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Election Day: What the Sporting World Is Saying

Nov 4, 2008, 10:00 PM UTC

All over the country the past few days, studious reporters were asking a hard-hitting question to athletes and owners: Obama vs. McCain, who ya got? Or some variation of that. We shouldn’t really care about their responses, but since we seem concerned with everything else athletes do, their answer to the previous question somehow interests us. And if nothing else, gives us a chance to laugh at Brett Favre, who doesn’t even know that he’s a Republican (he’s from Mississippi and hunts; fits the demo). â†µ

â†µAs we get ready to call it a day and head home to watch the results pour in, here are a collection of quotes from papers around the nation, as gathered by our friends at SportsBusiness Daily this morning, telling us what the physical freaks and rich people who write their paychecks think of the election:â†µ

â†µâ†µ“I have no idea if I’m a Democrat or a Republican. I don’t even know enough about politics” – Jets QB Brett Favre (USA TODAY, 11/4). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“The days of Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell are gone, but the ‘60s and ‘70s aren’t that far away. It’s our responsibility. If you believe in something, you should speak it” – Ravens LB Bart Scott, calling for athletes to be more outspoken on political issues (USA TODAY, 11/4). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“John McCain has spent his life passing tests in service of our country and at no time in my life, or my children, is this country more in need of someone new to take charge and change the very fabric of who we are, and what we are doing” – Conclusion of a recent blog entry from free agent P Curt Schilling (38PITCHES.com, 11/4). â†µ

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â†µ"A lot of guys should be all for McCain if they like their money" – Titans DT Albert Haynesworth (USA TODAY, 11/4). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“An overwhelming majority of the American people aren’t doing as well as they were three years ago before those tax credits. I believe in a bottom-line philosophy” – Titans TE Alge Crumpler, an Obama supporter (USA TODAY, 11/4). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“I think we have a lot of closet Republicans in the locker room. … They want to vote Republican to spare their own income. But they won’t admit that openly in the locker room” – Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo, who said he would vote for Obama (FLORIDA TODAY, 11/4). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“I’m voting for Obama, man, because he’s well-groomed” – Seahawks OT Walter Jones, jokingly, on why he is voting for Obama (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 11/1). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“Our country is in a rough spot, and we’re going to need some serious change. There’s only one candidate ready to deliver it – and that’s Barack Obama” – Former NASCAR driver Junior Johnson, in a letter of endorsement (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 11/2). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“I’m proud of the opportunity to make a change here. What can I say? I’m not real impressed with the last eight years of this administration at all” – Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie, who with Obama is publicly endorsing a candidate for the first time (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/2). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“And here is a man who will bring these values back” – Steelers Chair Dan Rooney, referring to the values of hard work and respect while stumping for Obama (SALON.com, 11/3). â†µ

â†µâ†µ“It’s time. I’m excited for it, for everybody. Most of all, I’m excited to be represented by him around the world” – Univ. of Southern California football coach Pete Carroll, who said that he is voting for Obama (L.A. TIMES, 11/4). â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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