January 22, 1984
The President. Coach Tom Flores?
Coach Flores. Yes, Mr. President.
The President. Congratulations. That was a wonderful win tonight. I just think you ought to know, though, that you've given me some problems. I have already had a call from Moscow. They think that Marcus Allen is a new secret weapon and they insist that we dismantle it. [Laughter] Now, they've given me an idea about that team that I just saw there of yours. If you'd turn them over to us, we'd put them in silos and we wouldn't have to build the MX missile. [Laughter] But it's been great. You proved tonight that a good defense can also be a pretty good offense.
Coach Flores. Well, thank you, Mr. President. I really appreciate it. We played a good game tonight. Our players were just tremendous in every phase. We totally dominated. I think we proved to the whole world that the silver and black is the best team.
The President. Well, you certainly were from what we saw out there on the field tonight. And, again, my congratulations to you. God bless all of you. And there isn't anything that I could say that would make you any happier than you all must be.
Coach Flores. Well, thank you. I wish you were here to enjoy it with us, but I appreciate your call. Thank you very much.
The President. You bet.
Note: The President spoke at 8:30 p.m. from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. The conversation with Coach Flores was broadcast live on the CBS network following the Raiders 38 to 9 victory over the Washington Redskins in Tampa, FL.
The President also spoke with Jack Kent Cooke, owner, and Joe Gibbs, coach, Washington Redskins.