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Congressional football team beats Capitol Police in overtime
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10/27/09 11:02 PM ET
A bipartisan squad of eighteen congressmen made history Tuesday night
at the D.C. Armory, when for the first time ever, they won the annual
Longest Yard "Cops vs. Congress" charity flag football game by a score
of 32-26, in overtime. The contest pitted Members of Congress and
former National Football League players against members of the U.S.
Capitol Police force, and the proceeds of the game (which was free to
the public) will go to charity.
Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.) presided over the initial coin toss, which was
handled by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner
(R-Ohio) watched the game for almost half and hour, as did Pelosi, and
by the end of regulation play the score was tied at 26 all, requiring
that college football overtime rules be observed.
After
winning a coin toss, the Cops chose to take the ball on offense at the
Congress team's (nicknamed the "Mean Machines") 25 yard line. Two
passes later, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y) made a critical interception,
and as a result, Congress took possession at the Cops' 25 yard line.
On
the first play of the run, the winning catch was made by former
Philadelphia Eagles defensive back John Booty, who jumped what seemed
like 5 feet in the air to catch a pass in the Cops's end zone, and
automatically end the game.
Weiner was
clearly amped after his big play: "I'll replay the moment [of the
interception] every night for the rest of my life," he joked.
"I
mean, I was a 120-pound kid from Brooklyn who grew up playing a lot of
football, so I know something about what its like to play [alongside]
pros."
Then Weiner held his hands out in mock
triumph, saying, "I've been waiting my whole life to show people that
I'm a stud, and here's my proof!"
Also
celebrating the big win was Rep. Glenn Nye (D-Va.), who wasn't going to
let his skinned and swollen left knee diminish the fun of the game. "I
sprayed some disinfectant on it," he shrugged, looking down at the raw
and bloody joint.
"I was covering a guy who
made a streak down the field," Nye explained, "so I had to get in there
and mix it up a little." Before leaving the stadium, Nye ran back out
onto the field to ask Booty to sign his jersey; he also stopped to say
hello to a group of veterans, who had been given priority seats and a
special pre-game reception by the event's organizers.
Perhaps
the hardest job of the game belonged to Rep, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.),
who coached from the sidelines as he's done in years past. Afterwards,
Shuster said of the experience, "I may not be as sore as these guys
tomorrow, but my brain is sore from dealing with all the egos out
there!"
Among
the egos Shuster was forced to contend with were those of fellow Reps.
Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), a former NFL quarterback, and Mike Arcuri (D-N.Y.), a college player at SUNY-Albany.
Other players lincude: Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), John Boccieri (D-Ohio), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Jesse Jackson Jr (D-Ill.), Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), and Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.).
Other players lincude: Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), John Boccieri (D-Ohio), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Jesse Jackson Jr (D-Ill.), Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), and Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.).
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