Man loses cheesehead hat at Obama speech
By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — All Liberian immigrant Mansfield Neblett wanted to do was wear his cheesehead hat to President Barack Obama’s speech Wednesday at his daughter’s middle school.
The first roadblock were secret service agents, who initially told him the bright yellow hat in the shape of a slice of cheese usually worn by fans at Green Bay Packers games was a security risk.
“I said, 'Then I’m not going to come,”' the 46-year-old Neblett said.
The agents relented, and there Neblett was in the last row of the gymnasium at Wright Middle School proudly wearing the hat. He was the only one with the cheesy chapeau, which stood out even more given the contrast to his dark blue business suit.
But Neblett’s dream of wearing the hat during Obama’s speech wasn’t meant to be.
Minutes before Obama took the stage, someone representing him approached Neblett and offered to get the hat signed by the president. Neblett gladly turned it over.
“I’m going to sell it on eBay!” he said with a smile.
Trouble is, the speech wrapped up, Obama left the building, and Neblett still didn’t have his hat back. He stood in the school hallway as dignitaries and others filed by, searching in vain for someone to hunt it down.
The Wisconsin State Journal later reported that Neblett’s story ended happily: the hat was returned, bearing the president’s signature.
Neblett said he wore it because he wanted to show his love for Wisconsin.
“Wisconsin has been nice to me since I came here,” he said. “I rose from being illegal to becoming an American citizen.”
Nov 5, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.
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Lol
Im still laughing
Nov 5, 2009 at 10:08 a.m.
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baegucb: i dont mind you obviously having a crush on me and reading every story waiting for me to comment...but im not available...im sorry and i really hope you dont think any less of me, but honesty early is the only way to roll....
Nov 5, 2009 at 9:33 a.m.
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In Liberia, it is customary for the President to sign all cheesehead hats before speaking. That is what makes this event so unusual and newsworthy.
Nov 5, 2009 at 9:20 a.m.
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Obama cut the cheese!
Nov 5, 2009 at 7:33 a.m.
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Hey, thats a good point, SarahB1. But, I still gotta ask, why is this even a story? The guy got his cheesehead back, which the title of the article neglects to say. Very misleading
Nov 5, 2009 at 6:42 a.m.
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Excuse me. I meant "do", not "doing".
Nov 5, 2009 at 6:32 a.m.
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It's interesting that I haven't heard anything about parents keeping their kids home from school on this one. Must be that Fox News did not doing any advance work on Obama's visit to Madison.
Nov 5, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.
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Well, for once, NVgrf was on topic. Now can you cut it out?
Nov 5, 2009 at 6:21 a.m.
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maybe the hat might be worth something in liberia
Nov 5, 2009 at midnight
Nov 4, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.
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I love Wisconsin so much, I'm going to have the president sign a cheesehead so I can (keep it?) SELL IT. Wow. Nice guy.
Whats worse than this making news is me wasting my time commenting on it. What have I become? =D
Nov 4, 2009 at 11:46 p.m.
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Im sure hats arnt the only thing people lost while seeing Obama today, probably lost their minds and some common sense as well!
Nov 4, 2009 at 9:49 p.m.
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NVgrf already commented. I'm waiting for the kid to do another off topic comment.
Nov 4, 2009 at 9:39 p.m.
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criminy: Where did that take place? Where were the vets from?
Nov 4, 2009 at 9:25 p.m.
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Then he said "I'm not going to come".
"The agents relented", why?
Obama's appearances are so staged, it's ridiculous. I know war injured military personnel who felt initially honored to be summoned by Obama, only to be "props" in an Obamas photo op, and who never even were SPOKEN to by him.
He's a fraud and a disgrace to this country.
Nov 4, 2009 at 9:06 p.m.
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Its all Obamas fault
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:43 p.m.
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I seen the Networks have brought back the TV show V just in time for the Obama supports to get a good vision of what is going on.
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
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Yah,
I wonder who really signed that hat??? :-)
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:33 p.m.
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I'll leave that up to the reader...
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:19 p.m.
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Funny story. I'm sure the Secret Service have dealt with cheese hats in the past. I would bring 2. :)
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.
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LoL looks like the Secret Service has a good trick up their sleeve.
kraut60-is that humor? I can't tell...
Nov 4, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.
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There you are folks...Change! The hat went from ordinary to special, it changed...
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