TMZ Likes The Buff, Dirt-Eating President

Football and swimming photos from Hawaii vacation: "Pretty ripped for a 50-year-old"...
Gossip site TMZ today posted a whopping 121 "exclusive" photos of President Obama playing football on the beach during his tropical Christmas vacation. The photos had the headline "President Obama EATS DIRT in Shirtless Football Game," and TMZ said they were taken on New Year's Day at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. (Above: A screengrab from the site)

TMZ praised the President for his physique, calling him "pretty ripped for a 50-year-old," and also lauded the Presidential "cajones."

"Don't let anyone tell you Barack Obama lacks cojones -- because this weekend in Hawaii, the POTUS himself sacrificed his body to make a diving catch in a hardcore beach football game," TMZ wrote.

Obama daughters Malia and Sasha also appear in some of the photos, which depict a family romp in the surf of Kaneohe Bay. There were far less physical First Family activities the rest of New Year's Day, the last full day of the vacation.

On New Year's Day, the President arrived at the Base at 7:41 AM, and the temperature was "about 70 degrees, with light to moderate rain, plenty of clouds but also some peeks of a rising sun to the east," pool reported. Held far from the action at the local Starbucks, the pool had no idea the President was playing football or taking a swim with his daughters, rather than working out in the Base gym. The President and his entourage departed the Base at 9:18 AM.

"Obama -- who's pretty ripped for a 50-year-old -- makes some shockingly athletic plays ... diving for catches, tossing up some Hail Marys, and juking people all over the place," TMZ wrote.

The President celebrated his 50th birthday on August 4, 2011, with a big party at the White House.

TMZ sent the photos out to all news media after posting the images, with instructions that they can only be used until January 11, and posts in electronic media must link to their site. Obviously: View more photos here on TMZ. Above, The President eats dirt....