
Then Lewis was next on the targeted list. Obama laughed at Lewis's traditional squirrel dance he does, asking him to avoid dancing on the South Lawn. Lewis has since retired from the game, but said he would never pass up an opportunity to see the President and celebrate the team's accomplishments. Obama continued praising the Ravens for their work with NFL PLAY 60 and other various charitable organizations.
Then it came time for Harbaugh to speak. He gave the best line of the day, promising Obama that he would see them again next year around this time of year.
"On behalf of all the Ravens, we want to thank Mr. President for hosting us here today. It's an unbelievable honor. We are grateful to be here. We have plans to be back next year," Harbaugh said.
That is a heavy statement coming from a coach that lost several key pieces to that championship team, but Ravens' fans love the confidence. Thanks to that Super Bowl success, Flacco signed a historic $100-million multi-year extension. Their defense, no longer supported by Reed or Lewis, will have to respond with new leadership and they still might be in the market for one more wide receiver to top off the group.
Baltimore will receive their Super Bowl rings in a private ceremony on Friday. Almost all players and coaches are expected to attend.
