WASHINGTON — The White House has settled its Olympic bets.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs showed up for his daily briefing for reporters Friday in a Team Canada jersey and announced that two cases of beer were being sent to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The U.S. Embassy will be delivering a case each of American-brewed Yuengling Lager and Molson Canadian.
Gibbs lost wagers on the outcome of the Olympic gold medal hockey games between the men’s and women’s U.S. and Canadian teams to Dimitri Soudas, Harper’s chief spokesman. President Barack Obama bet Harper the beer on the men’s game.
“I am making good on my aspect of my wager with Dimitri, my Canadian counterpart, who is somewhere several hundred miles north, laughing,” Gibbs said.
The jersey had Gibbs’ name on the back and bore No. 39, the number of U.S. team goalie Ryan Miller. While the men’s U.S. team lost to Canada 3-2 in the Feb. 28 gold-medal game, Miller was named the most valuable player of the Vancouver Winter Olympics hockey tournament. The Canadian women’s hockey team beat the Americans 2-0 for the gold.
Gibbs fulfilled the terms of his bet by showing up at the briefing in the Team Canada jersey. He then peeled off the article of clothing to reveal a U.S. hockey team jersey underneath.
