12 of the best sporting events Obama attended during his presidency

Barack Obama had plenty to keep him busy over his eight-year presidency, but he managed to find the time to attend multiple sporting events during his tenure. He didn't attend a Super Bowl or World Cup, but he watched quite a few games—including a lot of college hoops—from the stands as POTUS. Here's a look at some of the best.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jan 2, 2017

12 of the best sporting events Obama attended during his presidency

Princeton–Green Bay (March 21, 2015)

Obama sat with his brother-in-law Craig Robinson at Princeton's game against Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Ever the supportive family member, Obama was there to cheer on his niece Leslie Robinson, who plays for Princeton. The Tigers beat Green Bay, 80–70, but fell to Maryland in the second round of the tournament.

UNC–Michigan State (Nov. 11, 2011)

James R. Evans/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

In a celebration of Veterans Day, Obama attended the inaugural Carrier Classic basketball game between North Carolina and Michigan State on board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. There were just two iterations of the game before the series was canceled.

Phillies–Nationals (April 5, 2010)

Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch (while repping his White Sox, of course) before the Nationals' season opener against the Phillies, marking the 100th anniversary of the first time a U.S. president threw an Opening Day first pitch.

Bulls–Wizards (Feb. 27, 2009)

Obama looks a little too happy with that Wizards jersey, considering Washington handed a loss to his Chicago Bulls. But as a newly relocated Washington resident, he had to show his new hometown team some love.

Shock–Mystics (Aug. 1, 2010)

The president and his daughter Sasha attended a WNBA game between the Washington Mystics and the Tulsa Shock at the Verizon Center. Earlier in the day, Obama played a game of pickup with an Army basketball team at Fort McNair, proving there is no such thing as too much basketball in one day for the hoops enthusiast.

Cavaliers–Bulls (Oct. 27, 2015)

Obama sat courtside for the season opener of his favorite team, watching the Bulls take down the Cavaliers, 97–95, to kick off what would end up as a disappointing season for the Bulls on a high note.

Oregon State–Maryland (Nov. 17, 2013)

Obama brought his daughters Malia and Sasha to watch their uncle, Craig Robinson, coach Oregon State to a win over Maryland in 2013, bringing Oregon State's record with Obama in attendance to 4–0.

MLB All-Star Game (July 14, 2009)

Donning a jacket representing his hometown White Sox, Obama threw out the first pitch at the first MLB All-Star Game since his election as president. The American League won, possibly because they had a VIP fan cheering for them in the stands.

U.S. Men's National Team—Brazil (July 16, 2012)

Obama took the first lady on a date to watch the U.S. Senior Men's National Team play Brazil in a pre-Olympic exhibition game at the Verizon Center, where the couple was shown on the "Kiss Cam."

Washington, D.C. little league (May 19, 2014)

Obama took a detour on a sunny day in May to play a little catch with four little league teams at Friendship Park in D.C.

Army–Navy (Dec. 10, 2011)

Obama sat with Navy Midshipmen during the game, which ended with the 10th consecutive victory for Navy in a 27–21 win. The president's attendance at the game is a long-held tradition, and also served to kick off several observances to mark the end of the Iraq war.

Rays–Cuba (March 22, 2016)

Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Obama attended the historic game between the Cuban National team and the Tampa Bay Rays, where Chris Archer and his team would beat the Cubans, 4–1. Obama sat beside Cuban president Raul Castro in a celebration of normalized relations between the two nations.