President Barack Obama invited the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots to the White House on Thursday - but could n't help but get one last deflategate joke in . The president opened his speech on the South Lawn by remarking 'that whole ( deflategate ) story got blown out of proportion , ' referring to an investigation that 11 out of 12 footballs used in the AFC Championship game were under-inflated . But then came the zinger : ' I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events , but with the Patriots in town I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat . ' Scroll down for video . Boo ! Hiss ! President Barack Obama elicited groans and a thumbs down from head coach Bill Belichick after cracking a deflategate joke while honoring the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots . Obama also quipped that he wished Chicago could learn something from Boston 's championship-winning ways . Disapproval rating : Head coach Bill Belichick gives the thumbs down after Obama cracked a de-flate gate joke that left the whole team groaning . Obama received a custom jersey and a custom football from the team at the White House on Thursday . The Patriots assembled behind him groaned . Coach Bill Belichick , who is notoriously humorless , responded by giving the president a thumbs down . Obama was flanked by Belichick and billionaire Patriots owner Bob Kraft . Missing from the occasion , though was the Super Bowl MVP and the team 's biggest star - Tom Brady . A spokesman for the team cited 'prior family commitments ' as the reason Brady , 37 , did n't attend the ceremony . Sports commentators , including retired football great Boomer Esiason , speculated that Brady snubbed Obama because he 's from the 'wrong political party . ' The superstar athlete has been to the White House before . He does have three other Super Bowl rings , afterall . But all the prior championships were under the Bush Administration . February 's win was the first for the Patriots since Obama took office . Brady has also met Obama at least once before , as well . He was pictured with the then-US Senator at the 2005 White House Correspondents dinner . Showoffs : The New England Patriots gathered the team 's four Super Bowl trophies won under Coach Bill Belichick ( right , next to President Barack Obama ) . Brady won his fourth Super Bowl ring in February - and his first since President Obama took office . Tom Brady met President Barack Obama at least once . He is pictured here with the then-US Senator and rival quarterback Donovan McNabb in 2005 . It 's not clear what Brady 's prior commitment was . His supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen , usually active on social media , gives no hint where the family is today if not in Washington . Brady led the Patriots to his fourth Super Bowl victory in February after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 . Despite his arm and movement being somewhat diminished by age , Brady 's leadership and calm under pressure also won him Super Bowl MVP - his third . Whatever is taking up Brady 's time this week , he made time next week to be ringside at the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas next weekend . According to Sport Illustrated , Brady appealed directly to CBS president Les Moonves for tickets to the much-touted matchup . Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski could n't help but mug for the camera as the Commander in Chief gave a speech . Obama walks with billionaire Patriots owner Bob Kraft and coach Bellichick to the speech . Secretary of State John Kerry , a former Massachusetts US Senator , greets Belichick 's girlfriend Linda Holliday at the ceremony . Brady went to the White House to meet President George W Bush after winning the Super Bowl in 2005 and in 2004 . He 's not going to be there this year . Patriots players Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola snap pics in the White House before meeting President Barack Obama on Thursday .
Brady cited 'prior family commitments ' in bowing out of meeting with Obama . Comment: