Tom Brady snubs Obama as Super Bowl-winning Patriots visit White House

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Brady cited 'prior family commitments' in bowing out of meeting with Obama
Has been to the White House to meet President George W. Bush for previous Super Bowl wins

Published: 13:07 EST, 23 April 2015 | Updated: 23:04 EST, 23 April 2015

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The New England Patriots are visted the White House today and received congratulations from the President for their Super Bowl XLIX championship.

But the team's victory lap in the nation's capital came without their biggest star. Quarterback Tom Brady is snubbing President Barack Obama and wasn't there.

A spokesman for the team cited 'prior family commitments' as the reason Brady, 37, didn't attend the ceremony.

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Showoffs: The New England Patriots gathered the team's four Super Bowl trophies won under Coach Bill Belichick (right, next to President Barack Obama).

Obama received a custom jersey and a custom football from the team at the White House on Thursday

Disapproval rating: Head coach Bill Belichick gives the thumbs down after Obama cracked a de-flate gate joke that left the whole team groaning

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

Obama makes Deflategate joke as he welcomes the Patriots

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.

Obama recognized the football champions Thursday during a White House ceremony on the South Lawn.

The president said 'that whole (deflate-gate) story got blown out of proportion,' referring to an investigation that 11 out of 12 footballs used in the AFC Championship game were underinflated. But he couldn't help but making a joke of his own.

'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,' he said.

Coach Bill Belichick, who is notoriously humorless, responded by giving the president a thumbs down.

Brady won his fourth Super Bowl ring in February - and his first since President Obama took office

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski couldn'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

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.