On Saturday, George W. Bush was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States. Bush's election to the White House represents the pinnacle of a career that began in the oil fields of West Texas, included a failed run for Congress in the late 1970s, and most impressively a stint as governor of Texas for the last six years.
Oh yeah, Bush was also a part owner and managing partner in the Texas Rangers baseball franchise. Some people even talked about making Bush the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. To this day if you ask the new Chief Executive what the biggest mistake he ever made was, he'll answer, "Trading Sammy Sosa."
What has this little bit of politico-baseball trivia got to do with anything? Because it represents a growing trend in American politics. Prominent sports figures are not only becoming involved in government, they're making an impact. What's the connection? Does career in sports prepare someone for a second career in politics?
The answer to both those questions is apparently yes. Obviously, being successful in the athletic world gives someone fame and notoriety they wouldn't otherwise have. A good politician can build on that notoriety and turn it into a successful campaign. Playing, coaching or managing a team builds leadership skills and teamwork. There is a definite connection between success on the playing field and success in politics. That connection has become increasingly apparent over the last 30 years.
Just ask Gerald Ford. Long before he became the leader of the free world, Ford was an All-American halfback for the University of Michigan and a coach at Yale. Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon also played college football, although no one ever confused Tricky Dick with Dick Butkus. Both the elder and younger Bush played baseball briefly at Yale. The fact that George W. Bush was such a baseball fan when he was younger largely contributed to his involvement in the Rangers. Bill Clinton tried rugby as a Rhodes Scholar in England. Al Gore played on the freshman basketball team at Harvard.
Of course none of the Presidents, other than Ford, could truly be called outstanding in their contributions to the athletic world. However, other politicians have made significant contributions. Bill Bradley was an All American and two-time NBA champion as a forward for Princeton and the Knicks. He later became a Senator from New Jersey before campaigning unsuccessfully against Gore for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2000. Jack Kemp played quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the old AFL. Kemp turned to politics following retirement, serving as a congressman and HUD secretary before becoming Bob Dole's running mate in his failed 1996 White House bid.
Current members of the House also display a proud athletic history. J.C. Watts, a powerful Republican, played quarterback for the University of Oklahoma and in the CFL for several years before becoming a minister and, in 1994, a congressman. Watts doesn't hesitate to compare government to football.
"It is something like being a quarterback," the two-time Orange Bowl MVP has said of his role in the House. "You can go from being a hero to a goat in a very short time."
Watts has some help from some Republican teammates who made their names in football. On the other side of Oklahoma, NFL Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent represents District One. Largent has made a name for himself as an ultra-conservative and is considering a run for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002.
In Nebraska, an overwhelming majority elected former Cornhusker head coach Tom Osborne to the House in November. Coach Osborne also crushed a fellow Republican in last year's primary. The unusual thing is that his primary opponent was a very popular incumbent. It didn't matter. Osborne, who won three national titles during his tenure in Lincoln, is so popular in his home state that many have hypothesized that only God could have defeated him. Maybe.
The Senate isn't much different. Can you imagine Ted Kennedy slamming J.C. Watts or Jack Kemp to the turf and then doing a sack dance? Well, maybe not, but the Honorable Senator and former Presidential candidate from Massachusetts was a star defensive end at Harvard. Democratic Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin never made much of a name for himself playing sports at any level. The solution? He bought Milwaukee's NBA franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks. Sen. Kohl is also best friends with Bud Selig, the current commissioner of Major League Baseball, a job some thought would go to George W. Bush. Small world, isn't it?
Sports and politics. This country's two great passions. Apparently they're a lot more similar than anyone on CNN or ESPN would have guessed. I just can't wait until we get some kind of Republicans vs. Democrats intramural tournament together. I'll watch that over the Ravens-Giants any day.
