March 12, 2010
To fulfill his bet with his Canadian counterpart (Dimitri Soudas), Robert Gibbs wore a Team Canada hockey jersey (#39 Ryan Miller, US goalie and tournament MVP) with a little surprise underneath. Payback also included a case of Molson Canadian and Yuengling lager from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Seems the WH got enough flak about their previous beer selections that they went with the oldest brewery in US.
No mention of the women’s hockey teams.
Without the US, Canada’s win wouldn’t have been as much fun. And remember, we beat Canada in 3 periods – it took Canada 7 periods to finally beat us.
Someone in the audience was wearing a jersey as well.
Gibbs also makes a joke about naked Rahm Emanuel.
WH
Press Briefing [emphasis added]
PRESS CORPS: Yay!
PRESS CORPS: Ohhhh!
MR. GIBBS: Nice to see you. Let me get a few pictures over here. What was that groan for? Come on.
Q Show us again, come one.
Q You can’t go yet, I’m not ready.
MR. GIBBS: Don’t worry, we’ll do a couple of non-serious announcements in my –
Q What position did Gibbs play, anyway?
MR. GIBBS: This is — I am, first of all, as you can tell, not in my normal attire — though it does signify Friday here at the White House, casual Friday as we newly instituted. (Laughter.) I am making good on my aspect of my wager with Dimitri, my Canadian counterpart, who is somewhere several hundred miles north laughing.
Q Are you itching yet?
MR. GIBBS: I am not. No, I’m a little warm. The number 39 is for Ryan Miller, who of course was the United States goalie and the tournament MVP. I have one official government announcement: We’ve instructed the embassy, our embassy and our ambassador to make arrangements to deliver one case of Molson Canadian and one case of Yuengling lager from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, America’s oldest brewery, to the Prime Minister’s office today. I’m sure Dimitri will take most of that home and consume it.
Let me do the week ahead and then we’ll get back into more semi-serious attire for the rest of your hockey questions.
PRESS CORPS: No!
Q Fifteen minutes!
MR. GIBBS: Fifteen minutes — I thought we were doing this on the metric scale. (Laughter.)
Q That’s 30 minutes. (Laughter.)
Q Fifteen Canadian. (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: Exactly, right. (Laughter.) What’s the exchange rate?
[Takes off the Canadian jersey to reveal a Team USA jersey.]
I will say — no offense to my Canadian friends here — but we couldn’t have done this fully without — (applause) — also — let me put my specs back on — of course this just has 10 for 2010 on it. Nick and U.S.A. Hockey — the happy providers of this jersey — it’s a little smaller in size, which I think Nick did on purpose so that at the conclusion of this I would give the jersey to him. (Laughter.)
———–
A joke about Rep Massa’s radio rant re: naked “son of the devil’s spawn” Rahm Emanuel in the shower.
Q What else are you taking off? (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: No, that’s Rahm, ma’am. That’s the Chief of Staff. (Laughter.)
———-
Q It’s lucky you didn’t make a bet about wrestling. (Laughter.)
Q One more fashion spin, please.
MR. GIBBS: You like the USA, 2010 USA. (Applause.)
So I don’t think I should take any questions wearing this, but — you know what, we’ll take a couple.
Go ahead, sir.
———–
Q Has it been 15 minutes yet? Do you want to put your jacket on?
MR. GIBBS: Do you feel uncomfortable, Jake?
Q I feel like if I show this to the viewers of ABC News, World News –
Q Then we have to explain the whole thing. (Laughter.)
Q — they’re going to be a little confused why on a story about health care you’re wearing a hockey jersey. I’m saying –
MR. GIBBS: It can’t be any stranger than some of the other stuff I see on the news, so I don’t — (laughter) — I’m not entirely sure what — somebody give Jake the Canadian one and we’ll just do a quick two-shot and we’ll –
Q Faceoff. (Laughter.)
MR. GIBBS: Yes. Would you feel more comfortable if I switched?
Q I’m just glad it was a hockey, not a wrestling, bet. (Laughter.)
Q Or sumo wrestling. (Laughter.)
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