View photo
Washington (AFP) - NFL champions the New England Patriots got a barbed welcome to the White House on Thursday, with President Barack Obama teasing the team about the "deflategate" scandal.
The Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in a thrilling Super Bowl 49 in February to capture their fourth National Football League crown.
But the season was tarnished by allegations that the team inflated footballs improperly in the playoffs to aid receivers.