Obama greets champion Cubs: Sports bring us together

WASHINGTON – When President Obama welcomed the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs to the White House on Monday, the outgoing commander-in-chief and the potential dynasty intersected for just one afternoon, yet created an atmosphere that transcended many titlists’ Oval Office visits.

Obama, a former resident of Chicago and avid White Sox fan, was as entertaining as ever with his speech, ribbing the team with one-liners galore while ultimately paying tribute to the Cubs’ success and gracefully accepting the standard team jersey. But there was a part of his speech that brought a calming feeling across the room.

Cubs, world champions at last, visit White House for first time in 129 years

“Sports has the power to bring us together, even when the country is divided,” says Obama.

Obama noted that sports can speak to “something better in us,” before ending his speech by saying that, "sometimes it's not enough to change laws, you have to change hearts. And sports has a way of sometimes changing hearts in a way that politics and business can't.”

That sentiment holds true for what the Cubs were able to accomplish back in November. For decades, Cubs fans watched the Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks, and White Sox reach the pinnacle of the sports world.

After 108 years of torment and heartbreak, the veil of the Cubs curse was lifted in dramatic fashion.

Hearts were changed in Chicago, but it didn’t just stop there.

Fans of other teams saw the Cubs come back from 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians, a feat that seemed nearly impossible at the time, and felt hope that their team may be next.

If you’re one of those fans, wondering when your team will get to visit the White House, the president had a message for you, too.

“There’s never anything false about hope.”

Gallery: World Series champion Cubs visit White House